Southend council's adult social care rated good by watchdog
Mr Bullion said: "We found Southend-on-Sea City Council was delivering good access to adult social care, with a strong focus on equity, inclusion, and prevention."Behind this we saw good leadership, who put people's safety and specific needs at the heart of everything they did."Areas singled out for praise included:Targeted outreach programmes for people with complex needs and support tailored to seldom heard communitiesPeople speaking positively about the care and support they received, and many saying they felt respected, involved and valued during assessments People saying they felt the staff they saw were well trained, competent and understood the needs of the community
Strong identity
Mr Bullion added: "Many people described a strong cultural identity in Southend-on-Sea, with a shared sense of pride in the area. "The authority was clearly keen to tap into this sense of community, with local hubs, befriending schemes and inclusive events helping foster social inclusion."Less positively, inspectors heard about people with complex needs facing delays accessing help due to shortages in services.People also highlighted some delays around housing adaptations and annual reviews, according to the report. The CQC has a new duty under the 2014 Care Act to assess how local authorities work with their communities and partners to meet their responsibilities. This includes promoting the wellbeing and independence of working-age disabled adults, older people and their unpaid carers to reduce their need for formal support where appropriate.
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