Single word judgements cannot adequately capture complexity of adult social care, says LGA
The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for the scrapping of single word ratings in Care Quality Commission assessments of councils’ adult social care services, following Ofsted’s decision to end single word ratings for schools.
The LGA said the social care watchdog’s existing assessment reports, which provide “helpful narrative summaries” and more detailed analysis, are “sufficient”, and provide a “useful and balanced picture of the quality of services”.
It said: “Adult social care has faced over a decade of underfunding and unmet and under-met need has grown as a consequence. Councils believe single word ratings do not do justice to the complex and difficult state that adult social care is in.”
The call comes after the Government announced that single headline Ofsted grades are to be scrapped with “immediate effect”.
The Government said that single headline grades fail to provide a fair and accurate assessment of overall school performance across a range of areas, and are supported by a “minority” of parents and teachers.
The LGA said it believes this judgement is “relevant”, and should extend to CQC’s assessment of councils’ adult social care services.
Further, it called for “immediate investment” from the Government to agree a long-term funding and reform plan, “to allow all people to access the care and support services they need to live an equal life”.
Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board said: “Local government fully supports transparency and accountability. But while assessment and regulation are both important and helpful in driving improvements to services, single word or phrase judgements cannot ever adequately capture the complexity of adult social care and the work councils do to meet their legal obligations.
“The Government must ensure that the assurance process is, and remains, productive and supportive for councils. Sufficient time must be given to learn the lessons from councils’ experiences as more go through the assessment process.
”Working with people who draw on care and support, councils and care providers, the Government also needs to urgently develop and implement a fully costed, long-term, sustainable plan to fund social care. Investment and reform are critical for bringing about real change and better outcomes for people.”
A Department of Health and Social spokesperson said: “We recognise the scale and depth of the reforms needed in social care. That’s why we will engage widely with the sector as well as people with lived experience on the longer-term reforms needed to build a National Care Service.
“We are thoroughly reviewing the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and as part of that work we have asked the CQC to improve the transparency of their ratings. We are not currently considering a change to the single-word ratings system.”
Lottie Winson
