Healthier Communities
Annual Performance Assessment (APA) of Adult Social Care
This assessment is based on performance and achievements during 2008/2009.
Judgements
Gateshead Council is judged on seven different criteria and was found overall to be delivering adult care services ’Well’.
Gateshead received an excellent grade in three areas:
• improving quality of life
• Making a positive contribution
• Ensuring freedom from harassment and discrimination
A further three areas of service were being delivered well
• increased choice and control
• economic well-being
• maintaining personal dignity and respect
The remaining area – improved health and emotional well-being - was judged to be adequate.
A number of strengths and weaknesses were highlighted in the full report| which can be seen at the Care Quality Commission website.|
Our Response
The Council has developed an action plan to address the recommendations for improving outcomes in Gateshead. This will ensure that appropriate action is taken around areas for improvement arising from the inspection.
Service Inspection of Adult Social Care
An inspection team from the Care Quality Commission visited Gateshead in November 2009 to find out how well the council was delivering social care. To do this, the inspection team looked at how well Gateshead was:
• Safeguarding adults whose circumstances made them vulnerable.
• Improving Health and Wellbeing for older people.
The inspection team also looked at if the Council has the capacity to improve these areas.
Judgements
The Council was judged to be performing poorly in safeguarding adults and performing adequately in improving health and well being.
The Care Quality Commission concluded that the capacity to improve in Gateshead was uncertain.
The full report| was published on 13 April 2010 and is available on the Care Quality Commission website|.
Our Response
The Council has developed an improvement plan to address the recommendations for improving outcomes in Gateshead. This will ensure that appropriate action is taken around areas for improvement arising from the inspection.
Domiciliary Care Review
Gateshead Domiciliary Care Services
In October 2009, Gateshead Domiciliary Care services were reviewed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and retained our 3 stars excellent category.
The judgement was based on the information given in:
• the completed Annual Quality Assurance Assessment,
• completed questionnaires from a random selection of service users, staff and other professionals involved in the service and
• other information held/acquired by the CQC.
A key inspection will take place before the 6th October 2011.
Our Response
The Council is not required to send a formal response to the findings of this review. However, the recommendations are included in our service plans to improve service delivery.
Learning Disability Review
In November 2008, a review team visited the Council and Primary Care Trust (PCT) to find out how well their arrangements for planning and buying services (commissioning) were improving the quality of life for people with learning disabilities who have complex needs and their families, in Gateshead. The experiences of people who use services and family carers provided important evidence for the review.
Areas for improvement
• Putting people at the centre of commissioning
• Understanding the needs of populations and individuals
• Sharing and using information more effectively
• Assuring high quality providers for all services
• Recognising the importance of good health services; recognising the interdependence between work, health and well-being; recognising human rights
• Developing incentives for commissioning for health and well-being
• Making it happen: local accountability, capability and leadership
The full report| was published in 2008 and is available on the Care Quality Commission| website.
Our Response
The Council developed an action plan| to address the recommendations for improving outcomes in Gateshead. This will ensure that appropriate action is taken around areas for improvement arising from the inspection.