The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has formally awarded Thurrock Council a ‘Good’ rating for its delivery of Adult Social Care services.
Following a comprehensive assurance process which included a number of on-site visits, detailed information reviews and direct conversations with people who receive our care, CQC has said the Council’s Adult Social Care services has evidenced that we deliver care to a Good standard.
CQC, the independent regulator for health and social care in England, are midway through a programme to assess every council in England with adult social care responsibilities. In particular, they want to know how well councils like Thurrock are performing against the duties outlined under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014.
The report and the rating shines a light on the strength of our integrated approach to care and health delivered through our Better Care Together Thurrock (BCTT) Partnership, which includes partnering with the NHS and health partners, as well as private and voluntary sector providers to put every person in the centre of a holistic conversation about their individual health and care needs.
Other key points highlighted in the report include:
- People receiving care in Thurrock feel they have easy access to integrated health and social care support within their communities.
- Our Commissioning practices focus on outcomes rather than rigid structures, meaning services are tailored to individual needs.
- We are effective in delivering rapid interventions where needed, supporting individuals in crisis, and reducing unnecessary hospital admissions.
- Our safeguarding practices are well-established, with strong internal governance and oversight approaches in place.
- Carers in Thurrock feel supported and aware of resources available to them, with survey rates showing satisfaction levels were higher than the UK average.
- We have maintained a stable provider market with solid two-way relationships.
Cllr Mark Hooper, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “We were proud to contribute to this important national programme, the first time in over 10 years that an assessment programme of such depth and rigour has taken place. Today we welcome CQC’s formal assessment of how well we in Thurrock are fulfilling our adult social care duties.
This report and our strong ‘GOOD’ rating offers further assurance that we, the council, alongside our care and health partners, are working together to not only keep our vulnerable residents safe and well, but to put them at the centre of their care planning and decision making.
I would like to thank our social care staff for the hard work and professionalism they show each and every day in delivering these services.
“Supporting those in our society who receive care from us is, and always will be, the single greatest priority of this council.”
Cllr Lynn Worrall, Leader of Thurrock Council, said: “This is an amazing achievement, and alongside our Children’s Services being recognised as Ofsted Outstanding last year, it’s further indication that this council is putting our local people first and remaining focused on providing high quality care and support to residents of all ages. This positive rating is yet another step forward as we continue on our journey of improving services for residents.
“We will, however, not rest on our laurels. My fellow Councillors and I are already working alongside our Senior Adult Social Care team to comprehensively review this report, and we will use the findings from it to continue learning, improving and innovating for the benefit for everyone who calls Thurrock home.”
The full report is now available online at CQC assessment reports: Thurrock Council: local authority assessment