CQC rates North Lincolnshire Council adult social care services as good

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated North Lincolnshire Council as good for how effectively it is meeting its responsibilities to provide adult social care and support under the Care Act 2014.

The assessment forms part of CQC’s duty to assess how local authorities work with their communities and partners to meet their adult social care responsibilities. North Lincolnshire Council had previously been assessed in 2023 as part of CQC’s pilot of its new approach.

CQC assessed the council across nine areas, awarding each a score from one to four, where one indicates significant shortfalls and four represents an exceptional standard.

The council received the following scores:

• Assessing people’s needs –2
• Supporting people to lead healthier lives –3
• Equity in experience and outcomes –2
• Care provision, integration and continuity of care –3
• Partnership and communities –3
• Safe pathways, systems and transitions –2
• Safeguarding –2
• Governance, management and sustainability –3
• Learning, improvement and innovation –3

Inspectors found a strong focus on preventing people from losing their independence and supporting people to remain in their own homes and communities for as long as possible.

People told CQC that assessments were person-centred and explained in ways they could understand. Inspectors highlighted the council’s winter warmth programme, which supported more than 800 people at risk of living in cold homes or experiencing fuel poverty.

The council’s dedicated preparing for adulthood team was also recognised, with coordinated support available to young people and their families from as early as age 14 to help reduce uncertainty and support smoother transitions into adult services.

Partnership working was identified as another strength. Integrated discharge teams based in local hospitals brought together social workers, nurses and community support staff to plan care and help people return home safely with appropriate support in place.

CQC also found evidence that people with lived experience were involved in shaping services. People’s voice groups contributed to the specification for a new advocacy service, while complaints and ombudsman findings were used to identify improvements. This included changes to guidance on direct payments and support planning.

The council was also found to be investing in its workforce. Staff received at least six learning days each year and had opportunities to progress through apprenticeships and specialist roles, with vacancy rates reported to be well below the national average.

However, inspectors identified several areas requiring further improvement.

At the time of the assessment, 43 people were waiting for financial assessments, with some having waited as long as 1,049 days, compared with the council’s target of 21 days. CQC said these delays left some people uncertain and anxious about how much they would need to pay towards their care.

The council has since improved its performance, with 100% of people being contacted within five working days and 82% of assessments completed within 21 days.

CQC also found inconsistencies in the support available to unpaid carers. Some carers were unsure whether they had received a formal assessment, while others described brief telephone contact without clear follow-up. Some people also struggled with complex forms where face-to-face support had not been offered.

Inspectors found that respite and practical support were not always sufficient, meaning some carers’ situations deteriorated before they received the help they needed.

Safeguarding practice was another area highlighted for improvement. Staff did not consistently record or demonstrate that people’s views and wishes had been considered when safeguarding decisions were made.

CQC also found inconsistent experiences among seldom-heard communities, people living in rural areas and autistic adults, with some facing greater barriers to accessing support. The council recognised these gaps and had plans in place to strengthen engagement with minority ethnic and faith communities and give greater prominence to poverty and deprivation within strategic planning.

Mary Cridge, CQC Director of Adult Social Care and Local Authority Assessment, said the council had a clear focus on prevention and partnership working, while recognising that further work was needed to ensure people’s experiences were consistently positive.

Overall, CQC concluded that North Lincolnshire Council was meeting its Care Act responsibilities to a good standard, with strengths in prevention, partnership working, workforce development and supporting people to maintain their independence.

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