Newham Council: local authority assessment
Downloads
Overall summary
Newham Council have requested a review of one or more of its ratings
Local authority rating and score
Quality statement scores
Summary of people's experiences
People’s experiences of accessing adult social care in Newham were mainly positive. Staff conducted Care Act 2014 assessments which focused on people’s strengths and abilities, in a person-centred way. The feedback received about the approach from staff was positive. People told us they received assessments from kind, dedicated, and compassionate staff.
Most people told us they were able to access services easily. The local authority had a wide range of online, written and verbal communication channels for people to access services and had a translator service to support people whose first language was not English. Paper copies of information in other languages were also available if needed and could also use British Sign Language interpretation services if required.
The local authority front door consisted of the Access to Adult Social Care Team, and Mental Health Adult Social Care Assessment Team (MHASCAT) front door. Teams had a good understanding of what was available for people in the community with and without eligible needs under the Care Act 2014. We heard examples of how staff worked with people at an early stage before they had developed eligible needs, to prevent, reduce and delay the need for statutory services.
The experience of unpaid carers was mixed; some unpaid carers told us they did not always know who to contact or what support could be available for them, whilst others told us they had a named worker and could contact them easily when needed. Unpaid carers received their own assessment which could be carried out either separately or at the same time as the cared for person, whichever suited the unpaid carer best, and we saw examples of care planning to meet their eligible needs. Unpaid carers spoke positively about the support available to them from the voluntary sector.
Staff worked closely with partners to meet people’s needs holistically. We received positive feedback about the range of voluntary services available to people. We saw examples of positive joint working both internally with teams and with other partners such as health and housing. People received support from staff who worked closely with health, for example, during hospital discharge, to ensure people received the right care, at the right time, in the right place.
Summary of strengths, areas for development and next steps
Newham local authority knew itself and the people of Newham well. There was mainly positivity amongst staff, who told us they felt valued and motivated. However, some staff told us they felt progression opportunities were available to some more than others. Recruitment and retention were an issue in Newham within some specialist teams such as Occupational Therapy and the Learning Disabilities Team. However, teams were well established, and we met long serving members of staff, which included agency staff as well as new members of staff throughout our assessment. Leaders identified the use of agency supported with recruitment and retention, and there was a focus on creating permanent roles within Newham. Overall staff felt supported in their roles and were positive about training and opportunities to progress in their careers. There was a clear emphasis on staff wellbeing and equality in the workplace and improvements were continuing to be made to support the diverse workforce.
Staff told us the leadership team, including the Director of Adult Social Services (DASS), was visible and friendly. Leaders had an ‘open door approach’ and staff felt confident about being able to approach senior leaders, including the Chief Executive, if they had any queries or concerns. There was a clear understanding of social work practices, and their challenges amongst leaders. Leaders, managers, and staff demonstrated investment in strength-based approaches, and there were examples of this throughout our assessment. Staff said they felt listened to, and the local authority was aware of where the gaps were and what improvements needed to be made.
The local authority was focused on the prevention and delay of people developing future needs and reducing people’s reliance on formal services. Staff were focused on achieving positive outcomes for people. Individual examples of promoting independence and reducing dependencies were shared, such as providing people with equipment to help them continue to live safely at home. The local authority worked well with partners and the community and voluntary sector to prevent, reduce and delay needs and worked with them to achieve shared outcomes.
People told us they felt safe, and there were robust policies and procedures in place to provide safe care and support. Staff had a good understanding of the challenges in Newham, for example, housing, deprivation, and diversity.
The approach to supporting people who were transitioning between teams and services was changing and was yet to be fully embedded during our assessment. Feedback from people transitioning from other services was mixed, including feedback regarding transitioning from children’s to adult’s services, hospital discharge, and moving between teams.
Waiting lists for assessment of people's care and support needs in Newham were relatively low. Where there were waiting lists, staff used a triage process, an escalation policy, and risk-assessed in order to prioritise needs appropriately. We heard how external factors such as housing could impact a person’s transition and processes were in place to support this and were being reviewed and analysed to improve effectiveness.
There was not always sufficient care provision in Newham for people living with higher support needs such as complex learning disabilities, mental health needs, or advanced dementia. People were often placed out of the borough; however, the majority of these people were placed in neighbouring boroughs close to Newham.
Equality, diversity and inclusion were embedded throughout practice and were at the forefront of the local authority’s corporate vision and adult social care vision. People felt included and understood with their protected characteristics identified and considered. The local authority worked closely with people in the community, ensuring equal access for everyone by providing outreach support to people in hard to reach areas.
There was clear co-production with people who used services, and their carers. People told us they were listened to and included in decision making, however, some people felt communication with the next steps could have been clearer. This included the creation of the updated Carers Strategy.
The local authority worked well with partners and the voluntary and community sector to support people holistically and in the least restrictive way. Building relationships and collaborative working was a priority within adult social care.