Warwickshire News Mine

An inspection team from CSCI and the Healthcare Commission visited Warwickshire in February to find out how well the council and Primary Care Trust (PCT) were meeting the needs of older people.

The team consisted of two inspectors from CSCI, a Senior Assessment Manager from the Healthcare Commission and an older person with experience of using services. 

Among the criteria examined by the inspection were how social and intermediate care services for older people were commissioned or provided by the council, assessed the council and PCT’s joint working.

The report stated that Warwickshire had made steady progress in improving services, highlighting how the council and the PCT are both showing a good understanding of how to improve services, how older people’s forums were making and increasing contribution to raising older people’s profile, that robust systems were in place to manage the financing of social care, the improvements in performance on direct payments and in enabling increased independence among older people.

Dr Graeme Betts, strategic director for Adult, Health and Community Services at Warwickshire County Council, said: “We welcome the findings of the report as it endorses the way we have been working with the PCT to provide care for older people. It praised the hard work and commitment of staff across adult social care services and this recognition was well-deserved."

“This would be a good result in a normal year,” said David Rose, Warwickshire PCT Chief Executive. “But the fact it has been achieved by a new organisation, working in conjunction with our partners, is even more creditable.

“It is also testament to the hard work and expertise of all our staff who will continue to strive for further improvements. 

“There are some improvements to be made, but we have shown that even at times of significant change, we can remain focussed on our main purpose – to provide and commission the best possible health services for the community we serve, in conjunction with our key partners.  Now that Warwickshire PCT is an established organisation, I believe we can all build on the success of our first few months to do even better.”

The report also drew attention to areas where the commission suggested improvement.  Among these were the need for the council and the PCT to work more closely in partnership and to engage more closely with the voluntary and charity sector.

The report did note that recent configuration at the PCT has slowed the progress on partnership working with the county.  The policy of promoting the independence of older people by making services in the community more accessible to them will also see the voluntary sector engaged further.

Dr Betts added.  “We have been making stronger links with the PCT as time has gone on and the benefits are only just starting to be seen. 

“We are also aware that there is expertise on how to best meet the needs of older people in the community in the form of voluntary organisations.  These are often run by older people for their peers in the community. We are establishing firmer partnerships with these groups and are supporting them with our resources enabling them to get on with the task of supporting older people.”

For a full copy of the CSCI and Healthcare Commission report, visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk

Link to WCC