The regulator of Adult Social Services, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), has published its first report on how the council delivers services to its residents.
The council recognises many of the strengths and potential for some improvements highlighted in the report but is requesting that the CQC conduct a review to address where their process has not accurately captured the way residents in Bromley are supported.
Bromley is undergoing a transformation in the way it delivers adult social care and is pleased to see that the positive impact these changes are having on residents has been acknowledged by the CQC, who have rated the council 'Requires improvement', with more time needed for these changes to embed.
Donna Glover, Director of Adult Social Services said “I am immensely proud of the work colleagues do each and every day to support the residents of Bromley. I would also like to thank residents and partners for their contribution to this inspection process and for the great work we do together to continuously improve how we respond to our residents. Our direction of travel is positive, and we will continue to work closely with our partners to further shape services with our residents, within the obvious financial constraints.”
Councillor Colin Smith, Leader of Bromley Council and Co-Chairman of the One Bromley board said, “We are proud of the support we offer our residents in Bromley, so it is obviously extremely disappointing that the CQC visited us during a time of operational change and appear not to have fully seen the extensive arrangements we have set place internally and our working through our various partners and the voluntary sector.
“This includes our partnership with Health and the success of the One Bromley Board which we have been routinely told serves as a model of excellence for others to follow elsewhere, the amazing success of our award-winning Loneliness project, also acknowledged as leading in the field nationally and internationally, in addition to our growing support for Veterans across the borough.
“It is therefore very frustrating to have missed a ‘Good’ rating by such a relatively narrow margin given all of these forward-looking actions.
“After raising multiple points of factual inaccuracy with the CQC over recent weeks, we believe that there are still far too many important questions left unanswered concerning the conclusion of the report at this stage, which is why I have had no hesitation in supporting senior council officers’ advice and recommendation that we should now press for the matter to be formally reviewed.”
The Care Quality Commission report is available on the CQC website.
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For media enquiries, please contact Andrew Rogers, Head of Public Affairs on 020 8461 7670 or email andrew.rogers@bromley.gov.uk.