Bath and North East Somerset’s “requires improvement” rating from the Care Quality Commission has sparked a debate, with council care chiefs attributing the rating to inexperienced inspectors rather than the quality of their care services.
Suzanne Westhead, the council’s director of adult social care, expressed concerns about the lack of experience among the nine CQC inspectors, with only one having prior experience with adult social care. She highlighted the need to educate the inspectors on how adult social care functions due to their limited understanding.
The council’s dissatisfaction with the inspection process and the inspectors' inexperience was brought to the attention of the CQC’s chief inspector, as they identified 75 factual errors in the report, 56 of which were subsequently amended. However, the “requires improvement” rating remained unchanged, prompting disappointment from the council.
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Council cabinet member for adult services, Alison Born, expressed concern over the report’s inaccuracies impacting the rating despite the corrections having minimal effect. The council’s request for a review was met with limitations, and they anticipate the return of inspectors next year, motivating them to enhance their performance.
The council disputed the CQC report’s findings on hospital discharge performance, contending that it contradicted their commendation by the RUH and their superior performance compared to other local authorities in this regard.
The inspection occurred shortly after the council transitioned the adult social care services from contracted provider HCRG back to direct council management, adding complexity to the assessment.
The CQC’s responsibility to evaluate local authorities' care duties is relatively new, and Bath and North East Somerset Council was among the first to undergo this scrutiny. While acknowledging the challenges encountered, the council believes that the CQC has since learned from their experience, anticipating more adept inspections in the future.