CQC rates Cheshire West and Chester Council’s adult social care provision as good

The Care Quality Commission (CQC), has rated Cheshire West and Chester Council as good, in how well they are meeting their responsibilities to ensure people have access to adult social care and support under the Care Act (2014).

CQC has a new duty under the Act to assess how local authorities work with their communities and partners to meet their responsibilities. This includes promoting the wellbeing and independence of working age disabled adults, older people, and their unpaid carers to reduce their need for formal support where appropriate. Where support is needed it should provide people with choice and control of how their care needs are met.

CQC looked at nine areas spread across four themes to assess how well the authority is meeting their responsibilities in order to create their good rating. CQC has given each of these nine areas a score out of four with one being the evidence shows significant shortfalls, and four showing an exceptional standard.

James Bullion, CQC’s chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said:

“During this inspection, we found Cheshire West and Chester was committed to helping people access support that met their individual needs. The local authority had strong leadership underpinning this, as they maintained a consistent focus on learning and development, which improved people’s experiences of accessing care.

“People told us they had positive experiences when seeking advice or assessments. Staff were professional and dedicated, helping people overcome significant challenges with care and compassion.

“The local authority reduced waiting times in the previous year by introducing new systems and improving their use of data and insights. Staff prioritised urgent cases while people waited, ensuring those with critical needs received prompt support.

“The local authority also offered a range of preventative services to reduce or delay the need for support. These services helped people maintain their independence, combat loneliness, reduce frailty, and promote healthy living. All of which helped to reduce short term support turning into more formal long-term support.

“Unpaid carers raised concerns about challenges in accessing assessments, information and advice. However, the authority had developed an all-age carers strategy that was achieving some early progress, including increased carers assessments.

“Leaders and staff at Cheshire West and Chester should be pleased with the many positive findings in this report. The authority has put plans in place to address areas needing some improvement, and we look forward to seeing their continued progress.”

The assessment team found:

1. Staff arranged homecare and reablement services for people without delay, particularly following a hospital stay. People told inspectors staff found innovative ways to meet their needs. 
2. Cheshire West and Chester teams worked closely together to provide consistent care. They supported young people transitioning into adult services, who had mostly positive experiences of the process. 
3. Leaders listened to people, took concerns seriously and used feedback to improve services. 
4. Specialist staff provided tailored support and clear pathways for groups including autistic people, people with learning disabilities or mental health conditions, and people leaving hospital. 
5. Leaders understood the challenges people in the community faced. The local authority carried out targeted work to improve outcomes for people who experienced poverty and health inequalities. 
6. Adult social care had been through a transformation process since 2022, and the local authority launched a new strategy in 2024. Staff told inspectors leaders built a positive culture and provided support during this time.

However:

1. Staff couldn’t always deliver home adaptations promptly following occupational therapy assessments. However, they provided alternative support to meet people’s needs while they waited for adaptations. 
2. The authority collaborated closely with some partners to improve people’s experiences, but not all partnerships worked well. Staff told inspectors the authority had strained relationships with some health providers, which sometimes delayed people’s care.

The assessment is now available on CQC’s website.

Scoring key:

1. Evidence shows significant shortfalls 
2. Evidence shows some shortfalls 
3. Evidence shows a good standard   
4. Evidence shows an exceptional standard

General demographic information:

• Cheshire West and Chester Council is the fourth largest unitary authority in the Northwest region and covers 350 square miles. A total of 365,061 people live in the area with a higher than average number of people over the age of 65. The population is expected to grow in the next 10 years. 
• Cheshire West and Chester has an Index Multiple Deprivation score of 3, with 10 being the most deprived, and is the 113th most deprived local authority out of 153 local authorities (with the 1st being the most deprived). Cheshire West and Chester’s population is predominantly white, with 8.8% identifying themselves as an ethnicity other than white. 
• Census data showed that 61.2% of the population are working age adults, and 21.6% are aged 65 and over. Children make up 17.2% of the population. The population of over 65s is expected to rise to 22% by 2033. The percentage of the local population living in the most deprived areas in Cheshire West and Chester is 26.5%. 
• Cheshire West and Chester borders the local authority areas of Shropshire to the south, Cheshire East to the east, and Warrington and Halton to the north. The local authority sits within the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System (ICS) and is one of 9 local authorities in the ICS patch.