To receive a report on progress to date with the adult social care improvement plan.

THAT the position be noted and regular reports on progress and developments in delivering the adult social care improvement plan be submitted to Cabinet.

Since the star ratings announcement in December 2005, the Council, with the support and agreement of the Commission of Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and the Department of Health (DH) has taken a number of proactive steps to improve its service delivery and capacity within Adults Services.

A service managers workshop in March 2006 identified a number of improvement areas. An improvement proposal for adults services, outlining improvement themes emerged and was approved by CSCI and the Department of Health in April 2006.  The proposal sets out the pillars of improvement; describes how they are being tackled; and identifies the aspects in respect of which external support is requested.

Some elements of the proposal, such as the systematic assessment of future needs and the patterns and levels of services needed to meet them, are already well in hand and being managed within the Council.  The Adult Social Care Service Plan will be the main vehicle for driving service improvement and will include the external and internal actions which will secure improvement.  We have also independently reviewed the actions taken in response to the Older People’s Inspection in 2004.  The majority of the actions proposed have been implemented.  Those which remain have been incorporated into the Service Plan.  The other activities are being managed as a project, with external support.

Not applicable.