What are community care services

Community care is a complex area. If you're having problems getting community care services, you should consult an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.

Community care services are care services that are arranged or provided by the local authority social services department, mainly to adults who have care needs. Community care services include a place in a care home or services to help you carry on living in your home and keep as much independence as possible.

You may need community care services because of your age or because you are disabled or physically or mentally ill.

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What services may be available

There is a wide range of community care services that you may be entitled to. The following list gives only the main examples:

• a place in a care home
• home care services
• home helps
• adaptations to the home
• meals
• recreational and occupational activities.

Care homes

If you need long-term care, and you can’t manage in your own home anymore, one option may be moving into a care home.

All care homes can provide personal care if you need it. This could include help with washing, dressing or going to the toilet. Some care homes can also provide nursing care.

The rules about how charges are made for care homes are different to the rules about charging for other community care services.

For more information about care homes, including how charges are made, see Care homes.

Home care services

Home care services generally mean help with personal tasks, for example, bathing and washing, getting up and going to bed, shopping and managing finances. Providing home care involves someone coming to your home at agreed times. This could be two or three times a day or even 24-hour care where necessary.

Home helps

Home helps can provide assistance with general domestic tasks including cleaning and cooking and may be particularly important in maintaining hygiene in the home.

Adaptations to the home

Adaptations to the home could be major or minor and can be particularly important in allowing you to remain at home. Major adaptations could include, for example, the installation of a stair lift or downstairs lavatory or the lowering of work tops in the kitchen. Minor adaptations would include, for example, hand rails in the bathroom.

Meals

The provision of meals as a community care service could mean a daily delivery of a meal or, in some areas, the delivery of a weekly or monthly supply of frozen food. It could also mean providing meals at a day centre or lunch club.

Recreational and occupational activities

The local authority social services department can provide a range of recreational, occupational, educational and cultural activities, for example, at a day centre. These activities could include lectures, games, outings, and help with living skills and budgeting. The local authority social services department may also provide transport to enable you to make use of the facilities.

The local authority social services department may also be able to provide radio, televisions or visiting library services.

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How to get a community care service

Unless you urgently need services, you will have to have your needs assessed by the local authority social services department before they will provide services for you. This is called a community care assessment. The local authority social services department must carry out an assessment for anyone who appears to need a community care service because they are, for example, elderly, disabled or suffering from a physical or mental illness.

If you think that you need community care services, you should contact your local authority social services department and ask for an assessment. A carer, friend or relative can also ask for an assessment on your behalf.

It may be that, after you've contacted the local authority social services department, there are problems with an assessment. If so, you may need to contact a specialist adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.

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How an assessment is carried out

An assessment is carried out by someone from or acting on behalf of the local authority social services department. More than one person could be involved in carrying out the assessment, including a social worker, a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist. The assessment procedure may involve filling in a form but this will vary from area to area.

The assessment should take into account:

• your wishes as the person being assessed
• whether you have any particular physical difficulties, for example, problems with walking or climbing stairs
• whether you have any particular health or housing needs
• what sources of help you have access to, such as carers, family or nearby friends, and their willingness to continue providing care
• what needs these people who provide care may have.

What happens after an assessment

Once an assessment has been carried out, the local authority social services department has to decide whether you are entitled to services to meet your needs. This is based on your level of need, not on how much money you have. Entitlement to services is a complicated area.

If your local authority social services department says that you aren't entitled to community care services, you should get advice, for example, from a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those who can give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.

If the local authority social services department is going to provide services, the services must be set out in a care plan. You should be given the care plan in writing if you request it. The care plan will set out:

• the services which are to be provided, by who, when and what will be achieved by providing them
• a contact point to deal with problems about services
• information on how to ask for a review of the services being provided if your circumstances change.

Assessment for a carer

A carer is someone like a relative or friend who takes responsibility for looking after a disabled, ill or elderly person and who does not provide the care as part of a job or as a volunteer with a voluntary organisation. Some carers provide care for a few hours a week, others for 24 hours a day, every day. A carer does not have to be living with the person being cared for.

You are entitled to ask for your needs as a carer to be assessed when an assessment is being carried out for the person you care for. You can ask to be assessed even if the person you care for is entitled to an assessment but does not want one. Some carers of disabled children can also have an assessment. In Scotland, local authority social services departments must consider the views of both the carer and the person cared for when they carry out any assessment.

In England and Wales, local authority social services departments can provide services directly to carers and offer you direct payments for your own needs. However, the results of the carer’s assessment must be taken into account when they decide what community care services the person being cared for will receive.

If, after contacting the local social services department, you have problems with an assessment, it may be necessary to contact a specialist adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those who can give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.

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Paying for community care services

The rules about which community care services must be paid for, and how much can be charged, are complicated. If you want information on this, you should consult an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those who can give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.

The local authority social services department can charge for providing some community care services. Some local authorities only charge for some services, for example, meals on wheels or home helps, while others charge for all the services they are allowed to charge for.

The information below does not cover charges for care homes.

For more information about how charges are made for care homes, see Care homes.

If you’re a carer in England and Wales and you get services for your needs, you can be charged for those services.

If you live in Scotland, are aged 65 or over, and get personal care or personal support care at home, you should get this free. If the local authority refuses to provide a service for free, you can challenge the decision. You could then make a complaint to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

A local authority social services department must make information about charges generally available. If you are having your community care needs assessed by the local authority social services department (and in England and Wales, if you are having your needs as a carer assessed), you must also be given full information on charges for any services provided.

Some local authority social services departments make a flat rate charge for a service, for example, meals on wheels. Others may want to know how much income and savings you have and then charge according to a sliding scale. In Scotland, local authority social services departments have to treat people claiming benefit 'sympathetically' when they are charged for community care services.

In England and Wales, local authority social services departments must follow the following Government guidance when they assess how much you can pay for services:

• they must not charge you if you get Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or Pension Credit (guarantee credit only) and your overall income is less than a certain amount
• they should not take your or your partner's earnings into account
• they should only take your savings and capital into account if they are above a set limit. Your home isn’t taken into account when they assess your capital
• in England only, if they take into account any disability-related social security benefit you get, for example, Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance, they must assess any extra expenses you have as a result of your disability, for example, extra heating or laundry costs
• in Wales, allowances must be made for any disability-related expenses you may have
• they should offer you advice on social security benefits.

In Scotland, local authority social services departments should follow the guidance about charges produced by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). This guidance can be found on their website at www.cosla.gov.uk.

If you have been asked to pay for services and you think the charges are unreasonable or you can't afford to pay them, you can ask for the charges to be reviewed.

If you want to challenge charges, you should consult an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those who can give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.

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Direct payments

Direct payments are payments of money a local authority social services department makes to people to arrange their own community care services, instead of the local authority arranging the services.

In England and Northern Ireland, if you're entitled to get community care services, your local authority social services department must give you the option of getting direct payments, as long as you are able to manage a direct payment.

In Wales, a local authority social services department must offer direct payments to:

• a disabled person of 16 or over
• the carer of a disabled person or child for whom the carer has parental responsibility
• a disabled person with parental responsibility for a child
• a carer aged 16 or over
• someone aged 65 or over
• someone who receives community care services and is aged 18 or over.

In Scotland, a local authority social services department must offer direct payments for certain services to all eligible people. Eligible people include:

• disabled adults
• disabled 16 and 17 year olds
• people with parental responsibility for a disabled child
• attorneys or guardians with the power to act for a disabled person.

The amount of direct payments you get should cover the cost of buying services to meet your needs. This includes any extra costs you have to pay in order to get the service. For example, if you employ your own carer, you will have to pay recruitment costs, holiday and sick pay and insurance.

In the same way that you may have to pay for services arranged by the local authority social services department, you may have to make a contribution towards the cost of services you are buying with direct payments. The local authority social services department will work this out in the same way it works out how much you have to pay towards services it arranges itself (see heading Paying for community care services). They will either deduct your contribution before paying you the direct payment or pay the direct payment in full and you will have to pay your contribution back.

If you're offered a direct payment, you do not have to accept it if you would rather have services arranged by the local authority social services department.

If you do get direct payments, you will have to arrange your own services. Local support organisations may be able to help you with these arrangements.

The National Centre for Independent Living holds a list of these organisations. You can contact them at:-

The National Centre for Independent Living
250 Kennington Lane
London
SE11 5RD
Tel: 020 7587 1663
Fax: 020 7582 2469
Textphone: 020 7587 1177
Website: www.ncil.org.uk

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Complaints

If you are not satisfied with the standard of community care services offered by your local authority, you may be able to make a complaint. You can get in touch with them to find out about their complaints procedure.

For more information about how to make a complaint in England, see NHS and local authority social services complaints. In Scotland, see NHS complaints, and in Wales, see NHS complaints in Wales. In Northern Ireland, see HPSS complaints in Northern Ireland.

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Other help

If you need community care services because you are disabled, make sure that you are also claiming all the benefits you are entitled to. There may be other support available, for example, travel concessions. You may be able to apply to the Independent Living Funds (ILF) for money to help you live at home instead of in residential care. The ILF works closely with local authorities to provide money to pay for someone to help you at home.

For more information about benefits, see Benefits for people who are sick and disabled.

For more information about travel concessions, see Transport options for disabled people.

For more information about the ILF, see Financial support for severely disabled people - The Independent Living Funds.

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http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/family_parent/family/community_care.htm

Download Community care (PDF File, 618kb)

To download a PDF version of this leaflet click on the PDF icon above. PDF files require you to have a copy of Acrobat® Reader in order to be able to read them. This piece of software is freely available from the download pages on Adobe's web site.

1. Introduction

If you or someone you know or look after finds it difficult to manage day-to-day living, you may be able to get help in the form of community care. This leaflet explains how to find out what help you may be able to get, and whether you will have to pay for it.

There is information on:

2. Where do I start if I think I need help?

3. What kind of help is there?

4. Can I get help if I look after someone?

5. Who pays if I get care in my home?

6. What if I have to go into hospital?

7. What if I need to move into a care home?

8. What if I need ongoing nursing care?

9. Will I have to sell my home?

10. Can I claim any benefits if I am in residential care?

11. What choice of care home do I have?

12. What if I want to move to a care home that costs more than the council will pay?

13. What if my move into a care home is temporary?

14. What rights do I have when I am in a care home?

15. What if I have difficulty getting the care I need?

16. Further help

17. About this leaflet

Many of us will need a helping hand with everyday tasks at some point in our lives. You may have an impairment or illness, or you may look after a child or adult who cannot look after themselves. This may be someone who has a physical or learning disability, or someone who is elderly. Whoever they are, they may be able to get 'community care' – help that can include anything from meals on wheels to a temporary or permanent stay in a care home.

The leaflets in this series give you an outline of your legal rights. They are not a complete guide to the law and are not intended to be a guide to how the law will apply to you or to any specific situation. The leaflets are regularly updated but the law may have changed since this was printed, so information in it may be incorrect or out of date.

If you have a problem, you will need to get more information or personal advice to work out the best way to solve it. See 'Further help' for sources of information and advice.

This leaflet is published by the Legal Services Commission (LSC). It was written in association with Sue Bloomfield, a freelance consumer affairs writer.

Leaflet version: May 2008

http://www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk/en/legalhelp/leaflet19_1.jsp

Mori poll finds 9% of carers have given up work to care, while Carers UK raises concerns on benefit access

Almost one in three carers are caring for a loved-one for over 50 hours a week while 9% had given up work and 7% reduced their hours, a survey has found.

An Ipsos Mori poll conducted for today's Carers Rights Day found that carers spent 27 hours a week caring on average and had been caring for an average of six and a half years. The company surveyed over 650 current or past carers as part of a wider poll of 4,000 adults last month.

A separate survey of 350 carers by Carers UK, which organises Carers Rights Day, found over a third of carers are not getting the benefits they are entitled to because they do not know they can claim them.

Half of this group said not getting these benefits had affected their health, while 20% said they would not now be in debt had they claimed.

Carers UK chief executive Imelda Redmond said: "Caring can take a massive toll on carers' finances. Whilst facing hugely reduced incomes from giving up work or reducing their hours, carers face all the additional costs of care.”

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/12/04/113363/carers-rights-...

London boroughs are delivering a high standard of care according to results published by an independent watchdog today (Thursday).

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has released figures assessing all councils in England on how they are arranging and delivering social care services.

In London 94 per cent of boroughs are graded "well" or "excellent" with six boroughs improving their ratings this year. Eleven London boroughs (33 per cent) are now rated as excellent, which is above the national average (22 per cent).

Councils were rated against a number of performance indicators including improving quality of life - an area where London boroughs fared very well.

Councillor Mike Freer, London Councils' Executive Member for Health and Adult services said, "The CQC results reflect some of the great work that is being done across the capital. I am delighted that London is topping the tables compared to other regions. However, we will not rest on our laurels - improvements can always be made, and London's boroughs will continue to strive to offer the highest standards of care."

Councillor Michael White, London Councils' Executive Member for Improvement said, "While these results show that London boroughs as a whole are performing strongly, they also highlight a few areas for improvement across the capital. London's improvement body, Capital Ambition will be keen to support all boroughs in their work to provide the very best services for their residents."

http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/media/current/pressdetail.htm?pk=852&showpage=-1

People can check the quality of public services across England on a new website set up by the Audit Commission.

It is the first time information from inspectorates of services including health, social care and the police has been pooled in this way.

The "Oneplace" website divides England into 152 areas and uses a coloured flags system to rate performance.

It is intended to help poor performers learn from the best, as well as letting people compare their area with others.

Users of the site will be able to "check on everything from care of the elderly to progress in reducing the number of teenage pregnancies", says BBC local government correspondent John Andrew.

A green flag will denote exceptional performance, while a red flag will identify services giving cause for concern.

The website also features tables for council performance, assembled using toughened assessment that rated just 14 councils as excellent, while 11 share the lowest rating of poor.

However, the website "could be short-lived", according to our correspondent.

"The Conservatives say they'll abolish this system of area assessment if they win the next election and target inspections on areas that need them," he said.

Communities Secretary John Denham said: "It is just the start of our efforts to give local people far better access to information held by local public organisations so they can challenge, compare or scrutinise their local services in order to drive up standards in their area."

http://oneplace.direct.gov.uk/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/localgov/pages/default.aspx

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8402930.stm

London is the best performing region in the country according to figures released today (Wednesday) by the Audit Commission.

The new Comprehensive Area Assessments (CAA) not only show how well a council itself is managed but also how it works in partnership with organisations like the police and health services to improve the lives of their local residents.

It is the first year of the CAAs, in which boroughs receive scores out of four for how their authority is run, and are awarded green flags for examples of good practice in partnership working.

In London six boroughs have the highest overall score of four; with 24 boroughs being awarded a score of three. Nationally a total of 14 local authorities received the highest overall score – meaning London had 40 per cent of the top local authorities.

Eighteen London boroughs received a total of 22 green flags for work around issues including recycling, crime and community safety, climate change, arts and culture and looked after children.

London Councils Chairman, Councillor Merrick Cockell, said: “What matters far more than any inspection regime is that councils deliver on the priorities of their residents by working effectively with our partners to improve the quality of the local area.

“London’s total of 22 green flags is the most of any region, making up 30 per cent of the national total.

“The performances of London boroughs are a further testament to the hard work of councillors and council staff across the capital.”

The overall score awarded to each council is split between how the local authority manages its performance and how it uses its resources. Thirty one authorities received a score of three or four for managing performance and 23 were awarded a score of three or four for use of resources.

Councillor Michael White, chair of Capital Ambition, the partnership which supports council's improvement work said: “London boroughs will continue to provide and seek to improve on the first class services they give to Londoners.

“They are also working with Capital Ambition to deliver greater value for money through large scale efficiency savings, including joining up back office services and working together with partners in the wider commissioning of services.”

The CAA results showed that:

• six boroughs have an overall organisational score of four – Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, Wandsworth, Westminster, City of London, Camden.
• twenty four boroughs have an overall organisation score of three
• Camdenreceived a score of four for managing its resources, while 22 others received a mark of three.

Notes to editors

The Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) figures are released on Wednesday 9 December. For more information please visit the Audit Commission website.  

The CAA has replaced the Comprehensive Performance Assessment carried out by the Audit Commission which simply looked at the performance of the local authority.

Capital Ambition is London’s Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership established to provide support to London’s authorities to improve performance and deliver efficiencies. It is part of London Councils.

http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/media/current/pressdetail.htm?pk=854&sh...

Commission to investigate disability related harassment and role of public authorities

Commission to hold Inquiry into harassment of disabled people

03 December 2009

The Commission today announced that it intends to conduct a Formal Inquiry into disability related harassment in England, Scotland and Wales and how public authorities are protecting disabled people’s human rights to live free from violence and abuse.

The announcement comes on the United Nations ‘International Day of Persons with Disabilities’.  The Commission is the UN accredited human rights body for Great Britain with specific responsibilities to promote and monitor implementation of the recently ratified Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Commission plans to use its legal powers to investigate the true extent of disability-related harassment and take appropriate action based on the evidence uncovered.

At the end of the Inquiry, public authorities found not to be doing enough to tackle the problem and to protect the human rights of disabled people could face legal action to force them to comply with their legal obligations.

Evidence already gathered by the Commission indicates that targeted violence or hostility towards disabled people is widespread in Britain. People with learning disabilities or mental health conditions in particular experience high levels of victimisation.

A report on the safety and security of disabled people published by the Commission earlier this year found that disabled people are four times more likely to be the victim of a crime than other people and are twice as likely to be the victim of a violent attack.

Mike Smith, Commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said:

“There have been many well-documented cases where targeted hostility, bullying and antisocial behaviour has escalated into more serious violence, murder or the death of disabled people.

“The recent inquest into the tragic deaths of Fiona Pilkington and her daughter Francecca show that early intervention and preventative action are essential, and that public authorities have to work in partnership to tackle this problem effectively.

“Disabled people experiencing harassment can become conditioned to hostile treatment, or are sometimes told to ignore it by those around them – including by public authorities. They may also go to enormous lengths to avoid putting themselves at risk which can limit their freedom and opportunities. These are unacceptable outcomes for anyone in our society.   

“Individual incidents can also have a much wider ‘ripple effect’, as other disabled people become aware that targeted violence and hostility is happening in their community may then fear for their own safety.”

The Commission will shortly publish draft Terms of Reference for the Inquiry, for consultation. Final Terms of Reference will then be published before the Inquiry begins in early 2010. The Inquiry will then report its findings within one year.

The Inquiry will gather and examine evidence from disabled people and others who have been affected by disability-related harassment and from public authorities on what steps they are taking to tackle the issue. 

In particular, the Inquiry intends to look at the steps taken by public authorities to eliminate disability-related harassment and to address its causes, including prejudice and negative attitudes; and how public authorities have ensured the involvement of disabled people in eliminating harassment and its causes – for example by effective joined-up reporting procedures.

The Inquiry may also aim to identify examples of good practice in eliminating disability related harassment and addressing its causes.

The Commission will consider how public authorities have complied with their obligations in relation to the Disability Equality Duty set out in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the Human Rights Act, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Commission has produced guidance to help public authorities understand what its duties and responsibilities are and how these duties should be implemented. 

• Easy Read version of this press release (Word)
• For more information about what the Commission is doing to mark the International Day of People with Disabilities and to promote the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/media-centre/commission-to-investigate-disability-related-harassment-and-role-of-public-authorities/

Hospitals are facing the prospect of cuts over the next four years as part of a squeeze on NHS finances.

The amount they are paid for treating patients is to be frozen until 2014 as part of the government's productivity drive in England.

Health Secretary Andy Burnham said hospitals would have to start working differently, but added it would not necessarily mean hospital closures.

Hospital bosses described the task facing them as a "pretty tall order".

The freeze in hospital income was included in a five-year plan set out by Mr Burnham following the pre-Budget report on Wednesday.

He said the NHS was facing an "unprecedented productivity challenge" in the coming years.

Many predict between £15bn and £20bn needs to be saved from 2011 to 2014.

The budget will rise by more than 5% next year, but after that rises look likely to be much smaller as the government seeks to curb its spending to pay off debts.

The health service has been told it will get above inflation rises after 2011, but that could still feel like a cut for the NHS as it struggles to cope with demands from an ageing population and higher than inflation rises in the cost of equipment and drugs.

But while the NHS will be getting more as a whole, hospitals are facing a freeze in a major part of their income.

About 70% of hospital funding comes through a system known as payment by results.

It means hospitals are paid per patient treated rather than under the old method whereby they would get a lump sum based on traditional levels of activity.

The government introduced the system to make the NHS more competitive and it now applies to everything from hip operations to doctor consultations - only the most unpredictable parts of treatment, such as intensive care, are excluded.

'Tough'

Mr Burnham acknowledged the move was designed to ensure more patients are treated in the community, which is much cheaper than caring for them in hospitals.

"It is going to be tough... hospitals will have to change."

He suggested they could start working with other parts of the NHS to take services into the community - some senior doctors already run clinics in community health centres.

But he added it was "not correct" to assume there would be hospital closures.

Among the other measures set out by the health secretary was a plan to link NHS funding to patient satisfaction.

From 2012, the budgets of hospitals, GPs and other parts of the health service will be directly dependent on patient surveys.

Mr Burnham said he hoped in time patient ratings could account for up to 10% of the budget to help create more "patient-centred" care.

He also said he wanted to explore the idea of job guarantees for staff in return for accepting pay caps and the need for greater flexibility.

Nigel Edwards, of the NHS Confederation, which represents health managers, said: "The NHS has never before been asked to do something like this.

"It is a pretty tall order and we haven't got all the answers yet."

He said hospitals may have to close beds and even buildings, but that did not necessarily mean there would be poorer care.

"If general practice and hospitals work more closely we can reduce emergency admissions among patients with conditions such as diabetes. It is about working differently."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8406193.stm

3 December 2009

• Watch a video of Cynthia Bower, CQC Chief Executive, speaking about the quality of adult social care

Adult social care has improved but a renewed effort is needed to eliminate poor quality services.

This is our first major statement on the quality of adult social care in England, based on our publication of the following documents:

• An assessment of 148 councils' social care services for adults  (PDF, 1320KB, opens in new window)
• An analysis of whether councils are commissioning the best possible care  (PDF, 62KB, opens in new window)
• An update on the performance of 24,000 care homes, home care agencies, nursing agencies and shared lives schemes(PDF, 2530KB, opens in new window)
• Our formal response to the government's Green Paper on social care, called Shaping the future of care together (PDF, 200KB, opens in new window)

Main findings

There has been a steady improvement in ratings awarded to councils. However, our assessment highlights concerns that affect people's lives:

• 95% of local authorities are performing either excellently or well in their commissioning of adult social care (compared to 87% in the previous year).
• One quarter of councils are rated only adequate in terms of giving people choice and control over their care.
• A third of councils must do more to care for people with dignity and respect.

Ratings for adult social care providers have improved but one in six providers are rated only poor or adequate:

• 77% of care homes, home care agencies, nursing agencies and shared lives schemes are rated excellent or good (compared to 69% in 2008).
• Around 400 regulated adult social care services are rated as poor and 3,500 as adequate.
• In care homes for older people, a fifth fail to meet the standard on social contact and activities.

We have also:

• found that councils must help get rid of poor quality care by purchasing from providers more effectively.
• identified councils where improvements in adult social care must be a priority.
• said we will be vigilant about spotting the impact of the economic downturn on people's access to social care.
• committed to raising the bar on councils and providers.

CQC comments

• Watch a video of Cynthia Bower, CQC Chief Executive, speaking about the quality of adult social care

Cynthia Bower, CQC Chief Executive, says:

"It's good to see the steady improvements and this should be recognised. However, I am concerned that many care homes and agencies have more to do to deliver the quality of care expected of them. Those affected should be absolutely clear that we will be very persistent in ensuring they take action in the run up to registration and afterwards, using all the new powers that will be at our disposal.

"There are also serious issues for councils to address in areas such as giving people more control over their care, treating people with dignity, and ensuring commissioning is as effective as possible. I want to see the regulator and councils working in tandem to drive poor quality care out of the market."

"It is striking that many of the issues of most concern to the public - such as dignity - are not necessarily things that cost a lot of money to put right. So there is clearly room to continue improving services, despite the tough economic backdrop. There is no excuse for taking the foot off the gas.

"I have to say however that I am deeply concerned about the potential impact of lower spending on social care. We all know there are choppy waters ahead, so the issue is how well the system responds to the situation. We plan to be particularly vigilant about this on behalf of people who use services."

Further information

• Find your council's annual performance assessment rating
• Read our press release: CQC praises improvements but calls for new drive to eliminate poor adult social care services
• Care regulator reveals highs and lows for people receiving social care: Regional press releases

http://www.cqc.org.uk//newsandevents/newsstories.cfm?cit_id=35577&FAArea1=customWidgets.content_view_1&usecache=false