Gloucestershire failing vulnerable adults

Published in Western Daily Press on Wed 4th Feb 2009

Gloucestershire County Council has attacked a report criticising the care it provides for vulnerable adults.

The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) report, which has just been published, follows an inspection it carried out between September and October last year.

The CSCI rates council performance using four grades; poor, adequate, good and excellent.

It concluded that in Gloucestershire, delivery of safeguarding of adults was poor while the council's delivery of personalised services in Gloucestershire was adequate.

The report said: "Some key issues still needed to be addressed so that vulnerable adults were reliably safeguarded against abuse, neglect or poor treatment while using services.

"There had been very few safeguarding referrals about some vulnerable groups of people, notably people who funded their own care, carers, people receiving home care and people from black and minority ethnic communities.

"A lot more needed to be done to make sure that vulnerable people and the county's wider communities were involved in and knew about abuse issues.

"Safeguarding needed to be promoted much more effectively, including on the council's website and through publicity posters and leaflets about preventing abuse."

But the council hit back, saying the report was inaccurate and its judgments largely unhelpful. The council added it bore no relation to the reality in Gloucestershire.

Margaret Sheather, group director for community and adult care, said: "We want to learn from inspections but we consider this report to be inaccurate and its judgments largely unhelpful. This makes learning very difficult to do.

"Often, the report only uses one or two examples to draw conclusions about our services. Many of the criticisms are not backed up by sufficient evidence, and many of the recommendations made are already being acted upon, something that CSCI fails to acknowledge."

Councillor Tony Hicks said: "This report bears no relation to the reality in Gloucestershire.

"It doesn't recognise the dedication and professionalism of our staff. It doesn't take into account the other government reports which show that adult care in Gloucestershire is improving. Vulnerable people are safe, and that is what matters to me, not ticking bureaucratic boxes."

Liberal Democrat leader Jeremy Hilton said: "Four years after taking control of the council, the current administration should be ashamed of it record on protecting adults who need the support of social services.

"The report criticises the lack of leadership at the council and those in charge need to think carefully about their role in allowing this appalling state of social care to arise."

Deryck Nash, another Liberal Democrat, added: "The inspection report slams the council and its failure to protect vulnerable people in Gloucestershire.

"Social services in the county are failing and this report has revealed the truth about the poor performance of the council in running social services. The report makes clear people with learning disabilities are suffering from abuse and bullying in the county."