An inspection into adult support and protection in Edinburgh outlined the strengths of partnership working
Third sector care providers across Edinburgh have been praised for their services and the impact they have on those in need.
A Care Inspectorate report, inspecting adult support and protection in the city of Edinburgh partnership, has said third and independent sector providers delivered vital support to adults at risk of harm.
The inspection identified substantial areas for improvement, including the need for improvements in adult protection cases and risk assessments for those at risk.
The Inspectorate also called for the adult protection committee to ensure it has direct representation from adults at risk of harm and their unpaid carers.
Authors wrote: “Management oversight and recording application of the three-point criteria needed to improve. The quality of chronologies for adults at risk of harm called for improvement, as did, to a lesser extent, the quality of risk assessments.
“While most adults at risk of harm who required a chronology and a risk assessment had one, there was a significant number who did not. The partnership’s approach to conducting investigations into concerns about adults at risk of harm warranted substantial improvement. Some adults at risk of harm were not interviewed when they clearly should have been.”
The City of Edinburgh partnership was asked to prepare an improvement plan to address the priority areas for improvement identified, which the Care Inspectorate will monitor.
Despite the concerns, the city’s third sector was praised - particularly around external provider involvement.
Almost all adults at risk of harm who needed additional health and social care support got it, the report said, with most of this support evaluated as “good or better”.
The report added: “Third and independent sector bodies played a vital role supporting adults at risk of harm to realise improvements to their safety, health, and wellbeing.”
Kevin Mitchell, the Care Inspectorate's executive director of scrutiny and assurance, said: “While our inspectors found some strengths in the partnership’s approach, they found significant areas for improvement in practice and strategic leadership of adult support and protection.
“It will be important that an improvement plan takes into account the findings of this joint inspection and that areas for improvement are progressed without delay.”
Those at the partnership said the third sector continues to be a vital partner in multi-agency work to help identify people who may be at risk of harm.
They said third sector organisations – whether large charities or small community groups - are well trusted by the communities they serve and are well placed in playing a vital part in identifying people at the earliest possible opportunity, who may be at risk of harm.
Tim Pogson, chair of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, said: “I want to thank the Care Inspectorate for carrying out this inspection. I acknowledge their findings and accept the report’s recommendations in full.
“I also want to provide reassurance to those in our care and their families that we remain absolutely committed to ensuring their safety and welfare and to provide the best possible service to them each and every day. We welcome careful and ongoing scrutiny to ensure that systems and practices are working effectively – and to make improvements when they’re not.
“The report highlights some areas where Edinburgh is getting it right, such as relationships with partners and multi-agency working but also significant areas for improvement – most notably in the consistency of quality in relation to case conferences and chronologies. And like the rest of the national picture, Edinburgh also still has significant workforce deficits.
“Despite the obvious challenges faced, particularly in resourcing and recruitment, Edinburgh needs to build on its strengths – most obviously the commitment of its hard-working colleagues across all sectors, who give their all day-in, day-out to support those in their care.
“It’s on all partners to now continue to go further in addressing improvements, and work is already well underway in a number of key areas highlighted in the report. Between all partners - The Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, the Council, Police Scotland, the Third Sector, and others – we’re developing a detailed and robust action plan, focussing on improving the services for those who rely on us – and the selfless colleagues who deliver them.
“We’ll report back regularly on progress via our regular public reporting and via Committee.”
