Social care for children and adults in Northumberland rated significantly higher for than average

Figures showed that 85.7% of all Northumberland-based adult social care providers were rated as Good or Outstanding at the end of June 2024, compared to 88.0% at the end of December 2023.

The equivalent figure for national ratings was 83% at the end of June 2024. The children’s services figure (100%) is also significantly higher than the national average of 79%.

Senior performance manager Alan Hartwell said the current position was positive for both sectors.

He said: “Within children’s services, all of the council’s locally run residential homes are rated good or better which is really positive.

“The school inspection judgements are the best that they have ever been and the department has an overall judgement of outstanding.

“For adults, the number of providers rated outstanding showed a slight decrease – but it is still above the national average.”

At the same meeting officers said they expect to see changes in the way Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections are carried out.

It follows Government changes to the education watchdog Ofsted that have seen one-word “headline” judgements scrapped. Similar judgements are provided on care homes by CQC.

The council’s head of commissioning, Alan Curry, explained that while inspections for individual services could change, the council was unable to provide further detail on what those changes would be at this point. Furthermore, changes to the more recent model of inspecting the council’s social services department were unlikely.