Blackpool Council vows reform after damning care report from CQC
Blackpool council sets out urgent nine-month plan after inspectors highlight serious failings in leadership, safeguarding and support delivery
Blackpool Council reports it is already working on a strategy to urgently improve its adult social care services after inspectors rated the provision ‘inadequate’.
Last month the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published its findings after looking at nine areas of the council’s work in adult social care, handing the authority low scores in most areas.
As a result of the low score, the CQC highlighted shortcomings to the Government, flagging up which areas need to be improved.
At next week’s meeting of the council’s Adult Social Care and Health Scrutiny Committe on September 17, a report will higlight how the authority is responding to the highly critical report.
Although the inspectors did acknowledge that staff were passionate about their work and proud to work for the council, many areas were found to need rapid improvement.
Urgent action was needed on leadership, management, and safeguarding, with key areas needing attention include a lack of strategic planning, particularly for mental health and substance misuse services, and a culture where decisions are made for, rather than with, people. The council also needs to address inequalities in care provision and improve the timeliness of support, such as equipment and reablement.
Cllr Neal Brookes, Deputy Leader of Blackpool Council and Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, admitted the report was a difficult read and the council took the findings “ exceptionally seriously”.
What is the council doing?
The council is tackling the challenge of how to improve services by looking at three areas -Leadership and Governance; Practice and Culture; and Performance and Data, and what will change over three months, six months and nine months.
A new improvement board will oversee:
- How people who use services and their carers are influencing how Adult Social Care works.
- Evidence-based improvement planning that is monitored at a team, service area and whole service level.
- Leadership that is inclusive, capable, and compassionate and has a clear understanding of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).
- Clear accountability and transparent performance information that improves the quality and impact of decisions, resource plans and evidences impact.
- Activities are delivered on target and to plan with early escalation of issues that allows drift and delay to be addressed promptly.
- Visible progress in service quality and user outcomes – identifying and address all long waits. – Evidence the use of strengths-based approaches that focus on people’s assets and lived experiences.
The report stated: “By the end of October 2025 the Council will be working with our Improvement Adviser, supported by Partners for Care and Health (PCH) to develop a detailed improvement plan that will be submitted to and approved by the Department for Health and Social Care.
“Our plan will be driven by the Council and overseen by the Adult Social Care Improvement Board, but will need the active support and participation of our partners, our workforce and some key resources to have the required impact.
“Workforce and partners have expressed both commitment and determination to work through the areas of improvement together and deliver change.
“Staff, managers and leaders are engaged in discussions about what is needed and how they would like to see work develop – and this will form the basis of the detailed improvement plan.”
It adds: “ Our Improvement Board will help to bring together the partners needed to deliver and oversee our improvement work. An independent Chair is being appointed by the Council to drive the work of the board and strengthen the oversight and challenge that is brought to the scale, pace and deliverability of the change that is needed in Blackpool. “