Council social care turns corner with “best inspection results that we’ve ever had”

Senior leadership say they wont be ‘resting on laurels’ despite one of the most positive inspection reports in recent times into Wrexham Council social care services.

Councillors are receiving the performance evaluation following an Inspection of Social Care Services by Care Inspectorate Wales.

Between the 24th of October and the 2nd of November of 2023 CIW undertook and inspection of children’s and adults services in Wrexham County Borough Council. Inspectors spent approximately five working days inspecting Children’s social services and five days inspecting Adult social services.

The output is a letter described as ‘positive and constructive’, a “reflection of the work of members, officers and staff in social services in Wrexham and a positive reflection of the progress made during that time.”

Lead Member for Children’s Services Cllr Rob Walsh told us, “I’m delighted with what CIW have come back with. As you know, Children’s Social Services has had some very, very challenging times in recent years. But I’m so pleased that we’ve come out the other way. We have turned this around, and when I say we, I can’t really take any credit, because when I became lead member nearly two years ago the process had already started. So it’s as much to do with previously lead members and also the elected members who are on the safeguarding scrutiny task and finish group.

“The most important part has been the staff, considering where we were and where we are now it is excellent. It’s an excellent report. I cannot praise those involved in turning this around highly enough.”

Councillor John Pritchard, Lead Member for Adult Social Care, was equally pleased, “As with any inspection advice is given as a way forward for the department. Some advice provided by the Inspector was already in progress have been dealt with. It has identified improvements made and further action to be required, which is ongoing by the Chief Officer’s team.

“There are lots of good points identified by the inspection which can be seen in the report and are positive. I would like to thank the Chief Officer and his team for all the hard work that has been done to achieve these within departments, certainly under difficult conditions. It has been a team effort.”

The Council Leader called it an ‘excellent report’, adding, “I’d like to thank our Chief Officer and his team, it’s a team effort. But also for the political support, we realised some time ago that we had to change the funding mechanism into social care. We have put substantial amount of money in there.

“But, on the back of that we did challenge the Chief Executive and the Chief Office and the senior team, if we put in that amount of money, there needs to be changes, and there needs to be a proposal that we go forward. We’ve certainly gone forward. We’ve gone faster that what I thought to be fair.”

“We can’t rest on our laurels, there is a lot more work to do and we’ll keep on pushing for the improvements”.

The Chief Executive Ian Bancroft added, “It has been a journey for five years in terms of our social care improvement. These are the best inspection results that we’ve ever had.

“It just shows that the quality of the agreement that we’ve made, and everybody has been part of that, whether it’s members, the Council in a wider sense, whether it’s the leadership team, whether it’s our social care staff. I think it shows that when you’re dealing with a complex statutory service, you need all parts of the organisation to provide that support.

“I am really glad for the people that receive services, that they’re getting that assurance that the quality of what we do, is improved, and also really pleased for those staff on the ground that do the hard work.”