People whose councils provide or arrange their social care are benefiting from improved services for the fifth successive year.

Councils that improved this year demonstrated a greater focus on outcomes for people, including good intermediate care that avoids admission to hospital, support for carers, and high levels of homecare services that help people remain in their own homes.

Indicating a similar pattern to last year, the Performance Ratings for Adult Social Services in England 2007, published today, shows that star ratings improved for 24 councils, but deteriorated for 15. 

For the second year running there are no councils providing people with a zero-rated service. There are 28 councils (19%) with one star, 74 (49%) with two stars and 48 (32%) with three stars. 

Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) Chief Inspector Paul Snell said: “People who are eligible for social care arranged by their own council are receiving an improved service.

“The councils serving people well aren’t just providing good social care services, they are constantly raising their game and aiming high to continually improve, and provide the best possible services for local people.”

The report shows that the greatest improvements in performance are evident in the movement between one and two stars.

Fifteen councils moved up to two stars in 2007 as a result of improved services, nine of which CSCI had deemed last year to be ‘priority for improvement’ councils.

The majority of councils continue to improve the social care services they are providing people in the West Midlands, with considerable progress in those councils that last year gave particular concern.

Three councils - Birmingham, Staffordshire and Warwickshire - have moved up from one star to two this year. 

With one three star council dropping a star, this means the region now has seven authorities on two stars compared to only three last year, and three one-star councils compared to six.

Sarah Norman, West Midlands Regional Director, said:  “Today’s ratings are good news for many people living in the West Midlands. 

“I am pleased that councils such as Birmingham and Warwickshire have raised their game sufficiently during the last year to provide a better service for people. 

“Although there is still much work to be done, Birmingham has now got a tighter grip on the challenges it faces.  This is a good example of how we have worked with a council to make sure they have improved the services for the people they serve.”

Sarah Norman continued:  “At the same time, it is disappointing that Worcestershire has dropped from three stars to two. 

“Although the standard of the services it provides has not deteriorated, the council has found it difficult to sustain its excellent capacity for improvement year on year.” 

 
Elsewhere in the West Midlands, there is still an urgent need for improvement in councils that retain only one star. 

Sarah Norman continued:  “Although there has been some progress made by Stoke council, we remain seriously concerned about Walsall and Herefordshire, where progress has been limited.  We will continue to monitor their performance closely to help them improve.”