Maidenhead & Windsor

Residents in the Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough are benefiting from ongoing improvements to adult care services, thanks to the council’s continued focus on better outcomes for service users, support for carers and help for those who want to remain in their own homes and communities.

That’s the message in the annual performance assessment (APA) published today by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) which says that the borough’s social care services for adults:

* are good at delivering outcomes for service users and carers and
* have a promising capacity for improvement in the future.

Individually, there are good judgements for the way the borough delivers services that contribute to:

* improved health and emotional wellbeing
* improved quality of life
* making a positive contribution
* increased choice and control
* freedom from discrimination or harassment
* economic wellbeing
* maintaining personal dignity and respect.

Cllr John Story, lead member for Windsor and Maidenhead adult services, said the APA reflected continuing improvement that put service users at the heart of all priorities and plans.

He said: “I am very pleased that the APA highlights the council’s focus on improving quality of life for all users of adult services and their carers. It also points out how we respond to people’s preferences and allow them to make choices about their care. These priorities are absolutely essential if we are to maintain and improve services and ensure they remain relevant to the needs of the most vulnerable members of our community.

“I thank all staff who work in adult services for their high standards of professionalism and commitment to providing high quality services. I would also express my sincere thanks to the huge band of carers and other volunteers who make such a massive contribution to care services across the borough. We value their support and significant contribution to planning for the future.”

In a detailed report, the CSCI also focuses on the Windsor and Maidenhead council’s capacity to improve and comments on the ‘consistent and effective leadership’ in the learning and care directorate, where the director and his staff have ‘a proactive approach to modernising services for the benefit of service users’.

The APA underlines a wide range of key strengths in adult services, including:

* strong partnership working with health
* a very well-established intermediate care service
* excellent performance on hospital stays (no delayed transfers, so no fines)
* significant increase in use of direct payments, including for people from minority communities – the council is a national leader
* good performance in residential and nursing care provision
* greater independence offered to older people by the free provision of the first six weeks of intensive rehabilitation to enable them to stay in their own homes.

Jim Gould, corporate director of Windsor and Maidenhead learning and care, said: “This is a very encouraging assessment of our work over the past year. However, we are not complacent and appreciate that we must continue to improve if we are to serve our residents as they expect and deserve. The APA makes a number of recommendations for improvement and we will be taking these forward enthusiastically through our action plans in the year ahead.”

The APA for adult services will feed into the overall Comprehensive Performance Assessment of the council, due to be published next month.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead