By Rebecca Hannant
East Riding Council has vowed to take urgent action after being rated inadequate for adult social care, with inspectors warning that delays, poor capacity and slow safeguarding responses are putting vulnerable residents at risk.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) released its findings on Wednesday, October 22, following an assessment in June. The council received a score of 28 out of 100 for its adult social care services and was issued with an overall rating of inadequate.
The CQC assesses local authorities on areas including safeguarding, leadership, supporting people to live independently and helping them lead healthier lives. Inspectors said long delays and poor access to support were having a serious impact on residents.
In its summary, the CQC said: “We found many people experienced delays in accessing services which affected their experiences and outcomes. There were delays for assessments, reviews, and equipment assessments, including sensory support. While people waited, their needs sometimes escalated, meaning some experienced crisis which risked their wellbeing.”
Inspectors said that “while people at highest risk were generally supported quickly”, there were “delays in timely safeguarding enquiries”, adding that local authority staff experienced “some disjointed processes, and a lack of confidence and capacity”.
The CQC also highlighted “significant issues with the capacity of service providers”, particularly in rural areas, where some people waited much longer for support. It added: “In some cases… people who could have returned home following a hospital stay had been unable to due to a lack of capacity. More people stayed in residential care provision than needed for longer. Some people told us they had to complain to get their voice heard.”
Inspectors also noted issues with how people were informed about paying for care. However, once support was eventually in place, most residents reported that frontline practice was “strength-based” and “person-centred”.
The report set out the council’s financial position, noting that it overspent its overall budget by more than £73 million in 2023-24. It estimated it would spend £142,228,000 on adult social care, but the actual figure was £165,867,000 — an overspend of £23,639,000.
In response, the council said it accepted the findings and had already begun work on improvements, including reducing waiting times for assessments and reviews, strengthening management oversight, enhancing safeguarding training and improving data quality and performance monitoring.
A council spokesman said: “We recognise that too many residents are waiting far too long to receive the care they need. This is unacceptable, and we are committed to taking urgent action to improve access and responsiveness across our services.
“The council acknowledges the growing demand for adult social care services, particularly in our area with a higher proportion of the population aged over 65. While funding pressures remain a challenge, they do not excuse delays or ineffective processes. We are committed to delivering meaningful change and ensuring that every resident receives the support they need, when they need it.
“An improvement plan is already in place and will be overseen by an independent improvement partner. We will make sure that representatives from our partners, care providers and people who use services and their families with lived experience are heard from and central to our improvement.”
Interim chief executive Alan Menzies added: “We take the findings of this inspection extremely seriously. People in the East Riding deserve timely, high-quality care and support, and we have already started making the necessary changes to ensure this happens.
“While the dedication of our staff is evident and highlighted in this report, we acknowledge as a council we must do better. We are already taking steps to reduce waiting times, strengthen leadership, and improve how we work with individuals to ensure that our care services meet their needs.
“I was reassured to read in the CQC report that our new chief executive of adult social care, Kim Curry, brings stability and is having a significant positive effect on culture, strategy and outcome. Our improvement journey will be shaped by the people who use our services, and we will be open and transparent about our progress.”
The East Riding Safeguarding Adults Board – made up of partners including the council, police, health services, care providers and the voluntary sector – has been informed and will monitor progress.
Its independent chair, Kay Durrant, said: “I have reviewed the inspection report and discussed the council’s response. I am confident that the leadership team is committed to addressing the concerns raised and that the board will support the improvement plan to ensure vulnerable adults are protected and supported.