Wirral Council's adult social care provision has been upgraded to a 'good' rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the health watchdog, following a recent assessment. However, shortfalls were identified in two of the nine areas assessed.
The CQC evaluates how well councils meet their responsibilities to ensure people have access to adult social care and support. The assessment, conducted between June and September, found shortfalls in the 'equity in experience and outcomes' and 'safe pathways, systems, and transitions' categories.
Shortfalls in Digital Accessibility and Transitions
Concerns were raised about digital accessibility, with information online potentially difficult to access on mobile devices, particularly for people with visual impairments. The assessment found that further improvements were needed to ensure websites were fully accessible to people with disabilities or those who could not easily read English.
It was also found that the council did not always allow enough time to prepare people when moving from children's to adult services, to ensure plans were in place for them to receive the support they needed.
Improvements Recognised in Seven Areas
In the other seven categories, the council was found to be working at a "good standard" and was praised for providing a good experience of accessing care and support for most people. The assessment found the council had worked hard to improve both the range and quality of services available, including care homes.
Mary Cridge, CQC director of adult social care and local authority assessments, said: "During our assessment at Metropolitan Borough of Wirral Council, we found that improvements had been made since the last assessment in 2024, and the authority was using information more effectively to shape services around people's current and future needs, as well as responding to challenges around capacity."
Reduced Waiting Times and Increased Support
Cridge highlighted that the council had increased extra care housing for autistic people, people with a learning disability, mental health or complex needs, and had put plans in place to move people to a short-term mental health recovery hub when they no longer needed 24-hour supported accommodation. This helped people regain their confidence and independence.
At the time of the last assessment, people were experiencing long waits for reviews, with the authority having completed less than the national average and around two thirds being overdue. At this latest assessment, improvements had been made and waiting times had reduced. The authority was also working hard to keep them down.
Cridge added: "We found people had good access to occupational therapy services, and waiting times had reduced on average by 42% - from 106 to 61 days. People also had timely access to equipment and adaptations which helped them maintain their independence and reduced the risk of them needing more care and support."
She noted that leaders were aware of demographic changes across the Wirral, including significant health inequalities relating to deprivation. Some improvements had been made to support people whose voices were seldom heard, but partners told the CQC that some groups still had difficulty accessing the right care and support due to language or cultural barriers.
Council Response to the Assessment
Cllr Sue Powell-Wilde, chair of the council's adult social care and public health (ASCPH) committee, said: "I am delighted to welcome the Care Quality Commission's assessment of 'good' for Wirral's Adult Social Care services."
She added: "This rating demonstrates that, despite increasing demand and significant challenges facing the care sector nationally, Wirral continues to place people at the heart of its services. It reflects our shared commitment to supporting residents to live independently, safely and with dignity."
Wirral Council's director for adults, health and strategic commissioning, Sayyed Osman, said: "The 'good' judgement reflects years of hard work, determination and collaboration across the whole health and care system." He added that the council would "reinvigorate the quality and assurance processes" and remain committed to working with partners and communities to further improve services and tackle inequalities.
