Adult Services the best in the country

Tameside Adult Services are the best in the country according to independent inspectors.

The have topped the table in the Commission for Social Care Inspectorate  (CSCI) annual ratings with ratings of excellent across all nine inspection categories and have been awarded the highest score possible of three stars.

Inspectors judged Tameside as delivering excellent outcomes with excellent capacity for improvement.

It is the first time in the country that a council has been judged to be excellent across all nine inspection categories, or domains.

CSCI measure Adult services performance against nine domains and have judged all nine as excellent in Tameside, the first Local authority to achieve this in the country.

Councillor John Taylor, Cabinet Deputy Personal and Community services: said: “This score is a reflection of the hard work carried out by our staff over the years.

“For many years we have been among the top performing councils for Adult Services but now we have been judged as excellent and are the top performing service in the country.”

Stephanie Butterworth, Executive Director, Community Services, said: “This result reflects our focus on people who use our services and the dedication and passion that all our staff have in delivering an excellent service for all of these people. We are rightly very proud of our achievement.’

Case studies

Barry Locke has a son Paul, who lives in Beaumont Place, purpose-built supported housing for people with a learning disability.

Barry said: “Up until five years ago I was the main carer for my invalid wife and my son Paul who has learning difficulties. “I was very stressed when I contacted Adult Services.

“They reacted very quickly and gave us a personal assessment of our family’s needs. They helped me organise a care home for my wife and arranged day services for Paul.

“In February Paul got a place at Beaumont Place run by Tameside’s Learning Disability Service. Since moving into Beaumont, Paul has not looked back. He is much more independent, he’s really happy, he has company and he’s well looked after. The move represented a big leap forward for Paul, for me and my wife as well.

“I no longer need to worry about Paul; I’ve none of the fears that I used to have for his security. He is safe and happy. I’m nearly 70 and used to worry all the time about Paul’s future. With the help and support of Adult Services I have been given back my quality of life. They have given me a new lease of life and a personality again.”

Julie, who uses the Community Response Service, said: “I wouldn’t be able to live on my own without the back-up and support of Community Response workers. They are there so quickly when I need them and are so supportive. If I’ve any problems they advise me who to see.”

George Golightly has a pendant alarm which gives him 24-hour reassurance. In the event of an emergency, he can press for assistance from a mobile warden who will be with him within 10 minutes.

When told that Adult Services had been reported as the best in the country George said: "That’s lovely. All I can say is praise. They are wonderful. I have had two falls and each time they’ve come to my rescue. I’m truly grateful. Because of them I’m mobile and comfortable.”

Mrs F of Droylsden is a carer for her husband. She said: “We moved here three years ago after my husband’s stroke and the Carer’s Centre helped us to settle in.

“Tameside Carer’s Centre has been a lifeline for me. They’ve given me advice and information about the Blue Badge Scheme, holiday grants etc and a lot of support.

“The newsletter keeps me informed about what’s going on. Whenever I’ve phoned the centre they’ve been helpful and pleasant and have answered loads of my questions, ringing me back within the hour if they didn’t know an answer immediately.

“I went on one of their carer’s courses, which covered lots of different areas from children with special needs, mental health advice, how to lift people safely and first aid from St John’s Ambulance Brigade.

“They gave us loads of useful information and I met other carers. We shared quite a few experiences. I keep an Emergency Carers Card in my purse. It sets my mind at rest that if anything happened to me, my husband would be looked after.”

Other comments from some of our Adult Services users:

“I found the number to contact Adult Services through the website. I think the staff must be very well trained because the lady I spoke to read between the lines and realised I needed help.

“Everyone was very friendly, even the cleaner chatted to me. When you’re in pain and disabled the world is a very scary place.”

“They understood what I needed. To them, I’m not just a name and number, I’m a person.”

“I call my worker from the Disability Housing Supporting Team “Florence Nightingale.”

“Social Services get such a bad press, they deserve some credit for the high calibre people they employ and the good things they do.”

For more information on the work of Adult Services, you can view our DVD on adult services, a British Sign Language version is also available