By Carole Dennett
The Isle of Wight Council is already taking action to strengthen adult social care after a national watchdog rated the service as “requires improvement” – a judgement the authority missed upgrading to “good” by a single percentage point.
A new assessment by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) scored the Island’s adult social care provision at 62 per cent, with the threshold for a “good” rating set at 63. Inspectors, however, highlighted a number of strengths across the service, including clear leadership, a strong culture of learning, and positive experiences reported by residents and carers.
Laura Gaudion, the council’s strategic director for adult social care, said the findings show a service moving firmly in the right direction.
“We recognise there are areas where we need to improve, and we are already taking steps to address these,” she said. “The report gives us a clear picture of where we are doing well, as well as where we need to go further, and it is encouraging that we are very close to a ‘good’ rating.
“I would have loved to have received a good rating because I think that’s more reflective of the hard work that the staff do and the service that we provide to our community. But a team of six people over two and a half days are never going to see what I see every day in my staff team who do so much for their community.”
She added that the council’s difficult financial position was not, in her view, responsible for the outcome, and said she was looking forward to the introduction of a new case management system that will allow staff to access information held across other council departments.
Strong praise and areas to improve
Inspectors praised the council’s safeguarding arrangements, describing them as robust and well understood, and noted effective partnership-working with the NHS and the voluntary sector. Many Islanders were found to be accessing support easily, with prompt decisions about their care. People using direct payments reported positive experiences and greater
choice, while unpaid carers also gave largely positive feedback.
The report found the staff feel supported, able to raise concerns, and confident in the leadership. Inspectors pointed to “clear oversight” and a commitment to continuous improvement, and a culture where learning is encouraged and acted upon.
However, the CQC identified areas for improvement, including reducing delays in some reviews, improving consistency of practice, and expanding alternatives to long‑term residential care. The council says work is already underway, including improvements to hospital discharge pathways, investment in services that help people remain independent at home, and further development of systems and workforce training.
The Island’s challenging demographic – with nearly a third of residents aged 65 or over, combined with the pressures of rural and coastal geography – was also recognised as a factor affecting demand and complexity.
Cllr James Whelan, the new chairman of the Adult Social Care Committee, said he was relieved the findings were “not as bad as I thought it was going to be”. He added that he was pleased the work already done had kept the Island out of “a massive hole”, and said the service now needed to “get over the edge” to secure a good rating in future.
