Adult social services in Richmond borough have been rated 'Good' by the care watchdog.

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) praised Richmond Council's person-centred approach, strong collaboration and efforts to help residents live independently for longer, in a new report.

Welcoming the findings, Lib Dem Council Leader Gareth Roberts said: "Even with rising costs and growing demand for adult social care, we remain focused on supporting our most vulnerable residents and ensuring care delivers real results for people – and this result shows exactly that."

Inspectors found the council worked with residents and carers to plan and organise support, including the design of supported accommodation, carers' assessments and the introduction of care technology.

They said a higher proportion of people received direct payments than the England average, which gave them more flexibility to adjust support to meet their individual circumstances.

The report found the council had strong arrangements in place to support people who lacked mental capacity, including making sure they had support from an advocate, family member or friend.

It said the authority encouraged innovation, including artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation, to improve services and give staff more time to spend with residents.

Staff said there was a positive culture of continuous learning and improvement, including regular reflective sessions, peer reviews and professional development groups.

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The authority was also retaining more staff, with bosses increasing retention rates for newly qualified social workers from 40 per cent to 89 per cent in one year.

Some issues with delays and poor communication

However, inspectors also found some people experienced delays and unclear communication when applying for adaptations to their home. In a small number of cases, they were told months after assessment that they were not eligible for adaptations, with limited explanation, which caused frustration and affected their independence.

Some people, including unpaid carers, also told inspectors that transitions from children to adults' services were not consistently planned or supported well.

Chris Badger, CQC's Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integrated Care, praised the council's strong partnerships for helping to create positive experiences for residents and carers, who reported feeling listened to and involved in decisions about their care.

He said: "We saw that strong partnership working well in how they were supporting people to regain their independence and return home safely after a hospital stay.

"Around 97 per cent of people aged 65 and over remained at home 91 days after discharge into reablement or rehabilitation services, higher than the England average of 84 per cent.

"In addition, there were also significant levels of people receiving short-term support that no longer required further assistance, indicating a focus on promoting independence.

"Richmond also performed well in carrying out timely reviews of care. About 77 per cent of people receiving long-term support had a review, compared with 59 per cent nationally."

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Mr Badger added: "Overall, Richmond should be really pleased with the many positive findings in our report and their Good rating. Richmond has a stable leadership team, a committed workforce and good partnership arrangements. We look forward to seeing how their improvement plans progress."

Lib Dem councillor Piers Allen, Lead Member for Adult Social Care, said: "This recognition reflects the commitment of those who work tirelessly – our teams, partners, and community – to support residents accessing adult social care.

"We know people live healthier and happier lives when they have the right support at the right time. Together, our focus is to help residents live independently, with dignity and choice."

More than 3,000 residents in Richmond receive adult social care support, while around 14,000 residents provide unpaid care for loved ones.