CQC rates Kingston Council’s adult social care provision as good

CQC has a new duty under the Act to assess how local authorities work with their communities and partners to meet their responsibilities. This includes promoting the wellbeing and independence of working age disabled adults, older people, and their unpaid carers to reduce their need for formal support where appropriate. Where support is needed it should provide people with choice and control of how their care needs are met.

CQC looked at nine areas spread across four themes to assess how well the authority is meeting their responsibilities in order to create their good rating. CQC has given each of these nine areas a score out of four with one being the evidence shows significant shortfalls, and four showing an exceptional standard.

James Bullion, CQC’s chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said:

“At this assessment, we were pleased to see the good level of support being provided by the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. They ensured people had access to positive, person-centred care, with a strong focus on promoting independence, choice, and dignity.

“Kingston Council supported people to stay well through preventative approaches, including timely access to intermediate care and reablement. These services helped people regain confidence and remain in their own homes following a stay in hospital. It was especially encouraging to see 86% of older people were still living at home 91 days later after a hospital discharge as a result.

“Kingston Council demonstrated a clear commitment to inclusion, working actively with its diverse communities to tackle health inequalities. Senior leaders acknowledged the importance of addressing disparities experienced by Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities, as well as refugee and migrant populations. The borough also had a diverse population, with 31% of people identifying as Black, Asian, or another minority ethnic background. The authority worked with Kingston University to understand the challenges these communities faced and used the feedback to provide people with culturally appropriate meals, meaningful activities, and opportunities for community engagement. 

“The local authority had a well-established approach to direct payments, enabling people to have greater choice and control over their care. Many people including working-age adults and unpaid carers used direct payments to arrange support that suited their lives and needs.

“Unpaid carers told us they valued the information and flexibility of support available to them, although some said they weren’t always aware of their full entitlement. Kingston Council recognised this and had already begun expanding respite provision enabling them to take breaks from their caring responsibilities, and improving communication so people knew what they were entitled to.

“While most people could access care when they needed it, Kingston Council faced challenges with waiting times in some areas, especially for reassessments and learning disability services. Kingston Council recognised this and was addressing the issue by increasing staffing and introducing prioritisation systems to reduce delays.

“Overall, Kingston should be really pleased with the many positive findings in our report and their good rating. They’ve already told us how they’re planning to build on this further with improvement plans. We look forward to returning to see how they’ve built on areas of good practice and how their plans mature.”

The assessment team found:

1. Kingston Council assessed people in a respectful and personalised way, by using strengths-based and person-centred approaches. People told inspectors they felt listened to and supported to make informed decisions about their care.
2. The local authority provided information in a range of accessible formats, including easy-read documents, translated materials, and large print. British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters and a dedicated sensory team supported inclusive communication for people with additional needs.
3. Kingston promoted the use of assistive technology and equipment to help people remain safe at home that included remote monitoring devices, fall prevention technology, and digital assistive tools. People who used this support said it helped them maintain independence and reduced their need for more intensive care.
4. Staff described a positive working environment, with good morale and leadership that encouraged learning and innovation. As a result, they felt confident in their roles and supported to provide person-centred care to people.
5. Staff used digital tools and automated systems to improve capacity and allow greater focus on personalised conversations and helped them prioritise people with the most urgent needs. These improvements were supported by structured training and system-wide workforce development.
6. Safeguarding arrangements were well-developed. People felt safe and knew who to contact if they had concerns. Partners described good coordination across safeguarding teams and a shared focus on system-wide learning.

However, the assessment team also found:

1. Transitions from children to adult services were not always consistent. Some families said they felt uncertain during the handover process and wanted more support with planning and coordination.