Posted on Friday 30th May 2025
Staff have been congratulated by Martin Rogerson, pictured, for their hard work.
Following an inspection which gathered feedback from residents, carers, staff, partners and providers, Staffordshire County Council's Adult Social Care service has received an overall rating of ‘Good’ with all nine assessed areas rated ‘Good’.
Inspectors with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) noted that “people's experiences of accessing and receiving adult social care and support were positive" highlighting a “person-centered approach” where people felt involved in decisions about their care. Information about the range of support available was easily accessible, and people were kept safe and supported to stay independent.
The CQC praised the “embedded culture of learning” among staff, adding that “practitioners felt supported” and job satisfaction was high. Strong partnerships with health trusts, police, and care providers were also commended, with “positive” transitions between services leading to reduced hospital readmissions.
The report also acknowledged ongoing improvements, including where we are working to help people understand how using direct payments to pay for care and support can be good option for them and for unpaid carers.
Martin Rogerson, Cabinet Member for Health and Care, said:
I want to congratulate staff for this great achievement and thank them for their hard work and dedication in supporting vulnerable adults in Staffordshire.
We have made it clear caring for the most vulnerable adults is a key priority so receiving this rating at a time of high demand and increasing financial pressures nationally is amazing news.
However, we know our work doesn’t stop here and we will continue with our existing improvement plans that were shared with CQC.”
Adult Social Care in Staffordshire is delivered in partnership under a Section 75 agreement. This means many frontline employees like social workers are employed by Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) who work very closely alongside county council teams day to day.
Neil Carr, MPFT Chief Executive said:
Our dedicated and hard-working adult social care staff, led by our Director of Social Care Jo Cowcher, play an enormous role in making MPFT a truly unique and integrated NHS trust, and the Good ratings awarded by the CQC recognise the difference they make to the lives of patients and carers in Staffordshire.
They work closely with physical and mental health colleagues to ensure the care received by patients is both seamless and holistic, and I’m delighted the CQC has recognised both their professionalism and the excellent person-centred care they provide.
I’m also pleased our strong partnership with the county council in delivering the service has been recognised, as has the culture of learning driven by our Social Work Learning Academy. We will continue to work closely together to further enhance our offer to Staffordshire residents.”
The assessment will be published on the CQC’s website on Friday 30 May.