CQC Quality Statement

Theme 4 – Leadership: Learning, improvement and innovation 

We statement

We focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across our organisation and the local system. We encourage creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. We actively contribute to safe, effective practice and research.

November 2023: A link has been added in Section 3.2, Relevant information to Am I Invisible? Using Co-production to Advocate Change in Social Care published  by SCIE.

1. Introduction

Adults who use social care services, and those of their partner agencies, are at the centre of the personalisation agenda and the Care Act 2014. Feedback from adults and carers who use services about their service experience and outcomes that were or were not achieved, are also areas of increasing focus.

Adult service users should be involved at each level of development, delivery, and review of care and support services in order to:

  • ensure that services are developed to meet the care and support needs of adults;
  • ensure that the services which are provided are of good quality;
  • ensure positive outcomes for those who use the service.

Service commissioners should ensure that adult service users can:

  • have their views considered in the development of new strategies and services at the earliest possible stage;
  • contribute to the review and performance management of existing strategies and services;
  • receive information on planning and delivering of new services as soon as the planning process begins and ensure it is in an accessible and jargon-free format;
  • contribute to meetings and decision making where practicable. This may include practical support (for example, reimbursement of expenses; considering the time and venue for meetings) and other assistance (for example help to deal with jargon, stress, power imbalances);
  • access appropriate training and mentoring support to enable them to contribute to planning arenas.

Social workers and service providers should ensure service users:

  • have easy access to a charter on their rights and responsibilities within the service;
  • all information and correspondence adhere’s to the Accessible Information Standards;
  • have easy access to clear information on all the services available (see Information and Advice chapter);
  • have access to information on their care and support options (see Care and Support Planning chapter);
  • are fully involved in the assessment process and development and review of their individual care plan and have their needs, wishes and goals incorporated into their plan (see Assessment chapter);
  • receive information on how to make comments, complaints and compliments about the service they receive (see Complaints chapter);
  • Contribute to the evaluation of the service.

User led organisations (ULOs) are one approach to facilitating user involvement as referenced in the Care and Support Statutory Guidance. ULOs are organisations that are run by and controlled by people who use care and support services, including disabled people of any impairment, older people, and families and carers. See also A Commissioner’s Guide to Developing and Sustaining Local User-Led Organisations (SCIE).

2. Manchester’s Approach

Manchester City Council’s approach to citizen engagement has been to develop Partnership Boards. There are two Boards:  the Our Manchester Disability Plan (OMDP) Partnership Board and the Learning Disability (LD) Partnership Board. The OMPD Board has been operational since 2005, and the LD Board since 2002. The Boards’ vision is for Manchester to be a barrier free and inclusive city, supporting independent living and personalised services for people with disabilities and sensory impairments.

This approach ensures that both Boards are able to influence the strategic direction of the Council and other key partner organisations in line with the Our Manchester approach and behaviours, but also has a focus on the following areas:

  • to improve the quality of lives of disabled people living in Manchester;
  • to develop an approach based around co-production which involves disabled people and carers in decisions about how services are developed at the earliest possible stage;
  • to be a driver for the development of the Directorate and partners to provide personalised social care services, which support and enable independent living for disabled people in Manchester;
  • to support integration with health, joint working with other council departments, external agencies, third sector organisations and other providers of services;
  • to ensure that services meet the aims and objectives of all relevant government policy, in particular the Care Act 2014,  public sector reform in Manchester, the NHS and Social Care Bill and the Equalities Act 2010. In addition to the above Manchester has signed up to Think Local Act Personal.

The Our Manchester Disability Plan and its governance structure has been developed to ensure Disabled People and Disabled Peoples Organisations can drive the work of the plan and its associated workstream forward. This structure comprise of a Partnership Board and an Engagement Group. The Engagement Group is facilitated by a number of local disabled peoples organisations. It is tasked with ensuring the voice of Disabled Mancunions is heard and that they have an equal place round the table.

3. Further Reading

3.1 Relevant chapters

Care Act 2014

Personalisation

3.2 Relevant information

Am I Invisible? Using Co-production to Advocate Change in Social Care (SCIE)

Quality Statement 4: Using People’s Views to Improve Services (NICE)

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