The Darlington Council Adults Scrutiny Committee met on 26 August 2025 to discuss the Care Quality Commission (CQC) assurance framework, out of area placements for adult social care, and performance indicators for the end of the year 2024-25. The committee reviewed and noted the performance information provided, and discussed key areas for development in adult social care services. The committee also reviewed and approved the work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year.

CQC Assurance Framework Update

The committee reviewed the Care Quality Commission (CQC) assurance framework and inspection activity. Darlington Borough Council's adult social care services received an overall rating of 'Good' following an inspection in January 2025.

Joss Harbron, Assistant Director of Adult Social Care, reported that the CQC assessed the council against nine quality statements and it received 'Good' in eight of the nine, with 'Requires Improvement' for equity in experience and outcomes.

The inspectors highlighted several key areas of good practice:

• A good level of adult social care service and support
• A consistent strength-based assessment programme with flexible approaches from staff
• Good support for carers
• No delays to hospital discharge
• Better than average data around reablement¹ and outcomes following discharge
• Effective impact of the 'Making Every Contact Count' approach² on support in the community
• Clear plans to further embed public health approaches in its adult social care work to address health inequalities
• Good partnership working in the discharge of the Better Care Fund³
• Good quality assurance support service from the local authority
• Collaborative working with partners, particularly in relation to hospital discharge
• Effective Section 75 agreements⁴
• Academic work undertaken with the university brought back by social workers into practice
• Commissioning of the voluntary community and social enterprise sector to provide services to support people in the community
• Mostly positive feedback about transitions to adult services
• Effective and proportionate safeguarding arrangements
• Good performance on deprivation of liberties assessments⁵
• Open and transparent relationships with senior leaders
• A commitment to continuous learning related to cultural needs

The CQC noted that Darlington works well in partnership with the NHS, voluntary and community organisations, and local care providers. The council's approach to prevention, including early support and practical help at home, was praised for keeping people independent for longer.

The report identified areas for improvement including:

• Increasing access to accessible information
• Reducing waiting times for certain assessments
• Ensuring co-production and equality are at the heart of service improvements

Ms Harbron noted actions being taken to address these areas, including working with Disability Action Darlington to develop easy-read and accessible information, an established reporting system to review waiting times for all assessments, and working in partnership with Partners in Health and Care Improvement to undertake a self-assessment of the teams understanding of diversity within practice.

The committee agreed that the Assistant Director of Adult Social Care should provide updates to members on areas of improvement within the Adult Services transformation plan service reports in subsequent scrutiny committees.

Assessment of Services Commissioned from Out of Area

The committee received an overview of current out of area (OOA) placements in residential, nursing or respite care and day opportunities. Christine Shields, Assistant Director-Performance, Transformation and Commissioning, reported that there were 64 individuals placed outside Darlington Borough, with 44% of those placements within 0-20 miles of the borough boundary and a further 40% between 0-50 miles of the boundary. There are currently nine placements outside of the north-east, with Plymouth being the furthest away.

The reasons for these placements include:

• Transfer of responsibility to Darlington following an Ordinary Residence determination⁶
• Individuals and families exercising their right of choice to be near support networks
• Ministry of Justice decision
• Historic placements when Darlington was part of Durham County Council's jurisdiction
• Placement breakdown and a lack of available local providers due to specialist/challenging care needs

In addition, 22 individuals access day services out of borough at a cost of £402,814.03 for the 24/25 financial year. The reasons for these placements are the complexity of the individual's needs, including those transitioning from children to adult's services.

The cost of out of area residential, nursing and respite care placements is approximately £3.5 million and represents 13% of the total spend on residential care placements by the council.

A programme of work will be undertaken to review all out of area placements to ensure that as many services as possible are provided within the borough. Of particular importance are day opportunities, where a programme of work is underway to determine the inter-relationship between the role the council's in-house services and that of commissioned day service provision. An options appraisal will be developed to help determine the future model of day services including any out of area day service provision.

Development opportunities are also underway across SEND⁷ Education providers, Skills for Life, health, Commissioning and Adult Social Services to develop a local personalised learning college in Darlington for September 2026.

The committee was asked to consider Darlington Borough Council's current out of area placement arrangements and note the key areas for development.

Performance Indicators End of Year 2024-25

The committee reviewed performance data against key performance indicators for 2024-25. Joss Harbron, Assistant Director of Adult Services, presented the report.

Of the twelve indicators reported to the committee:

• One indicator showed improved performance compared to the same period last year: the proportion of carers who find it easy to find information about services.
• Two indicators showed comparable performance with the same time last year: the proportion of carers using social care who receive self-directed support, and the percentage of people who have no ongoing care needs following completion of provision of a reablement package.
• Four indicators showed lower performance than the same time last year: the proportion of people using social care who receive self-directed support, older people aged 65+ admitted on a permanent basis in the year to residential or nursing care per 100,000 of the 65+ population, adults aged 18 - 64 admitted on a permanent basis in the year to residential or nursing care homes, per 100,000 population, and the proportion of people who use Adult Care services who find it easy to find information about services.
• Three indicators were not comparable and were reviewed as a point in time: number of safeguarding concerns started, and number of strategy meetings undertaken.
• Two indicators are no longer being reported on due to recent ASCOF/CLD changes: proportion of adults with a learning disability who live in their own home or with their family, and proportion of adults with learning disabilities in paid employment. New indicators are currently under development.

The committee was asked to review and note the performance information provided in the report and raise any relevant queries with appropriate assistant directors.

Work Programme 2025/26

The committee considered the work programme items scheduled to be considered by the committee during the 2025/26 municipal year and considered any additional areas which members would like to suggest should be included.

Amy Wennington, Assistant Director Law and Governance, presented the report.

The proposed work programme was based on officer recommendations and discussions held at the Adults Scrutiny Committee Annual Briefing which took place on 23 May 2025.

The committee agreed to incorporate an item on the subject of Learning Disabilities and Adult Day Services into the work programme for 2025/26.

Councillor Andrew Anderson, Chair of the committee, reminded the members that items pertinent to this committee which appear on the Forward Plan can be incorporated into the work programme without the use of a Quad of Aims⁸.

The chair also discussed the potentiality of cross-committee scrutiny meetings to discuss items which fall under multiple service areas.