Croydon Council is set to review its adult safeguarding operating model, aiming to improve the experiences and outcomes for residents. The decision was made during a recent Cabinet meeting, where the Adult Social Care and Health Local Account 24-25 was reviewed.
The review comes as part of a broader effort to enhance the quality and effectiveness of adult social care services in the borough. The council is committed to embedding residents' insights into individual, operational, and strategic decision-making, using workshops, interviews, and surveys to gather feedback for the refreshed Adult Social Care and Health Strategy. The Local Account 24-25 highlighted several key achievements over the past year, including that 89.9% of care homes were rated Good or Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and that 672 adults had a service. It also outlined plans to refresh the Adult Social Care and Health Strategy, setting the vision for 2030.
The Local Account 24-25 detailed progress against actions since the last local account, including:
- Developing community micro-enterprises
- Piloting pre-paid resident feedback
- Delivering a review of the approach to technology enabled care
- Expanding the reablement offer
- Implementing a more personalised and holistic integrated discharge assessment and planning approach
- Reviewing how day services are provided
- Further developing and expanding Active Lives
- Delivering the workforce development strategic action plan
The Adults Living Independently Transformation Programme aims to support residents to increase their independence, enhance their outcomes and quality of life, and reduce reliance on commissioned care services. This is achieved by building on people's strengths and valuing community assets.
The report also identified strengths and challenges, including partnership working, innovative commissioning models, a dedicated workforce, and an effective reablement offer, as well as increases in demand for services, system interfaces, and the need to strengthen efforts to identify and address any inequities in accessing services. The forthcoming Adult Social Care and Health Strategy will further strengthen this approach, including specific proposed priorities around tackling any inequities.
While the adult safeguarding operating model was reviewed in October 2024 and maintained, a Safeguarding Adults Practice Improvement Board was set up to deliver improvements on a continuous basis.
Councillor Yvette Hopley, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, is dedicated to hearing from residents, and ensuring they are heard when decisions are made across the Council.
The Adult Social Care and Health Strategy is currently being refreshed, and engagement with residents, partners, and colleagues across the council is ongoing. The council aims to publish the refreshed strategy in 2026.
