Lewis demands improvement from 21 councils following annual ratings

Twenty one councils must draw up action plans to improve their adult care performance following today’s adult star ratings, care services minister Ivan Lewis has said.

He has told the Commission for Social Care Inspection to help the authorities develop the plans by next March.

All 21 scored one star this year and would have achieved the same score every year since 2002 had there been an adult only rating in previous years.

Lewis said: “I will be asking CSCI to keep me regularly updated on progress in these authorities.”

The 21 include the 13 one-star councils dubbed “coasting” by CSCI. The latter group have all been classed as serving some adults well with uncertain or promising prospects for improvement in each of the past three years.

CSCI chief inspector Paul Snell said the 21 would receive “more attention” than others, but he stressed: “They are not zero-star councils. The minister is not using his intervention powers.”

This meant they would decide on the support they needed to improve, for instance whether they sought help from the Department of Health’s Care Services Improvement Partnership.