Adult care services may still be rated after scrapping of stars

Councils may still receive ratings for their performance in adult social care following next year’s final star ratings, it has emerged.

Star ratings and the joint area review and annual performance assessment processes in children’s services will be replaced by a single performance regime for local government, the comprehensive area assessment (CAA), in 2009.

However, David Johnstone, chair of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services standards and performance management committee, said discussions were still taking place on whether council adult social care services should receive a score.

He said: “There’s one view that there will be a judgement that will roll into the CAA but it will not be a separate rating. It will be a set of judgements which will go into the pot. There’s another view that they would still like to have a separate rating.”

However, the Department of Health said there were “no plans” to have a separate rating, though the details of how adult social care will be assessed after next year will be confirmed following the passage of the current  Health and Social Care Bill. This will create the Care Quality Commission, which will take responsibility for the inspection and regulation of adult social care and health and the monitoring of Mental Health Act powers by 2009.

The 2007 star ratings were published yesterday, with councils showing a gradual overall improvement on their 2006 performance.

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More information

Consultation on the comprehensive area assessment