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Adult service users in England explain what makes good care in a new report published today by the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

Consultation with service users, carers and providers by CSCI identified key qualities people expect from care. These are choice; flexibility; clear information about services; the chance to take risks; respect and the opportunity to be heard; fairness and non-discrimination; value for money; and safety, CSCI found.

People told the commission they don’t just want to be asked for their views about the services they use, they want to see their lives changing for the better as a result.

CSCI Chair Dame Denise Platt said,“People who use care services are very clear about what they want - they want the choice to decide where and how to live their lives, they want services that help them fulfil their potential and achieve their aspirations, and they want to have a say in how services are delivered.

“It’s not enough simply to ask for people’s views and tick the ‘consultation’ box. The onus is on commissioners and service providers to listen to what people say, and act on it to make people’s lives better.”

In future, CSCI will expect councils to demonstrate through their performance assessment framework that the services they commission reflect the qualities that people expect.

CSCI is also modernising its own inspection process to assess more effectively the extent to which services reflect these qualities.

Download the Commission for Social Care Inspection report Real voices, real choices - the qualities people expect