Latest star ratings published

The number of councils achieving a three star rating has
increased, according to the latest figures from the Commission for
Social Care Inspection, writes Clare
Jerrom.

Twenty councils were awarded a three star rating, compared with
16 local authorities in 2003. The number of authorities with two
stars also rose from 76 last year to 82 in 2004.

Overall, 27 councils increased their rating while 11 councils
had their rating reduced from last year. There were eight councils
with a zero rating – the same figure as last year.

Minister for children Margaret Hodge and community care minister
Stephen Ladyman welcomed the news that over two thirds of local
authority social care services were performing at two star level of
above.

Hodge: “Celebrate improvements”

“Star ratings are driving improvements in social care
services, helping make real improvements in people’s lives
locally,” said the ministers.

“Today we should celebrate the improvements in social
services and care provided for those who rely on it,” they
added.

Tower Hamlets Council in London has increased to a three star
authority and a statement from the council said:
“Transforming social services from one star to three star
status in just three years is an unprecedented achievement given
the level of deprivation in the borough.”

The London Borough of Southwark has increased from a two to
three star authority and councillor Denise Capstick, executive
member for health and social care, said their task was to
“maintain this momentum and further improve the
service”.

The London borough of Ealing, however, went down from a one star
to a zero star authority. Councillor Martin Beecroft, the cabinet
member for independent living, defended the move emphasising that
inspectors found no change in the quality and standard of services
to adults and children since last year’s inspection.

“Considering that we are the only zero star authority that
has been found to serve most children well and only six one star
authorities were found to serve either most adults or children
well, we are disappointed to receive a zero rating,” he
added.

Beecroft explained that it was because at the time of
inspection, inspectors did not accept the council had the capacity
to continue to make improvements to services.

The star ratings draw on evidence from performance indicators,
inspections, reviews and monitoring information for each council,
and using a set of published standards as a framework to guide
judgement.

Three star authorities

Bexley
Blackburn with Darwen
Bolton
City of London
Derbyshire
Gateshead
Kensington and Chelsea
Kent
Kingston upon Thames
Kirklees
Knowsley
Leicestershire
Newcastle upon Tyne
North Lincolnshire
Somerset
Southwark
Sunderland
Tower Hamlets
Wandsworth
Westminster

Two star authorities

Barnet
Barnsley
Bath and NE Somerset
Bradford
Brent
Bury
Calderdale
Cambridgeshire
Camden
Cheshire
Cornwall
Coventry
Croydon
Darlington
Derby
Doncaster
Dorset
Dudley
Durham
East Riding of Yorkshire
East Sussex
Enfield
Essex
Hackney
Halton
Hammersmith and Fulham
Hampshire
Hartlepool
Hertfordshire
Hounslow
Isle of Wight
Islington
Kingston upon Hull
Lancashire
Leeds
Leicester
Luton
Manchester
Merton
Middlesbrough
Milton Keynes
North Somerset
North Yorkshire
Northumberland
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
Peterborough
Poole
Portsmouth
Reading
Redbridge
Redcar and Cleveland
Richmond upon Thames
Rutland
Salford
Sefton
Sheffield
Shropshire
Slough
Solihull
South Gloucestershire
South Tyneside
Southampton
St Helens
Stockport
Stockton on Tees
Suffolk
Surrey
Tameside
Telford and Wrekin
Thurrock
Wakefield
Warrington
Warwickshire
West Berkshire
West Sussex
Wigan
Wiltshire
Wirral
Wokingham
Worcestershire
York

One star authorities

Barking and Dagenham
Blackpool
Bournemouth
Bracknell Forest
Brighton and Hove
Bristol
Bromley
Buckinghamshire
Devon
Gloucestershire
Greenwich
Haringey
Harrow
Havering
Herefordshire
Hillingdon
Lambeth
Lewisham
Lincolnshire
Liverpool
Medway Towns
Newham
Norfolk
North East Lincolnshire
North Tyneside
Northamptonshire
Oxfordshire
Rochdale
Rotherham
Sandwell
Southend-on-Sea
Staffordshire
Stoke-on-Trent
Sutton
Torbay
Trafford
Walsall
Waltham Forest
Windsor and Maidenhead
Wolverhampton

Zero stars

Bedfordshire
Birmingham
Cumbria
Ealing
Isles of Scilly
Oldham
Plymouth
Swindon