‘Good’ rating for Wandsworth Council’s Adult Social Care 

The council is proud to have received the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating, which reflects the hard work and dedication of the adult social care team and the council’s commitment to making Wandsworth fairer and more compassionate.  

Cabinet Member for Health, Graeme Henderson, said: “In Wandsworth we are committed to providing excellent social care. Our priority is to prevent ill health to enable people to stay living independently. This is both better for residents and more cost-effective in the long run.” 

The report highlights the borough’s commitment to person-centred care, effective community partnerships, a strong prevention framework to keep people healthy, and innovative approaches to improving outcomes for residents. 

It also said most residents and carers could easily access services and reported kind, compassionate, and respectful care. 

The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England, assesses how local authorities are providing safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care.  The CQC’s assessment looked at how the council works with people, provides support, ensures safety, and demonstrates effective leadership. 

The priority of the Wandsworth Adult Social Care department is to keep people healthy so they can live as independently as possible. The report said staff worked with people at an early stage to prevent or reduce their need for care, with support such as providing equipment to enable them to live safely at home. The council also works well with partners and the community and voluntary sector to prevent, reduce and delay the need for care.   

Wandsworth’s focus on prevention in health and social care was also recognised by the Local Government Association this year, which praised initiatives to reduce health inequalities such as improving healthy food options in deprived areas and training frontline staff to spot issues such as self-harm.  

The council ensures people have access to a wide range of care that is safe, effective, affordable and high-quality, and Wandsworth is working with care providers to increase their skills and knowledge so that more care places can be provided for people with complex needs. 

Innovative use of digital technology is being deployed to reduce waiting lists and improve service delivery, particularly in occupational therapy. 

Wandsworth has strong safeguarding practices to help keep vulnerable and older adults safe from abuse or neglect and is committed to providing support for carers in their caring role. One unpaid carer said they felt the care and support for people with dementia and their carers was very good, and that they enjoyed coffee mornings that they could attend with the person they care for.  

Adult Social Care works closely with the voluntary sector, and carers spoke positively about the support open to them. The report also highlighted examples of joint working with other council teams and partners such as health services – for example to ensure smooth transitions between services, such as hospital discharges.  

Staff feel valued and motivated, and praised the visibility and support of senior leaders and the council’s emphasis on staff wellbeing, training, and equality. Wandsworth’s inclusive approach is reflected in its status as London Borough of Culture 2025 and Borough of Sanctuary.  

Cllr Henderson added: “We are not complacent and looking forward we know we have some areas for further development, such as keeping waiting times as short as possible and ensuring that there is always the best available choice of local care services. 

“But we are proud of the service we provide. We set ourselves high standards and are pleased that the CQC has recognised the hard work and skill of our staff who have delivered the support people need and deserve.” 

Read the full report.