Social care for thousands of vulnerable adults in Stoke-on-Trent has been officially classed as 'good'.

The Care Quality Commission found that adult social care is a 'clear priority' for Stoke-on-Trent City Council, with the authority committed to promoting people's independence to give them 'the best possible outcome'.

All local authorities are being assessed by the CQC on how well they are meeting their adult social care responsibilities under the 2014 Care Act.

The city council was found to be 'good' overall – the second highest rating possible – with a score of 64 per cent.

Provision was also assessed across nine individual service areas, each of which was given a score out of four. The city council received a 'good' score of three in five of these areas, including safeguarding and care provision, integration and continuity.

But the authority received scores of two in four categories, including 'assessing people's needs' and 'equity in experience and outcomes', meaning there were 'some shortfalls'.

The CQC praised the council's 18 community lounges for offering 'holistic support' and social opportunities in neighbourhoods across the city, giving practitioners the chance to identify and address people's needs at an early stage.

According to the CQC's report, people in Stoke-on-Trent also had a good experience of discharge from hospital, and service users said they felt safe.

But the CQC also found people were experiencing long waits for equipment and adaptations in their homes, with delays also affecting financial assessments.

James Bullion, CQC's chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said the report included 'many positive findings'. He acknowledged that the city council had plans in place to improve assessments and reviews.

Mr Bullion: "During the assessment of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, we saw a local authority committed to promoting people's independence to give them the best possible outcome.

They used learnings to improve services, supported by effective management and close work with partner organisations. Staff demonstrated passion for improving people's lives, while leaders focused on making the authority a great place to live and work for all residents.

"Staff supported people to maintain and regain their independence, helping meet their goals through reablement support. They encouraged people to take measured risks and try new things to further their independence.

"One area of practice that stood out was the authority's 18 community lounges. These provided information and advice to people in their own communities, and were informal settings where people could also access holistic support, warm spaces and social opportunities.

The information was tailored to each locality to reflect the specific needs of different communities in the authority's area. The lounges were located in existing community spaces like local food banks and sports clubs which meant people didn't need to travel to other towns to access support.

"This local approach meant that the authority could show innovation and flexibility in responding to different needs. For example, they identified a low uptake of dental services, which then led to a partnership project where people could access dental care at the lounges."

The city council provided long-term adult social care support to 3,915 people in 2023/24, with another 315 accessing short-term support. In that year the council spent £114 million on adult social care, which was £18.5 million more than it estimated and nearly a quarter of its overall budget.

Staffordshire County Council also received an overall rating of 'good' following its CQC assessment.