Improvements found with further action needed to improve Wrexham County Borough Council adult and children’s services
Our improvement check took place between 24 October and 2 November 2023.
This was to see if progress had been made since our full inspection back in June 2022.
We found that senior managers and lead members have introduced a new culture of raised expectations and standards in social care in the local authority, with a strong leadership team in social services.
Practitioners are positive about their experience of working for the local authority. Morale is generally good, and staff described feeling valued and said managers are supportive and accessible. Most of the staff from children’s and adult services who responded to our survey said they feel supported by colleagues and managers to do their job.
Senior managers were aware of the importance of access to early intervention to mitigate the need for statutory services and were focused on building and promoting people’s own strengths and resilience. During the improvement check we found clear evidence of improvements and progress made in many areas resulting in better outcomes for people.
Despite these improvements, senior managers were clear that the journey of improvement across adult and children’s services is still a major priority for the local authority, especially within children’s services, where the fragility of the workforce position remains a significant risk. There remain key areas where action is needed to ensure the local authority is meeting its statutory responsibilities and making a positive difference to the well-being outcomes of the people of Wrexham.
For all our findings and recommendations, read the full letter below.