What you can expect from adult social care

What to expect: standards in England

National standards on what you can expect from adult social care come from:

• The Care Quality Commission
• The Government Department of Health and Department of Communities and Local Government

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the social care regulator for England. Their aim is to ensure better care for everyone in hospital, in a care home or at home. On their website you can find information on the essential standards of quality and safety to expect from social care. 

The Department of Health set standards for social care, and the Department of Communities and Local Government set standards for housing-related support. Their views on good social care and poor social care are laid out in reports and plans, such as the Department of Health Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework for 2011-12.

What to expect: standards in Tower Hamlets

We have our own set of rules, policies and standards that lay out what you can expect from adult social care in Tower Hamlets. Our Quality Assurance Framework explains how we set standards for social care in Tower Hamlets, how we check how well we are meeting the standards and how we use this information to improve what we do.  There are four "quality standards" laying out what people can expect from adult social care.  These are:

1. We will treat everyone with respect.
2. We will provide information that is clear, useful and easy to understand.
3. We provide and commission support that helps people to be independent.
4. We will listen to people's views and act on them where possible.

We are keen to work with you to set these standards.

If there is a specific rule, policy or plan you want to see, please contact our Quality and Involvement team on qualityandperformance@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

We also have seven core "values" that set out what you can expect from staff in Tower Hamlets adult social care.  These are:

• We are accountable
• We are collaborative
• We are empowering
• We are ambitious for customers
• We respect customers
• We are skilled, knowledgeable and continue to learn
• We make every pound count

Everyone who comes into contact with our staff can expect to see these values being put into practice.  We are keen to hear what people think about these values: is this what you would expect to see from adult social care staff providing an excellent service?  Please contact our Quality and Involvement Team with any feedback on this on qualityandperformance@towerhamlets.gov.uk

The Failed Visits Procedure sets out the approach taken by Council staff and the organisations we fund in the event of a failed visit

If you are concerned standards are not being met

If you are unhappy about the quality of your social care, you have the right to raise a concern or make a

complaint without fear of negative consequences.

Find out how to make a complaint.