SIGNIFICANT improvements are needed by the Isle of Wight Council's adult social services department to deliver effective and efficient care management, according to a report.
At a meeting of the Isle of Wight Council's Audit Committee yesterday (Monday), members heard that at the end of March this year, 84 case reviews were overdue by more than 15 months.
However, the situation was a substantial improvement on the position at the beginning of December 2016 when 735 reviews were overdue by the same period.
Members were told that only 41 per cent of all reviews were completed on time during the quarter ending March, 2017.
Equally, 210 assessments were awaiting management authorisation at the end of December 2016.
This had improved to 113 by the end of March 2017 but is still a 'far from acceptable level of performance', according to the report.
No adult safeguarding investigations were completed within the 28 day standard during March this year and there were 732 outstanding Deprivation of Liberty (DOLS) applications at the end of March with 56 received in that month and only 13 completed.
Despite changes to the council's internal decision making process, it had not yet been possible to reduce the numbers of people placed in permanent residential or nursing care, according to the report.
Isle of Wight Council's cabinet member for adult social services, Cllr Clare Mosdell, said she planning to visit every Island care home.
"I am not treating anybody as if they are facts or figures. I am taking a very human approach. I will make sure our residents are treated with the dignity they expect," she said.