Getting the communications right
Critical council services are now being subjected to a more rigorous external inspection.
The frameworks for inspecting adult social care, children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and social housing have all undergone reform and are at different stages of implementation.
These new inspections all give councils a rating as part of the process.
There are clearly challenges if it is found that a council is failing to deliver its duties adequately and requires some kind of intervention.
However, there are also opportunities to communicate and celebrate the council’s achievements and to help engage stakeholders internally and externally in further improving performance.
The most recent change is the introduction of new standards by the Regulator of Social Housing, which came into force on 1 April. The changes apply to all social landlords and councils with more than 1,000 homes will be subject to a programmed inspection every four years.
New Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) area inspections have begun following the introduction of a new framework for inspecting local arrangements for children and young people with SEND.
Adult social care is also being independently assessed for the first time in 15 years. The CQC started its on-site visits this year and all English councils with adult social care responsibilities will be assessed before the end of 2025.
Although the methodology and approach are different for these inspection frameworks, the preparation, communication, and reputational considerations for councils will be similar.
Senior councillors and officers need to have the knowledge, advice and challenge to lead and communicate well from their communications teams.
Developing a robust communications plan for any inspection is therefore vital – regardless of what the expected outcome might be.
“A negative judgement can erode public trust in an authority’s reputation to deliver vital services”
As part of that plan, a narrative about the service is also important.
This needs to articulate where the service has come from and where it wants to be; translate your service aims and planned-for outcomes into compelling and emotional language that engages your stakeholders’ hearts, as well as minds; provides direction for what you want to achieve and how the organisation and staff behave; and focuses the efforts of staff around a shared understanding of where the organisation is going and how they can contribute.
The LGA is working with councils to support and share good communications practice around the different inspection frameworks.
Adult social care, SEND provision and social housing are all vitally important frontline services where councils are struggling to keep pace with the rise in demand.
They are also emotive subjects, where the users of the services and their families will understandably have strong views.
Councils are experienced in responding to inspections in areas such as children’s social care from Ofsted. A negative judgement can erode public trust in an authority’s reputation to deliver vital services – therefore, getting the communications response right is crucial.
Effective communications have an important role to play before, during and following any inspection to help your council embed a culture of quality and improvement.
This is not about ‘spinning’ the outcome – it is a vital part of good leadership and engagement with the users of vital services.
- Find about more about the LGA’s communications support, please visit our Comms Hub.