Nottingham City Council's Partnership working with other agencies on behalf of older residents has been recognised as Good and the safeguarding of vulnerable adults is Adequate.

The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) says the Council has promising prospects for improving services in both areas. Partner agencies have a clear vision based on radically improving the quality of life and opportunities available to local people, with a growing focus on preventative work.

A large programme of change is already addressing the transformation in health and social care and tackling Nottingham's health inequalities, and a multi-agency Adult Safeguarding Board has been established.

Following their visit to Nottingham in April, Inspectors said the City Council took safeguarding responsibilities seriously, with a good standard of adult safeguarding training. A new safeguarding manager has recently been appointed and a Safeguarding Action Plan is being completed.

The Inspectors recommended strengthening safeguarding arrangements for screening, initial response and information sharing to ensure timely and co-ordinated responses, stronger joint working arrangements with the Police and children's services, and stronger internal performance management and quality assurance processes to enable managers to monitor standards closely.

Other recommendations were for additional support for family carers, additional training for staff in all partner agencies to help people with complex needs and more opportunities for older people and carers to get involved in the development and review of services were other recommendations.

Councillor Dave Liversidge, Nottingham City Council's Portfolio holder for Adult Services, Housing and Health, said: "The City Council and its partners are doing well generally and are ambitious and clearly focussed on improving the quality of life and the opportunities for residents. The City has again been praised for its good partnership working and the newly-established City Adult Safeguarding Board will be key to ensuring good working arrangements and close co-operation between all agencies. The Action Plan already being developed will build on the CSCI recommendations.”

Mike Wilkins, the Independent Chair of Nottingham Adult Safeguarding Board, said: “We are a brand new board and welcome the CSCI report, which has highlighted areas that the Board has already identified. There is some excellent work taking place in the City that gives us a good platform and real opportunities to develop our partnership working further and effective information sharing and joint working arrangements to ensure all vulnerable adults are safeguarded from abuse.”