Lincolnshire CC has accused care inspectors of issuing ‘misleading' information on its services after the council rejected its assessment report last week. The council rejected its care report from the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) last week, which it claimed was ‘inadequate' after problems with the inspection process. CSCI hit back with a statement, claiming its inspection report was justified due to problems with a ‘poor' safeguarding vulnerable adults service. But the council claimed the service rating quoted by the inspectors was from November 2007. ince then, the service was re-inspected, and the council claimed was upgraded – but the CSCI denied this was the case. Lincolnshire chief executive Tony McArdle told The MJ: ‘For CSCI to put the original report into the public domain without clarifying that it had been upgraded is extraordinary.' The council will be taking legal advice over the next fortnight to decide whether it should go to judicial review over the rating. Lincolnshire claims it does not want to go to court, but CSCI has claimed there is no process under which the assessment can be changed, other than through a legal challenge. Mr McArdle added: ‘The point is not to get into a legal row with CSCI, but the only way to get this corrected is to go to court. We will do that if we have to.' In its statement, CSCI claimed its assessment was ‘based on a rigorous and detailed process'. ‘Our assessment recognises that improvements have been made but these are insufficient to warrant an improved rating.' It continued: ‘The council needs now as a matter of urgency to channel its energies into improving the service it provides for the benefit of the people who rely on them.'
