This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Social Work Inspection Agency report
05/03/2007
A report into the social work services provided by Perth and Kinross Council was today published by the Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA).
The inspection, which covered all aspects of the council's social work services, rated areas as good or adequate, but inspectors highlighted the Council's capacity for improving services as very good.
The main findings of the inspection, conducted between May and October 2006, were:
- People who use social work services were generally positive about their experiences
- Good progress had been made in improving the educational attainment of young people who are looked after, and in reducing delayed discharges from acute care facilities
- The majority of staff were highly motivated and satisfied with their roles
- Positive steps had been taken to strengthen the role of the Chief Social Work Officer across the Council
- Elected members and senior officers contributed to the clear and effective leadership of social work services
- There was a firm commitment to improving services
The report makes 15 recommendations for areas where improvement is required. These include:
- Improving performance in offering carer assessments
- Increasing the involvement of service users in care planning and service development
- Continuing to develop its homecare service
- Improving communication between senior management and staff
- Addressing areas of the workforce where morale is low
- Developing a more strategic approach to service planning
Alexis Jay, SWIA Chief Inspector said:
"Every day in Scotland, thousands of people rely on the social work service which councils deliver and our aim is to deliver rigorous inspections which will drive up standards and improve the quality of social work services across Scotland.
"Today's report shows that Perth and Kinross Council has achieved some good outcomes for users of social work services, against a backdrop of significant change in how services are being delivered by the Council.
"It has been acknowledged that the Council has a positive attitude and strong potential to achieving an improvement in its services. We will now work with the Council to agree an action plan in response to this inspection report, which will ensure the necessary changes are made and monitored for the benefit of people in the Perth & Kinross Council area."
Perth and Kinross Council is the ninth council to be inspected as part of SWIA's performance inspections of all local authority social work services in Scotland. Each inspection focuses on the approach to continuous improvement of the local authority.