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What is a Performance Inspection?

The Social Work Inspection Agency ( SWIA) carries out performance inspections of all Scotland's local authority social work services.

SWIA gathers and analyses a wide selection of information about a local authority and the social work services it provides or is responsible for. The inspection results in a published report that identifies strengths as well as areas for improvement.

This leaflet summarises some key findings of the inspection of Angus Council's department of social work and health.

SWIA monitors the implementation of the recommendations made in the report and undertakes a short follow up inspection one year after the publication of the report.

Inspection Findings

Angus Council's Department of Social Work and Health delivers services that will improve the lives of many people who receive them. People who use services, the general public and other agencies hold the department in high regard.

We found that staff were enthusiastic and committed to delivering good quality services and they said they were supported by their managers and by the council's elected members.

The department's director is respected by elected members, the council's chief executive, and partner agencies and he has played a major part in community planning. The department is increasingly delivering its services in partnership with others.

Along with partner agencies the department recognises that it still needs to do more to provide people with greater choices about the services they receive and to support more people to live in their own homes if they want to.

The department has recognised many of the areas where it needs to improve services and has drafted, or is drafting, plans to do so.

Key areas for improvement include:

• Routinely measuring whether the services it delivers make a difference to the lives of the people who receive them
• Speeding up the re-design of services for people with learning disabilities and those with mental health problems, along with partner agencies
• Setting up more systematic quality assurance systems
• Making sure risk assessment and management processes are sound

Good services delivered by the department either on its own or with partners include:

• Young carers' groups - the groups plan their own activities that include awareness raising (such as newsletters and a recently produced DVD) as well as fun activities. The groups have a support worker that they can talk to both as a group and individually. Young people told inspectors that the groups were important in helping them 'lose the stress'.
• The early stage dementia service - this service provides information and support for people and their families in the early stages of the illness. People said that they appreciated having someone who listened to them and said the support helped them regain a sense of direction and make informed choices.
• Whitehills health and community care centre in Forfar - this service provides a range of health and social work services under the one roof including in-patient beds, a small hospice; a day centre for adults with physical disabilities, a minor injuries outpatient service; a conference suite, community mental health services and an alcohol support group.
• The 'Compass' and 'Map' projects - these are off-site educational facilities for 12-16 year olds, jointly funded by social work and education. These small units provide a resource for young people who are not coping with mainstream schools, life in the community and family relationships.
• An integrated approach to the reduction of emergency admissions to hospital of older people.

If you would like a copy of the full report or would like to know more about SWIA, please contact:

Tel: 0131 244 4885
Fax: 0131 224 5496
E-mail:info@swia.gsi.gov.uk
Website:www.swia.gov.uk