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CHAPTER 8 Capacity for improvement
SWIA's evaluation of the capacity for improvement is based on three key factors:
- demonstrable improvements in outcomes and experiences for people who use services
- quality assurance and performance management and
- the effectiveness of leadership at all levels within social work services.
We judged performance in this area to be good with important strengths and some areas for improvement.
Social work services in Argyll and Bute were at the beginning of a period of significant change. A new management structure was being implemented and a new council had recently been elected.
Staff were hopeful that the planned changes would bring a clearer direction for their service area although there was evident low morale in some groups of staff. The leadership needed to capitalise on the sense of optimism from staff.
There were some signs of a commitment to improve. A performance management process had begun to be implemented at the time of the inspection. Some service areas were beginning to show improved results. A considerable modernisation task lay ahead of the social work service. Progress in some areas that should have been addressed at a much earlier stage by those in positions of leadership, at both political and senior officer level, was beginning to be taken forward.
Improving outcomes
Service users and carers were generally positive about the services they received and the quality of these services. However, a number of people who used services and their carers commented on the difficulties of finding out about social work services in the first place and the options available to them. The service was at the early stage of developing online information with child protection being the most advanced.
Social work services were also achieving above the national average in some areas such as learning disabilities. The number of people delayed in hospital had reduced considerably. Youth justice services were beginning to show improved performance and educational attainment had increased for looked after children. On the other hand, progress towards the development of services in mental health, substance misuse and community based options for both looked after and accommodated children and older people had been slow to begin.
The planned restructuring of social work services into specialist areas was intended to ensure a consistent and improved approach to outcomes for people across the council area.
In our dealings with the council we found a recognition of the need for change and improvement. The council had introduced new training for staff following the feedback from the advance file reading in 2006. They recognised that issues we had identified were not new. The Scrutiny Review had provided a catalyst for change and we found signs of staff and elected members taking more ownership of the change agenda.
The service had engaged with the Joint Improvement team to improve partnership working with health services which in turn enabled a joint response to improved planning in relation to discharge from hospital as well as a coordinated approach to care home admissions.
We remained concerned about the sustainability of improvements across service areas. Senior managers will need to closely monitor trends in order to ensure that the energy and commitment to improve is continued.
Quality assurance and performance management
The social work service had taken on board the need to improve its performance and had begun the process of establishing a performance management and improvement framework. There were a number of strands being implemented including the development and agreement on joint outcome measures in both children's and adults' services. A formal council-wide structure had been introduced to improve performance reporting. The recent development of policy performance groups showed increased prioritisation of reporting across the council. Staff with a track record in delivering on outcomes had been employed within the service.
The service needed to improve how it involved stakeholders, an area also highlighted by Audit Scotland. The views of people who use services were not routinely sought in order to inform services about their quality and development and a clear strategy in this regard needed to be developed. Plans developed within the integrated planning structures were beginning to show a clearer awareness of partnership working with key public sector bodies for example, health and education. Other stakeholders for example those in the private sector had not generally been treated as partners in the development of services. Steps were being taken to involve providers in shaping services and a joint seminar had been planned in adult services for later in the year.
Leadership and vision
We found that staff had remained positive about their commitment to improving the quality of life for people of Argyll and Bute during a time of considerable change and financial constraint.
Argyll and Bute Council and its social work service had gone through a number management restructures over the previous 10 years. The latest planned restructuring of the social work services into specialist areas was intended to provide senior officers with the support to drive the improvement agenda forward. In doing so, we considered it essential that elected members and senior managers should ensure the effectiveness of their communication strategy, in order to share the vision and direction for services with staff and other key stakeholders.
We found that strategic planning in many areas was still being developed. Greater emphasis was being placed on joint planning. The joint improvement team were optimistic about the continued development of partnership arrangements with NHS Highland.
The Scrutiny Review, although prioritised in response to an impending budget deficit had resulted in greater ownership of social work services at directorate and political level. Some change had been driven by external factors rather than a drive to modernise services in the light of the changing demographics of the area.
We heard from some staff and stakeholders that they had not felt involved or well informed about change. There was a question of staff confidence in the ability of senior staff to deliver the necessary changes. The new structure and the injection of new staff were seen to be major elements of a more positive view of the future by staff.
There were positives to build on and a level commitment to the key areas for improvement which had been identified. For example the need to increase local community-based options in some aspects of children's services and the modernisation of community care services. The service now needed to continue to develop its strategy for social work services as a whole ensuring an equity of provision to match assessed need across the area.
There was a significant change agenda to be addressed in the Argyll and Bute social work service. The building blocks were in place. The stated support of the political and senior managers needed to be followed through.
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