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Chapter 2 Context

Introduction

The inspection of the Argyll and Bute Council's social work service took place between February and June 2007. Criminal justice services were included in the inspection. The scope of an inspection of criminal justice services varies in accordance with a number of factors. As more than three years had elapsed since we first looked at these services in Argyll and Bute we examined them in some detail again. The inspection team consisted of SWIA inspectors, sessional inspectors, associate inspectors and a carer inspector.

During the inspection we read a wide selection of material about the local authority and the social work services it provided or commissioned. We analysed questionnaires received from staff, adults who use services, carers and stakeholders.

Together with some staff from Argyll and Bute Council's social work service we spent four days examining case files. Over a three week period the team looked at services, observed practice, met stakeholders and interviewed staff and managers, as part of a fieldwork exercise.

We collected an extensive range of evidence that informed the content, evaluation and recommendations contained in this report.

We spoke to people who use services, their carers and people who were responsible for delivering or arranging services. We met with representatives from a range of organisations and groups as well as elected members and other stakeholders. We also visited places where social work services were provided. In November 2006 we carried out an initial analysis of a sample of older people's files in Argyll and Bute ahead of this performance inspection. The initial findings were discussed with the council in December and are included where appropriate within the report.

This report is not a detailed description of all the social work services in Argyll and Bute. It gives an overview and concentrates on the work being undertaken with people who need assistance and the areas where improvements are needed. It does not duplicate the inspection of services which are regulated by the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (the Care Commission).

Area profile

Argyll and Bute has a population of 91,390 and is the second largest local authority in Scotland covering 6,909 square kilometres. With a population density of 13 people per square kilometre, it is one of the least densely populated authorities in Scotland. The population has increased by 2.9% since 2000, while overall, Scotland's population has increased by 0.04%.

Of the total population in Argyll and Bute people of working age account for 60% of the total compared with a Scotland figure of 62.8%. Eighty-three per cent of working age people in Argyll and Bute are economically active compared to the Scottish average of 79.4%, while 17.2% are under the age of 16 (Scotland's figure is 18.0%).

The claimant count unemployment rate in Argyll and Bute is 2.2%. This is lower than the Scotland average (2.8%).

Those above working age currently account for 23.3% (Scotland figure is 19.2%) and this is projected to grow by 40% by 2024.

More specifically, Argyll & Bute's 75+ population is due to increase by 22.8% by 2014 and increase by 63.6% by 2024. The equivalent figures for Scotland are an increase of 18.8% by 2014 and an increase of 53.3% by 2024.

Political structure

Argyll and Bute Council has 36 elected members, split between 11 wards and made up as follows:

Organisation of social work services

Argyll and Bute Council is divided into 5 directorates. Social work services are part of the community services directorate which also includes education, community regeneration and planning and performance. The council is divided into four localities - Bute and Cowal, Helensburgh and Lomond, Mid Argyll, Kintyre and Islay, Oban, Lorn and the Isles.

Appendix 1 contains a diagram of the structure of social work services as at January 2007.

Appendix 2 contains a diagram of the structure of social work services implemented in September 2007.

Management arrangements had been under review and the revised structure for social work services was being implemented. Moving from a generic management structure to separate children's and adult care services and reducing from three to two heads of service (a head of children and families and criminal justice and a head of adult care replacing a head of children services, head of community support and head of integrated care) (appendix 1). The third tier posts were being appointed during the inspection. This restructuring created service managers for all main service user groups replacing a previous generic structure. There were teams based in Oban, Lochgilphead, Campbeltown, Dunoon, Bute, Helensburgh and Islay.

Influencing factors in social work services

The council commissioned a review of its social work service ¹.(Scrutiny Review) in 2006 with the following key objectives:

• provide social work services with a clear direction
• address financial challenges
• more adequately allocate resources to meet demand
• restructure the social work service and management arrangements.

Underpinning the review was an overspend in social work services from 2005 onwards. A particular focus of the review was the disparity between an apparent underspend in community care services and overspend in children and families services. This resulted in a moratorium on spending being introduced across social work services with stringent measures to manage spend. The review also identified the need to develop more consistent service responses across the authority. This review is discussed further in the report.

The review recommended shifting the balance of care for both children and adults away from residential and institutional settings. Recommendations included the development of a range of strategies to extend community based resources. Some of the recommendations of the social work scrutiny review were in the process of being implemented during the inspection.

Financial moratorium

A financial moratorium on all but essential expenditure had been introduced in the Community Services directorate in January 2006. This was in response to a projected council-wide budget overspend of £2.4m, primarily within the social work service. Senior staff and budget holders were informed that authorisation powers were removed from all social work budget holders from that date and for the full financial year to March 2007. Each service area introduced a process for prioritisation of funding.

Health services

Responsibility for health services in the area had transferred to NHS Highland following the dissolution of NHS Argyll and Clyde Health Board. The Argyll and Bute CHP².was created in April 2006 and the director appointed later that year. The boundaries and localities of the CHP were co-terminous with the council boundaries.

Criminal justice social work services

SWIA (formerly the Social Work Services Inspectorate) carried out an inspection of Argyll and Bute's criminal justice services in autumn 2003 and published its report in February 2004. The council delivered these services in conjunction with West and East Dunbartonshire as part of the Argyll, Bute and Dunbartonshire's criminal justice partnership. The inspection was the first in a programme of inspections of criminal justice services delivered by all local authorities in Scotland. This programme is complete and SWIA now includes these services within the scope of its performance inspections.

A partnership manager based in West Dunbartonshire Council manages criminal justice services across the three authorities, supported in Argyll and Bute by a criminal justice service manager and a team leader. Criminal justice staff remained employees of the council in which they were based and the partnership manager linked with a relevant senior manager in each local authority (the head of service - children and families in Argyll and Bute). Services were overseen by a joint committee of elected members from each Council.

The partnership had recently become part of the North Strathclyde community justice authority alongside criminal justice social work services in the East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire partnership and other criminal justice partner agencies.

Inspection methodology and process

The structure of this report is based on the SWIA performance inspection model, which asks six key questions:

1. What key outcomes have we achieved?

2. What impact have we had on people who use services and other stakeholders?

3. How good is our delivery of key processes?

4. How good is our management?

5. How good is our leadership?

6. What is our capacity for improvement?

The following chapters address each of these questions in turn.

A more detailed description of the inspection methodology and the way in which we carried out our inspection are included in appendix 2.

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