| Chapter 1 Context |
| |
| Working together "We must make better use of
both new and existing resources to provide people with
the services they need."
|
| |
| Best use
of resources |
| |
| 1.1 We
continue to support the aims of the community care policy
as set out in the White Paper 'Caring for People' (1989).
As a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review we are
making available an extra £2,400 million over the next
three years for social work, health and housing in
Scotland. We need to make best use of these new resources
and our large existing resources to provide people with
the services they need. |
| |
| 1.2 We have
made progress in the five years since the community care
policy came fully into force. But there are still many
concerns about the way we manage and deliver services and
whether the services we provide are the services people
need. |
| |
1.3 There are several statutory
organisations responsible for delivering community care.
They are:
- local authorities
(particularly their social work and housing
departments);
- health boards and NHS
Trusts; and
- Scottish Homes.
|
| |
| The
effectiveness of community care relies on the ability of
these organisations to work together and with others to
plan and deliver the services people want. |
| |
| 1.4 Local
authority social work departments have the lead
responsibility for key elements of community care (for
example, planning, assessing people's needs and securing
social care services and accommodation). Their
effectiveness as the lead agency and their ability to
work with others, including people who use services, will
play a vital role in how well we meet people's needs. |
| |
1.5 This action plan focuses on how the
present statutory organisations can better manage and
deliver community care by:
- removing some of the
restrictions;
- working together
across boundaries; and
- improving practice in
key areas.
|
| |
| Emphasis
on joint working |
| |
| 1.6 Many of
the changes planned focus on local authorities as the
lead agency. But we cannot emphasise strongly enough that
joint working across all organisations is one of the most
important themes of the new agenda for community care. |
| |
| 1.7 This
action plan is very much a response to the particular
circumstances of Scotland. We recognise that the Scottish
Parliament may want to look again at the wider range of
options, including structural change. But our emphasis in
this action plan is on improving results in the short to
medium term using existing structures. |
