Social work services in Fife have again come under close scrutiny in a new inspection report published by the Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA), although the outcome makes for good reading for the council.
The inspection in August last year highlighted a number of areas of good practice in tackling various aspects of social care and the positive attitudes of staff in the face of significant change and budget pressures.
Eight recommendations, where areas could be improved, were also highlighted, but the report concluded that Fife is making good progress in the social work sphere at a time when cash is severely constrained.
Stephen Moore, executive director for social work, said, “Spanning residential care, day care, vulnerable adults, older people services, child care, criminal justice and mental health, it notes improved focus on outcomes for service users across all services and that Fife is in a good place to address the challenges that lie ahead.
“Specialists in each field are working tirelessly to provide care and support for people today but also for the future where predicted surges in demand are significant across all areas.
“While SWIA told us that progress is very positive there is no room for complacency and we are already acting on SWIA’s recommendations.”
The report noted older people and people with learning difficulties spoke highly about the social work services they received, while the establishment of an older people’s contact centre was noted to have freed up time for social workers to focus on assessment and care management duties.New arrangementsNew arrangements meant waiting lists for day care had decreased and people were receiving appropriate services quicker, and customer service surveys showed a high level of confidence in the contact centre.
However, there were areas of improvement identified as inspectors noted that young people and people with mental health problems were less positive about services.
Young people in particular felt they were “not always listened to,” although their views were regularly sought, while people with mental health problems described difficulties in contacting social work and health staff.
These areas are to be addressed by social work chiefs.
In response to previous criticisms about at-risk children, the inspectors noted an improvement in the frequency of looked after children reviews.
A key thread in the report is the difficult financial position public services are facing and its potential impact on the social work service staff and services provided.
In that respect though, inspectors found that staff felt well informed about changes planned and involved in important decisions that would affect them.