Social Work looks to the future, as Exec plans overhaul of 1968 Act
Tuesday, March 21 2006
One hundred and fifty Scottish Borders social work staff and key partners gathered in Peebles recently to discuss a far-reaching programme of change for the service, as the Scottish Executive prepares for the widest social work shake-up for 40 years.
The conference at the Peebles Hydro was held to consider points raised by the Executive's response to the 21st Century Review of Social Work Service, chaired by William Roe. The event represented the region's opportunity to register its views on the changes necessary to prepare a new Social Work (Scotland) Act for 2008. The new Act will be the first reworking of the overarching legislation governing the service since the existing Act of 1968.
The Scottish Borders is among the first local authority regions in Scotland to be visited by the Executive in its efforts to gather reactions to the 21st Century Review.
Two representatives from the Scottish Executive shared the speakers' panel at Friday's conference with Scottish Borders Council's Chief Executive, David Hume; SBC Director of Social Work, Andrew Lowe; and SBC Social Work Executive Spokesman, Councillor Sandy Scott.
The two Scottish Executive representatives, both from the Social Work Services Policy Division, were Michael Proctor, Head of the Service Development Team, and Jane Leask, Programme Manager, Workforce Intelligence and HR Team.
The audience included social workers at all levels, team leaders, social care and homecare assistants and occupational therapists. The conference was also attended by key partners in delivering social work services, such as the Chief Executives of three local housing associations, the Procurator Fiscal, the Chief Executive of NHS Borders, the Reporter to the Children's Panel and the Detective Chief Inspector of Lothian and Borders Police.
The Executive's response to the Review, Changing Lives, carries a foreword by Peter Peacock MSP, Minister for Education and
Young People. It considers the 13 key recommendations outlined in the Review, including:
* personalised services with more choice and control for the user
* a shift from intervention to prevention, and
* a strong, autonomous and accountable social work profession
The programme for change within social work follows evident dissatisfaction with many aspects of the way the service is presently run, with frustration at administrative burdens and a perceived lack of training and communication between partner agencies.
Delegates at last week's conference used digital button pads to register their views on-screen. Voting revealed that 76% of the audience believed that a new professional role in social work is needed to work across all agencies. A further 36% said that Borders' social work teams operate without appropriate delegated authority and responsibilities. Regarding future governing arrangements, 73% thought that social work and health should be delivered under [more]
common governance and 48% thought that Education and Social Work for children should be managed together as Children's services.
SBC Director of Social Work, Andrew Lowe, said, "I have given the Changing Lives report a warm welcome. In social work we are aware that the world is changing and we need to reflect those changes in the way we deliver social services. Simply doing more of the same will not work - we have to find new solutions and involve others, including voluntary and independent service providers and local communities, in providing care. We need to make sure we are getting the most out of our skilled and qualified staff by giving them a bit more freedom and a bit less of a bureaucratic burden. Most importantly of all, we need to provide personalised services that meet particular needs in a manner that is acceptable, enabling and affordable."
He added, "I consider that we have already made a good start down this road in Scottish Borders over the last two years. We
have introduced a number of reforms which prefigure this report."
Guidance on implementing the recommendations will be sent to every Social Work Services Department in Scotland by June. Each
department will be required to produce an implementation plan by the end of October.
For a full version of the report, visit the Scottish Executive website: www.scotland.gov.uk
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