Social work shake-up delayed

Published on Wednesday 8 February 2006 01:03

Key points

• It will take until 2008 to get the legislation on the statute books

• Recomendations included giving social workers in Scotland more autonomy

• “Para-professionals” are to be introduced for administration duties

Key quote

"We need action, not words, to address the problems facing social work departments around the country if we are to have a service fit for the 21st century." - Adam Ingram SNP

Story in full THE Scottish Executive yesterday announced the biggest shake-up in Scotland's troubled social work services for 40 years, but admitted it would take until at least 2008 to get the legislation on the statute books.

Despite having 15 months' notice of the publication of a wide-ranging report into how social work is delivered, no legal changes will be brought in by ministers until after the Scottish elections in 2007.

Among the key planks of yesterday's report was the recommendation that the 7,000 social workers in Scotland should have more autonomy to do their work.

So-called "para-professionals" - working along similar lines to classroom assistants - will also be introduced to the social work service to carry out administrative duties and give qualified social workers more time at "the coal face".

People who use social work services and their carers would be given greater involvement in decisions about their own care under the plans, which also include a review of education and training for the profession.

A new performance assessment process to promote continuous improvement is also due to be introduced, along with greater investment in professional leadership, including a strengthening of the chief social work officer's role.

Peter Peacock, the education minister, ordered the review after high-profile cases involving the systematic abuse of children at risk who had slipped off the social work radar.

He said yesterday the report put ministers on "the starting line" for making changes, as it outlined how outdated services in Scotland had become.

He also admitted the 2.4 billion social work budget in Scotland was not being spent "efficiently or effectively" and that red tape was preventing social workers doing their job properly.

But he said there was no time in the current parliamentary legislative programme to consider changes to the 1968 Social Work Act.

However, Mr Peacock rejected criticisms yesterday that the Executive's long delay in responding formally to the Changing Lives review of social work was a missed opportunity.

Adam Ingram, of the SNP, said: "There is an immediate crisis with the funding of social work by the Scottish Executive, with under-funding in social work provision for children and families reported to be as high as 135 million.

"We need action, not words, to address the problems facing social work departments around the country if we are to have a service fit for the 21st century."

Mr Ingram said that in general the SNP welcomed the Changing Lives report, which was drawn up by the 21st Century Social Work Review expert group.

However, he added: "We are disappointed that the legislation the Executive is proposing and which they say will consolidate reforms to social work services will not be introduced until after the 2007 elections - it is an unacceptable delay and the minister is being typically presumptuous that Labour will be in power at that point."

The main triggers for the review were two damning reports in 2004 into the performance of individuals and managers in Scottish Borders social work department in handling sexual abuse complaints over 30 years. Other cases, including the killing of Edinburgh toddler Caleb Ness by his father in 2001, also raised questions over the abilities of social workers to address modern risks.

Mr Peacock said failures had occurred because the service, which is still operating under a framework drawn up in 1968, was "overmanaged and underled".

However, he said the Executive planned to enshrine in legislation standards social workers will be expected to meet to make sure there was "a stick as well as a carrot" to ensure reforms.

He also dropped a hint that the legislation will give ministers powers to sack any social workers not up to the grade.

Willy Roe, a public service consultant who chaired the review group, said a recurrent message throughout the evidence-gathering was that "doing more of the same won't work".

The report highlighted "unreasonable expectations" of social workers' ability to resolve society's problems.

Mr Roe said a debate was needed over the things society required from social services and the responsibilities of individuals, families, other agencies or others in the community.

Mr Peacock said the Executive would respond fully to the report by publishing an implementation plan before the summer following talks with key interest groups.

He will also reveal at that point how much extra cash the Executive is prepared to put into social work to meet the recommendations contained in the report.

The key elements

• Set national priorities for social work

• Develop and improve professional standards through a strong framework for continuous professional development

• Invest more resources in social work leadership

• Strengthen the role of the chief social work officer in providing professional leadership and in maintaining standards of professional practice

• Devolve more responsibility to frontline social workers

• Create so-called para-professionals, similar to classroom assistants in their remit, under the direction of social workers

• Keep the best social workers in key frontline jobs by enabling them to advance their career without having to take a managerial job

• Give users and carers more say in decisions about their care and the design and delivery of services

• Review education and training programmes with universities and colleges to make sure they are turning out graduates well equipped to fulfil their responsibilities as social workers

• Legislate to provide the framework for national priorities and continuous improvement.

• The Changing Lives report also highlighted the need for a fundamental change in how society viewed social workers and the work they do. It said social workers were struggling to live up to "unreasonable expectations" and urged ministers to cut red tape to allow them to concentrate on protecting vulnerable members of society.