Social work wins praise from inspectors

Sep 25 2009 by Stuart Wilson

SOCIAL work services in South Ayrshire have received a thumbs up from inspectors.

The council-run programmes were inspected by the Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA).

And the reports established ten key areas for evaluation.

South Ayrshire Council received good gradings for key outcomes, impact on people who use their services, and capacity for improvement.

They also received an adequate rating for impact on staff, impact on the community, delivery of key processes, policy and service deveopment, planning and performance management, management and support of staff, resources and capacity building, and leadership and direction.

Executive director Harry Garland is chuffed with the results.

He said: “SWIA made reference to many examples of good practice they found during their inspection.

“It is particularly gratifying that this robust inspection has identified significant areas of good practice including the outcomes and the positive effect of services for the people of South Ayrshire and the capacity for improvement of the service.

“Like many authorities there are significant challenges relating to quality and quantity of services to be delivered, South Ayrshire is absolutely committed to our improvement agenda and with the professional and loyal staff group and in conjunction with our partners we will continue our ambitious journey toward excellence.”

Councillor Nan McFarlane, portfolio carrier for social services, added: “Staff commitment and motivation was highlighted along with support from managers and colleagues as well as training provision.

“SWIA also made reference to our strengths in terms of assessment and care management within adult services.”

“In other areas, SWIA noted the progress we have made in 2009 as part of our commitment to continuous improvement.

“Their recommendations have been welcomed and are extremely helpful in helping in assisting us to drive forward the improvement agenda already underway in our social work services.”

A follow-up inspection will take place in a year’s time.