Scottish Government

ISBN 1 905501 07 2
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What is a Performance Inspection?

The Social Work Inspection Agency ( SWIA) is carrying out performance inspections of local authority social work services in Scotland between 2005 and 2008. During a performance inspection, SWIA gathers and analyses a wide selection of information about the local authority and the social work services it provides or is responsible for. In 2005, SWIA carried out three inspections in Angus, Fife and South Lanarkshire and wrote inspection reports setting out strengths and recommendations for improvement.

Fife Social Work Service will produce an action plan in response to the inspection report. The action plan will set out how the necessary changes will be made. Once the action plan is agreed, SWIA and Fife Social Work Service will monitor the implementation of the plan together. One year after publication of the report, SWIA will carry out a short follow-up inspection.

If you would like to know more about SWIA, please contact:

Tel: 0131-244 4885
Fax: 0131-224 5496
E-mail:info@swia.gsi.gov.uk
Website:www.swia.gov.uk

Summary of the Fife Council performance inspection report 2006

Fife Council provides good social work services to most people. Feedback to the inspection team from carers and people who use services was generally positive.

The Social Work Service has a new senior management team, with a clear vision for improving services and significant support from councillors. It has amended its priorities and made significant changes. The Service has committed and competent staff who have a clear focus on delivering services to improve people's quality of life. It buys a significant range of services from the voluntary and independent sectors.

The Service is facing major challenges to modernise services - for example, to improve flexibility and choice for people and to support more people at home. It also needs to develop methods for measuring outcomes for people who use services. The Service is in the process of identifying what improvements it now needs to make. It has put some changes into practice over the last year and more are due to be made soon.

These are the areas in which the Service should concentrate on making significant investment and improvements.

• Modernising social work services to make sure there are better outcomes for the people who use the services
• Improving communication with staff and working with managers to encourage and develop leadership
• Developing a strategy to make sure it buys services effectively from the voluntary and independent sectors
• Improving how staff assess and manage care, especially carers' assessments and recording cases
• Investing in managing performance and in information technology ( IT)

If Fife Council tackles these areas, the prospects for continuously improving social work services are good.

Good services and systems delivered by Fife either on its own or in partnership include:

• Occupational therapists now have hand-held computers which are linked by wireless technology to a database system for the Fife joint community equipment store. This allows occupational therapists and support staff to get information and process orders while they are working in people's homes.
• Fife has seven user panels which are organised by Age Concern - panel members comment on the way social work services are planned and provided at the local level. The members must be over 70 years and using or likely to use home care.
• Integrated Response Team, Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline - NHS Fife and social work staff work together to provide rehabilitation services and intensive home care for two weeks after people have been discharged from hospital. This service promotes independence, enabling individuals to stay in their own homes.
• Continuous professional development - Fife has recognised the need for social workers to develop their skills and encourage learning. It has developed a database which will support staff to build their own learning folders.
• Fife EmployAbility Team - In July 2005, the Fife EmployAbility Team was awarded the internationally recognised ISO 9001 2000 award for the services it delivers to people with disabilities and health problems. This shows the Team's commitments to focusing on customer needs and meeting these with a quality service.
• Family Support Group run by the Drug and Alcohol Project - This service was started in response to more and more families referring themselves to the project for help. The family group brings together families living with heroin users. The families stressed the importance of being able to meet and share their experiences and knowledge.