CHAPTER 2
Context
Introduction
The inspection of East Ayrshire social work services took place between August and November 2008. Our inspection team consisted of SWIA inspectors, sessional inspectors, an associate inspector and a carer inspector.
During the inspection we read a wide selection of material about the local authority and the social work services it provided or commissioned. We analysed questionnaires received from staff, adults who use services, carers and stakeholders. Together with some staff from East Ayrshire social work services we spent three days examining case files. The team then spent a further two weeks in East Ayrshire looking at services as part of a fieldwork exercise.
During fieldwork, we spoke to people who use services, their carers and people who were responsible for delivering or arranging services. We met with representatives from a range of organisations and groups as well as elected members and other stakeholders. We also visited places providing social work services and people's homes when they received services there. As a result, we collected an extensive range of evidence that informed the content, evaluation and recommendations contained in this report.
This report is not a detailed description of all the social work services in the council. It gives an overview and concentrates on the work being undertaken with people who need assistance and the areas where improvements are needed. It does not duplicate the inspection of services which are regulated by the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (Care Commission) and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education ( HMIe). In order to achieve this, the Care Commission and HMIe provided us with information about their inspection reports from East Ayrshire. When we were in East Ayrshire, the Care Commission was undertaking an inspection of Sunnyside residential children's unit and we participated in this inspection.
Area profile
East Ayrshire has a population of 119,570 1 living in a number of towns and villages. It covers an area of 1,262 square kilometres. The population density is 95 people per square kilometre. The main towns are Kilmarnock (44,000 population) and Cumnock (9,000). Kilmarnock is the main administrative centre for the council. The population of East Ayrshire has decreased by 0.6% since 2001, while overall Scotland's population has increased by 1.6%.
People of working age in East Ayrshire account for 61.7% of the total population compared with the Scotland figure of 62.7%. Eighty per cent of working age people in East Ayrshire are economically active, which is similar to the Scottish average. Twenty per cent of the population are of pensionable age compared to the Scottish average of 19.5%. 18.2% per cent are under the age of 16 compared to the Scottish average of 17.8%.
The claimant count unemployment rate 2 in East Ayrshire was 4.7%, which was higher than the Scottish average of 3.3%. Eighteen percent of East Ayrshire's population live in one of the 15% of Scotland's most deprived communities. 3
Compared to 2006, the population of people in East Ayrshire of pensionable age is projected to increase by 9.0% by 2016 and by 14.9% by 2026. The average for Scotland is an increase of 9.1% by 2016 and of 18.4% by 2026. The population of people over the age of 75 in East Ayrshire is projected to increase by 23.0% by 2016 and 68.4% by 2026. The equivalent percentages for Scotland are 21.4% by 2016 and 62.7% by 2026.
The 2001 national census found that people from minority ethnic communities made up 0.7% of East Ayrshire's population, which was less than the national average of 2.0%.
The male life expectancy at birth in East Ayrshire is 74.0 years. This is less than the overall Scotland figure of 74.8. The council is ranked number 24 out of the 32 local authorities for male life expectancy at birth.
The female life expectancy at birth in East Ayrshire is 77.9, which is less than the overall Scotland figure of 79.7. East Ayrshire is ranked number 30 out of the 32 local authorities for female life expectancy at birth.
Map of East Ayrshire
Organisation of social work services
There are three departments within East Ayrshire Council and a Chief Executives Office.
- Corporate Support;
- Neighbourhood Services; and
- Educational & Social Services.
The Department of Educational & Social Services (the department) was created in June 2000, by bringing together the two previously separate services of education and social work. From 2000-08, the department had five operating divisions: schools; community support; facilities management; resource support and social work. They reported to the executive director of educational & social services. The executive head of social work, who had the role of chief social work officer ( CSWO), represented social work on the department's senior management team.
Social work services were intended to be delivered in line with the council's four guiding principles of quality, equality, access and partnerships. The three key priorities identified for social work were:
- protection;
- partnership; and
- performance.
The executive head of social work managed three senior managers, covering the following areas:
- community care;
- children, families and criminal justice; and
- performance and resources.
There were four operational service units within community care:
- older people and health;
- adults;
- fieldwork; and
- independent living and review.
There were three operational service units within children and families services:
- children and families area services (fieldwork);
- care and review services; and
- youth and addiction services.
Area fieldwork services were initially delivered on a partnership area basis, covering community planning partnership areas across the authority area. In 2007, social work services created six partnership area manager posts ( PAM). Three for children and families services and three for community care. Their role was to provide a bridge between the strategic leadership role of the service manager and the first line management role of team leaders.
The performance and resource section provided administrative, technical and support services, including performance management, strategic planning, training, commissioning, contracting and administration.
Revised senior management arrangements were agreed within the department in July 2008. Appointments to two heads of service posts, including the role of CSWO, had been made but the staff were not yet in post. As a consequence there were interim senior management arrangements in place within social work services at the time of our inspection.
Appendix 4 contains a diagram of the social work services structure that was in place when our performance inspection took place.
Staff
Social work services employ 1,056 staff, who are deployed widely across the council area. 4
Political structure
The council had 32 elected members. Until May 2007, the council had a majority Labour administration. The political make up of the council changed after the May 2007 elections. It was as follows:
Scottish National Party | 14 |
Scottish Labour | 14 |
Scottish Conservative | 3 |
Independent | 1 |
From May 2007, the council was run by a Scottish National Party minority administration. A cabinet system and corporate governance and scrutiny committee were established in 2007.
Inspection methodology and process
The structure of this report is based on the SWIA performance inspection model, which asks the council six key questions.
1. What key outcomes have we achieved?
2. What impact have we had on people who use services and other stakeholders?
3. How good is our delivery of key processes?
4. How good is our management?
5. How good is our leadership?
6. What is our capacity for improvement?
The following chapters address each of these questions in turn. A more detailed description of the inspection methodology and the way in which we carried out our inspection are included in appendix 3.
Other inspections
Audit Scotland published The Audit of Best Value and Community Planning report (Audit Scotland report) in September 2006. 5 The report highlighted the council's commitment to Best Value and community planning and acknowledged the council was developing a culture of continuous improvement throughout the organisation.
Audit Scotland also reports on an annual basis. The latest report published in October 2008 highlighted significant budget pressures facing social work services. Senior management and the political leadership had set up a sustainability board to address the future spending profile of the service for the coming years.
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education ( HMIe) joint inspection of services to protect children and young people in East Ayrshire Council ( HMIe report) was published January 2008. 6 The report identified areas of strength. These included successful approaches used to raise public awareness of child protection and the quality of relationships between staff and children, which helped children effectively communicate their needs and views. HMIe inspectors were not confident that staff identified all children at risk of harm, abuse or neglect and in need of protection early enough to receive the help and support needed.
The Care Commission published reports on the council's fostering and adoption services in January 2008, 7 and throughout 2008, reported on their residential, day care and care at home services.
The Social Work Inspection Agency ( SWIA) led a multi-agency pilot inspection of learning disability services provided by NHS Ayrshire & Arran and the three Ayrshire local authorities in 2006. 8 A follow up multi-agency inspection of learning disability services took place in July 2008. As a result, this inspection did not cover learning disability services in the same detail as other performance inspections.
We did not look at criminal justice services as SWIA had completed an inspection of criminal justice services in East Ayrshire in January 2007 as part of a national programme of criminal justice inspections. 9