Growth and development.pdf

Specific action which calls for continued attention includes:• a programme of replacement or refurbishment of residential homes;• implementation of a home care contracted workforce; and• providing services during unsocial hours through the overnight support service.For future improvements across community care, the Council should continue with healthpartners to work out and implement joint assessment and care management arrangements, tocomplement the established use of the care programme approach.There are no organisations for people with a sensory impairment. Demand for services is lowbut highly volatile, and the Council faces real practical difficulties in funding and staffing aprofessional service. To address the problem and bring together realistic proposals fordevelopment the Council could commission a multi-disciplinary group to carry out a strategicreview of options for the future.The shortage of foster carers remains a shortcoming in the services for looked after children,and the Council should seek the advice of specialist agencies in planning future diverse effortsto boost the numbers of carers.To consolidate the progress made in improving the education of looked after children, the Councilshould press ahead with:• developing and implementing a joint strategy to be followed by social work and educationfor implementing the range of recommendations of Learning with Care;• devising joint development and training opportunities for staff who work with thosechildren; and• making, as soon as possible, an appointment to the new post of development officer forchildren and families to support work on child protection.In order to establish the ground for a throughcare service for young people the Council shouldconsider:• forming a suitable type of inter-agency mechanism to oversee the planning andimplementation of vital services; and• establishing reliable communication means for consulting young people about services.As a working priority, the Council should prepare a race equality plan appropriate to its needsand circumstances.To give greater focus to and to enhance its various services, the Council should implementmutually consistent client information systems, which have clear service links. A possibility isto acquire off-the-shelf systems of the kind which the social work department is exploring forchildren and criminal justice services.110