Growth and development.pdf

FalkirkThe Council has an overall lower rate of staff than many other authorities, although total numbersincreased between 1999 and 2000. Vacancy levels are fairly close to the Scottish average.Criminal justice was affected by posts being kept vacant to cope with a possible influx ofworkers deployed in prison social work service, but this has now been resolved. The most acutepressure is now within community-based children and families teams, unavoidably compoundedby significant change in the management team. In January 2002 there were 10 vacancies inchildcare.Recruitment and retention are reviewed every three months by the department managementteam. Since student placements are an effective way of recruiting newly qualified socialworkers, the Council provides a disproportionate and significant number of practice teachingplacements. It is examining the possibility of a traineeship scheme, enabling unqualified socialcare staff to become qualified through full-time or part-time courses.Major emphasis is placed on staff development. This includes support for post-qualifying staffdevelopment, assisting staff through child protection, criminal justice, social work management,mental health officer and PQ1 programmes. Pressure on qualified staff is being addressedflexibly through the use of social work assistant posts and an increased use of administrativestaff. The Council has concentrated on marketing its reputation as a good employer withflexible and improved employment conditions.7. Modernising servicesThe Council has a corporate approach to the development of a Race Equality Scheme, takingfull account of the resource implications, particularly in relation to education policy, but to alesser extent to housing and social work. The Council’s Race Equality Advisory Forum hasstarted to audit procedures and practices within the Council.As a partner in Central Scotland’s Racist Attacks and Harassment Strategy Group, the Councilis enhancing translation and interpreting services, and it produced guidelines in 2001 for staffwho were communicating with ethnic minority communities and people with a sensoryimpairment.There is a Modernising Government funded Citizen Focus project, organised around a knownhigh use of the phone to contact Council staff, and a network of one-stop shops. 8-10% ofcustomer contact is online. The next phase is to include division of routine enquiries from thespecialist or professional tasks.Client information systems have been completely re-designed and have the capacity to linkwith health for single shared assessment.125