Growth and development.pdf

To complement improvements in community mental health services, the Council should planfor residual in-patient services for mental health, when the Murray Royal Hospital retracts.Services for children with learning disabilities require a strategy to guide their future improvementand the commitment of resources for this purpose. The strategy should embrace closer linksbetween children’s services and services for people with a learning disability. In addition theCouncil should reappraise its investment in assessing and planning for children with specialeducational needs.To consolidate improvements in services for those with sensory impairments, the Council shouldgive priority to training for staff working with people with a sensory impairment.The Council should decide on its response to the recommendations made by the recent bestvalue review for improvements in guidance and training for education and childcare staff andalso a joint assessment framework for education and social work staff and decide on theirpriority for implementation.To underpin the progress made and planned in the education of looked after children, the Councilshould press for multi-disciplinary assessments to be agreed and implemented.The Council should join with its partners in criminal justice services in harmonising systems,procedures and practice. Establishing a strategic group could provide means for driving theperformance, quality and planning agenda.Meantime the Council should determine the requirements for developing ISCJIS (the IntegratedScottish Criminal Justice Information System) for its area.In order to guide and inform racial equality measures, the Council should commission managersto prepare a Race Equality Plan.208