Growth and development.pdf

South AyrshireA wholly qualified workforce in residential, day and home care is planned by 2005. Vacancies inthe home care workforce are expected to decline as the home care review is implemented,incorporating a single status for home carers, with recognised training and guaranteed hours.7. Modernising servicesThe Council is committed to delivering a practical and effective Race Equality Scheme, whichis in early stages of drafting. Preparation has included close contact with the West of ScotlandCommunity Relations Council, a detailed audit of services, and publicity about the Council’sintentions. The authority is part of a racial incidents monitoring group: police statistics show arise in race-related incidents and in addition many go unreported. There is an anti-racialharassment policy, ethnic monitoring and support for language translation.A Modernising Government funded project is aimed at reducing the transaction time forcustomers accessing council services. Longer-term intentions are to create a master addressdatabase and consider call-centre technology. The Council is improving its website infrastructure.The department, with IT staff, is developing the inherited SWIS information system, reviewingsocial work business processes, cleaning existing data and addressing the individual needs ofdifferent areas of service. Planned developments include a joint bid with health to implementelectronic single shared assessment, and links with education and district court informationsystems.8. The FutureTo follow up its review of older people’s services, the Council will need to continue itsprogramme of action on:• the role and use of sheltered housing in the range of services for older people;• remedying the relatively low provision of extra care housing;• increasing day care provision; and• enhancing service standards within day care.To complement its action to improve services for people with learning disabilities, the Councilshould examine closely with health partners the opportunities for expanding and improvingday care. This forms part of its commitment to The Same As You.Mental health services have benefited from recent improvements but the Council and itspartners should:• safeguard and possibly increase social work manpower to carry out the hospitalresettlement; and• formulate a joint strategy for development of services for children and adolescents to link withmental health services for adults and identify resource priorities to implement the strategy.To underpin its preparations for a full aftercare service for young people, the Council shouldorganise – if necessary with other councils – a programme of inter-agency training aimed atthose staff who work with those young people.239