Growth and development.pdf

7. Modernising servicesThe Council has a race equality policy, and a race equality officer does much to inform theCouncil, and the social work and housing services department. The Council has closeconnections with a multi-agency racial incidents monitoring group, and with a black and ethnicminorities partnership group in a local Social Inclusion Partnership area. The Race EqualityScheme is in preparation, and it is expected to have implications for social work practice.The Council’s priorities for IT development have focused on the particular needs of youthunemployment. Social work has a close interest in these developments although otherdepartments have had a more immediate input.Early in 2000 the department introduced the CareFirst information system, organised aroundthe case recording needs of practitioners. Modules for Adult Services, Looked After Children,Criminal Justice and Home Care have been implemented. Child protection and financialmodules are to be implemented by April 2003. Recruitment is expected to resolve therestrictions on progress created by the lack of available IT staff to support implementation.Link with education and health systems remain to be established.The Council does not have a fully functioning intranet, although the great majority of socialwork staff have access to e-mail. Residential units have access to computers but not to theintranet. Access to the internet is available on a need-to-use basis.8. The FutureThe completion of a best value review of services for people with learning difficulties providesthe Council with the opportunity to prepare with its health partners an action plan for futuredevelopment of services and to identify resource priorities to implement it.The pace of improvement in mental health services depends on early agreement between theCouncil and Argyll and Clyde Health Board about financing and the level of resources releasedby the closure of psychiatric beds. Securing this agreement should be a matter of priority forthe partners.While this is being pursued the partners should plan for joint mental health teams to achieveservice benefits beyond those available from the current co-location of teams in parts of WestDunbartonshire, building on the joint training programme.Sensory impairment services would benefit from a strategic lead on their future developmentacross the whole area. The Council and its health partners should formulate a strategic plan forimprovement and identify the resource priorities required for its implementation.To build on and integrate its action to improve the education of looked after children, the Councilshould progress its action plan to implement the recommendations of Learning with Care.The development of a fully functioning Intranet would facilitate communication among staffwithin the Council and would therefore play a central part in the continuing task of achievingcloser integration of services.266