Growth and development.pdf

Angus8. The FutureA sound foundation of collaboration has been laid with the health service in developing importantaspects of community care, but early action is required on two fronts to capitalise on progress:• the reformed home care service needs to improve the range of home support, particularlyfor older people; investment in home support services needs to be increased if theincreasing numbers of older people are to be provided with alternatives to residential care infuture years; and• sensory impairment services call for a higher priority; joint working between those providingservices for people with a sensory impairment can be improved – that is between social,health and education workers and voluntary sector providers.In order to consolidate and reinforce the progress already achieved to improve education forlooked after children, the social work department should join with the education service toprovide joint professional development for staff dealing with those children.The new Tayside criminal justice grouping needs to come into operation as soon as possible,in order to maintain a consistent level of service throughout the whole area and realise thebenefits envisaged from the larger group. Deciding and implementing standard procedures andsystems for the new Grouping are now a matter of some urgency.The vacancy rate early in 2002 for qualified staff put at risk the standards of service planned forchildren and families. The opportunity should be followed up to assess and implementrecommendations from the expert working group to improve recruitment and retention ofsocial work staff.31