News

• How good are the social services that people in the area receive?
• How well placed is the Council to sustain and improve services?

And in doing so:

• tell the public how well people are being served;
• help these services improve;
• safeguard the interests of service users and carers;
• secure better value for money in the provision of social services.

The intention of the Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (SSIW) and the Wales Audit Office (WAO) is to keep the Joint Review process under review and develop it in an open and consultative way.

Step 1: Stocktake
The stocktake exercise was undertaken by the Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (SSIW) and the Wales Audit Office (WAO), along with key stakeholders, following the completion of the first few reviews. The aim was to consider the experience of the programme so far and make appropriate modifications to the process.

Step 2: External evaluation
Following a competitive tender exercise a team from Eskrigge Social Research directed by Roger Clough, Emeritus Professor, Lancaster University, has been appointed to undertake the evaluation. The consultant team will evaluate the first few joint reviews against their stated objectives.

More news of these will follow as it happens.