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Social Services in Pembrokeshire are serving some people well but have uncertain prospects for improvement, according to an independent report published today by the Audit Commission and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales.
The report is part of a rolling programme of joint reviews designed to assess the performance of individual social service authorities in Wales and England.
The report acknowledges that there has been investment in social services in the county since local government reorganisation six years ago, but also shows Pembrokeshire to be a low spender on social care compared with other similar authorities. The number of frontline posts has however increased and some good community support services and preventative services have been developed. There is also some good partnership working.
The council needs to be clearer about who it can and cannot help in order to make sure it is targeting its services to those who need them most. The weakest areas relate to the arrangements in place to assess, plan and review care for people who need help.
People who use the service have mixed views about the quality of service they receive, with some expressing satisfaction and some expressing frustration about lack of choice, poor quality of some services and difficulties getting an assessment.
Only recently has the council started to map out its direction and strategy for social care. This will need greater ownership by the workforce, community and key partners than was evident at the time of the review. Achieving the strategy will need strong political as well as officer leadership and good plans and targets that match resources to intended changes.
Specifically the report says:
- The arrangements for people getting access to services needs improvement. There are too many people waiting for help with pressures on front line teams;
- Services for older people are not well targeted on those in most need;
- There is some good work across agencies; examples being the Jigsaw/Surestart partnership supporting children and families in need and work between Health and Social Services to prevent delayed discharges of care;
- Day services for people with learning disabilities are being modernised, and there are innovative plans to develop comprehensive services for older people across health and social care;
- Adults with physical disabilities aged under 65 are not well served, and the numbers helped to live at home are the lowest in Wales;
- The council has the benefit of strong, corporate leadership. It needs to temper the centralising force from this and encourage greater trust in its front line staff in order to deliver more local tailored solutions for people that fit in an overall strategic framework;
- The council is prudent with finances and is starting to link its budget better to its priorities. It may need to invest in some extra management capacity to increase the pace of change. Best Value processes have been used to good effect but follow through needs to be monitored to ensure results on the ground.
Sue Mead, Assistant Review Director, Joint Reviews, said:
"There are some good social services in Pembrokeshire that support service users well, but also problems in people getting access to that help in a timely, organised way. This review should help the council shape its priorities for social care.. The experience of partnership working is strong but there is also more to do to in involving the frontline in tackling problem areas. In order to quicken the pace of change the council may want to look at whether it has got managers in the right place to deliver this."
Notes to Editors
The Joint Review of Local Authorities' Social Services was established in 1996 as a joint project between the Audit Commission and the Social Services Inspectorate of the Department of Health. The reviews help councils and government identify how to improve services and achieve better value for money. By the end of 2001, Joint Reviews had published over 100 reports, and reviews had commenced in a further 30 local authorities. Each report is presented to the individual authority and widely disseminated to the population each authority serves. An executive summary of each report is available.
The Audit Commission for local authorities and the NHS is an independent body established under the Audit Commission Act 1998. Its duties are to appoint auditors to all local and health authorities and to help them bring about improvements in economy, efficiency and effectiveness directly through the audit process and through value for money studies.
The Social Services Inspectorate, based in the Department of Health, assists Ministers in carrying out their responsibilities for the provision of personal social services. It provides professional advice, runs a national programme of inspections to evaluate the quality of services and assists local authorities and independent agencies in planning and delivering effective and efficient social services.
Further details about the Audit Commission can be obtained from its website - http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/
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