Social Work And Health Committee - 22/11/2010

At a MEETING of the SOCIAL WORK AND HEALTH COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 22nd November, 2010.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Jim BARRIE, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 25th October, 2010 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I AUDIT SCOTLAND - GETTING IT RIGHT FOR CHILDREN IN RESIDENTIAL CARE

There was submitted Report No 666-2010 by the Director of Social Work summarising the findings and key recommendations in the report 'Getting it Right for Children in Residential Care' produced by Audit Scotland in September 2010. The report outlined the current position within Dundee and recommended a number of actions in terms of the future commissioning of residential services for children and young people.

The Committee agreed:-

(i) to note the content of the report;

(ii) to instruct the Director of Social Work to discuss and agree the action necessary to meet the requirements in the report, through the Integrated Children's Services Planning framework and within the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC); and

(iii) to note that the Director would provide a report to Committee on progress in six months time.

II PRIVATE AND VOLUNTARY REGISTERED CARE HOME SERVICES FOR ADULTS

There was submitted Report No 661-2010 by the Director of Social Work summarising the gradings awarded by the Care Commission to individuals placed in private and voluntary care homes in the period 1st April, 2009 to 30th September, 2010.

The Committee agreed:-

(i) to note the gradings awarded, as detailed in the Performance Reports attached to the report and highlighted in paragraphs 4.3 and 4.5 of the report; and

(ii) to endorse the approach to achieve continuous improvement to registered care home services both within and outwith Dundee, as outlined in paragraph 4.4 of the report.

III WELFARE RIGHTS SERVICE - SCOTTISH NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR INFORMATION AND ADVICE SERVICE

There was submitted Agenda Note AN142-2010 reporting that the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Services had been introduced by the Scottish Government to provide a framework for the development of effective and efficient services. They were compiled in recognition of the fact that people chose to access information and advice from various sources across the country. To become accredited under the National Standards, an agency had to be able to demonstrate that it met the quality level defined by the standards and provided an efficient and effective service. When the agency was confident that it could do that, it was audited by an external contractor.

During the calendar year 2010, Dundee City Council's Welfare Rights Service self-assessed the policies and procedures in place within the team and, as a result, felt they were in a strong position to achieve National Standards. The Welfare Rights Service subsequently applied for accreditation in all 32 money and welfare benefit advice topic areas. In July 2010, over the course of two days, the team's case files, advice, policies and procedures were inspected thoroughly by four skilled information and advice auditors.

The outcome of the audit was a recommendation that Dundee City Council be accredited with National Standards in each of the areas applied for, which was subsequently approved in September 2010. In addition, all welfare rights topic areas were accredited at level 3, the highest level achievable. This accreditation was valid until August 2014.

The Audit report stated:-

"Dundee City Council welfare rights officers provide both a welfare rights and money advice service to a high standard and this in itself is admirable. The service has developed a welfare rights recording system (WRACS) that compliments the money advice (MACS) system. The system is impressive and the commitment to continuous improvement of this from the agency is obvious............ the case recording within files was of an exceptionally high standard with all communications with the service user and other agencies well documented."

Dundee was one of only four local authority welfare rights services to have achieved this standard to date with only 21 agencies in total being awarded the standard.

The Committee noted the Agenda Note.

Jim BARRIE, Convener.