Social Services in Scotland: a shared vision and strategy

Transcription

1 Social Services in Scotland: a shared vision and strategy Final version to be published by the Scottish Government on behalf of the partners in the Social Work Services Strategic Forum in 2015 Consultation on this draft vision and strategy will be undertaken through the Social Work Services Strategic Forum members existing networks and membership fora. Should you wish more information on the background of the Forum or this Strategy you can also ocswa@scotland.gsi.gov.uk 1

2 CONTENTS PAGE SECTION PAGE NO. Foreword 3 Purpose of the Vision and Strategy 5 Unique Contribution of Social Services 6 Values, Ethics and Principles 6 Social Services: Our Vision and Strategy 7 Background to the Vision and Strategy 8 Current Context 9 Delivering the Vision and Strategy 11 The Sector : Some Key Facts 12 Action Strand 1 : Workforce 13 Action Strand 2 : Performance 17 Action Strand 3 : Evidence 20 Action Strand 4 : Promoting Public Understanding 22 Case Studies Annex A 2

3 Foreword Our vision is of a socially just Scotland with excellent social services and a skilled, engaged and knowledgeable workforce which works, as an effective partner, to harness the strengths within our communities to co-produce services and work with people and families to empower, support and protect them. Many people in Scotland will come into contact with social services at some time in their lives. When they do they will find valuable services provided by a wide range of individuals and organisations. They will experience a workforce of dedicated and skilled professionals who are there to protect and support people or help them to deal with challenging circumstances and get back on track with their lives. The life-changing work undertaken by social service workers, on behalf of us all, to support children, adults and families to live lives in which they are able to achieve their potential is extremely valuable work contributing to a more equal and socially just Scotland. It can also be challenging and tough and may often go unrecognised. Social service workers are dedicated and committed and this strategy recognises and supports both their unique contribution and the contributions they make, in partnership with others, to supporting our communities and delivering improved outcomes for the people of Scotland. The Changing Lives report, almost a decade ago, set in train a wide range of developments which led to reform and improvement across the delivery and landscape of social work services. Changing Lives sought to equip social work services to rise to the challenge of supporting and protecting our most vulnerable people and communities in the early part of the 21 st century. It is clear that a great deal has been achieved over the last ten years and Scotland has social services which are highly valued, performing well and supporting people to have better lives. However the landscape and context for these services has changed significantly. Arguably social services collectively have been experiencing more change in the last ten years than at any time since the Social Work (Scotland) Act Not least in the increasing importance of partnership across a range of different kinds or organisations as the key approach to delivery of services. We now have an ambitious and wide-ranging policy agenda aimed at enhanced quality, improved efficiency and financial sustainability in a context of demographic change and rising demand. This means there are new challenges and opportunities so we must continue to look for ways to ensure more consistently robust and effective services and good practice in order to best support and protect people who need it. Innovative policy developments, financial challenges, increasing demands on services, changes to the welfare system and in demographics mean the time is right to consider how these are affecting our social services, to refresh our vision for these 3

4 services and ensure we maintain the momentum started by Changing Lives. There is much great work already being done in communities all over Scotland and this strategy is intended to build on the strengths within organisations, workforces and communities to support delivery of the shared vision. This shared vision and strategy has been developed by a wide range of individuals and organisations involved in and committed to high quality, strong and effective social services in Scotland. It incorporates views and ideas from the organisations, senior managers and front line practitioners who will be the key contributors to making the vision a reality. The Social Work Services Strategic Forum (the Forum) was established in late 2013 as a partnership forum to support development and delivery of this vision and strategy. To be signed by SG Minister and Cosla Spokesperson 4

5 Purpose of the Vision and Strategy 1. This document recognises the unique role of social services and is reflective of the diverse range of support, services and workforce to which this shared vision and strategy applies. The strategy is not another fundamental review in the style of Changing Lives but provides an opportunity to: reflect on and reinforce the progress and improvement which has been made since Changing Lives; share a vision for sustainable social services in the context of current policy developments and the distinctive Scottish approach to public service reform and transformation; and set out where further action is needed to ensure that social services continue to be robust partners in the work to empower, support, protect and ensure better outcomes for people and communities. 2. The strategy is, of course, both reflective of and informed by the current policy context and is not intended to duplicate or replace any of the current implementation work on-going across specific social services related policy developments. Rather, the strategy focuses on a number of generic areas - relevant to all kinds of social services and the whole social service workforce - where it has been identified that although progress has been made, further effort could deliver greater value. 3. The strategy therefore focuses on four key action strands: Workforce Performance Evidence Public Understanding Each strand of the strategy considers current activity and key challenges and suggests a number of actions intended to better support delivery of the vision. While each of the strands indicates separate actions, in effect, they need to be read as a whole as the impact of actions will be cross-cutting for example stronger leadership is as important for improving performance as it is for building a stronger workforce. And working collaboratively and in partnership is fundamental to all of them. The actions have been identified by the partners in the Forum and have also been informed by a series of engagements, led by Ministers, with front line staff. 4. The Changing Lives Review focussed on all services provided by local authorities and to commissioned services provided by the voluntary and private sectors to meet the identified needs of the communities they serve. This wide definition also provides the underpinning focus and scope for this strategy, whilst recognising that the landscape and interfaces of this sector are increasingly more complex than they were even at the time of Changing Lives. 5

6 The unique contribution of Social Services 5. The promotion of human rights and justice through tackling inequality and disadvantage is one of the key principles which underpins all public services across Scotland. The reform of public services is being driven by a renewed emphasis on achieving inclusion through partnership with people who need assistance and with those who support them: professionals, carers and communities. 6. Within this context the importance of robust and effective social services is crucial to the delivery of a socially just Scotland where people are able to feel safe, to flourish and experience improved opportunities and a better quality of life. 7. The social services workforce delivers essential support every day to some of our most vulnerable people. Social services encompass a wide range of support and services delivered by statutory, voluntary and independent organisations. Services are there for people at all stages of life and in all kinds of circumstances. And whilst services are there when people need them and seek them out, it is important to recognise that sometimes services are also required to proactively intervene to protect people. 8. The social services workforce encompasses everyone engaged in the delivery of social services. It is a large and diverse workforce (employing around 190,000 people) including professional social workers, people working in residential and day care services for adults, children and families, care at home and housing support, mental health, child protection and criminal justice services. It is a workforce which can feel under-valued, but which has grown in confidence and professionalism over the last decade. 9. The challenges facing the workforce are varied and they can differ across sectors, across localities and also depending on the specific nature of the post involved. The complexity of the issues involved means that there is no one size fits all for the sector - innovative and unique solutions are required for this increasingly complex environment. Whilst it is a diverse sector in terms of careers and service provision what unifies the sector is a common set of shared values and ethics which underpin the principles of those that work across the sector. Values, Ethics and Principles 10. Ethical awareness, professional integrity, respect for human rights and a commitment to promoting social justice are at the core of social services practice (The Code of Ethics for Social Work, BASW, 2012). The life changing and challenging work undertaken by those in the sector cannot be underestimated. This essential work is underpinned by the sector s core values: respecting the right to self-determination; promoting enablement and participation; taking a whole-person approach; understanding each individual in the context of family and community; and 6

7 identifying and building on the strengths of individuals and communities. 11. There are also standards of conduct and practice which social services workers and employers must follow. Employers are responsible for making sure that they meet the standards set out in Codes of Practice, provide high quality services and promote public trust and confidence in social services. Whilst social service workers are responsible for making sure that their conduct does not fall below the standards set, and that no action or omission on their part harms the wellbeing of the people they support. 12. Social service workers must: protect the rights and promote the interests of service users and carers strive to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of service users and carers promote the independence of service users while protecting them as far as possible from danger or harm treat people with compassion, empathy and care respect the rights of service users while seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves or other people uphold public trust and confidence in social services be accountable for the quality of their work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving their knowledge and skills. Social Services: Our Vision and Strategy Our vision is of a socially just Scotland with excellent social services and a skilled, engaged and knowledgeable workforce who harness the strengths within our communities to co-produce services and work with people and families to empower, support and protect them. 13. The role of social services is as set out in our vision to empower, support and protect: Empower - to empower individuals and families to take control of their lives and develop hope and aspirations for the future. Support - to support the most vulnerable and excluded members of our society to live fulfilling lives and play an active part in society. Protect - to protect individuals, families and communities at risk of harm from themselves or others. Working with others to harness and build on the strengths within our communities. 14. Threaded throughout all of this is the importance of partnership working which is embedded in and fundamental to the new approach to public services in Scotland. As stated initially in Changing Lives Social work services alone cannot solve society s problems. We need to harness all our resources and expertise to design 7

8 services around the needs of people, delivering the right outcomes for the people who use them. That means finding new ways of working that position social work services alongside the work of their partners in the public, voluntary and private sectors. 15. The Christie Commission further emphasised the need for public services to be built around people and communities and to work collaboratively to achieve better outcomes. These principles are at the core of social service provision. As evidenced, for example through co-production - involving people who use services working together with service providers to make better use of each other s assets, resources and contributions to achieve better outcomes and improved efficiency. Background to our Vision and Strategy 16. The current approach to social services in Scotland stems from the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 as amended and added to by numerous pieces of legislation - all focused on strengthening different kinds of services and, importantly, improving protection, outcomes and support for people with a range of needs or facing challenges in their lives across all ages, stages and settings of life. 17. A review of Social Work Services in Scotland, initiated by the Scottish Government, in 2004, led to a set of recommendations in the Changing Lives report 8

9 These were aimed at delivering social services for the 21 st Century which would continue to rise to the challenge of supporting and protecting vulnerable people and improving the well-being of people and communities. As a whole, the recommendations were intended to set social work services on a sustainable course, building on the capacity of services and the workforce and providing a firm foundation for meeting the current and future needs of Scottish society. 18. Over the last ten years, Changing Lives has led to a very wide range of specific products and outcomes, including guidance on the role of the Chief Social Work Officer and the responsibilities of Social Workers, practice guidance for social work services, leadership and knowledge strategies for the sector and significant investment in approaches to service innovation, access to evidence, sharing of best practice and continuous learning. 19. More broadly, the work of the Scottish Social Services Council has been instrumental in supporting the upskilling and competence of the social service workforce as a whole and of the quality of the education available for workers in this sector. Work undertaken by the Social Work Inspection Agency and continued by the Care Inspectorate have supported improvement and greater quality of provision across the sector. Service leaders, through organisations such as the Association of Directors of Social Work (now Social Work Scotland) and frontline practitioners, individually and collaboratively, through organisations such as trade unions, the Scottish Association of Social Work and service or user specific learning networks have all worked to deliver on the Changing Lives recommendations. 20. Reflecting the cross-cutting nature of social services, the recommendations of Changing Lives can also be seen in the policy intent behind many current, wider policy developments, including the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, the Social Care (Self-Directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 and the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act Changing Lives can therefore be seen as the starting point in the evolution of the high quality social services we aspire to. It was though, largely focused on social work and this Vision and Strategy is more reflective of the current context and the changing and diverse nature of the social services workforce. Current Context 21. Our aspirations for social services in Scotland takes place within the challenging context of a global economic downturn, increasing demand for services - particularly for older people and a potential for reduction in overall workforce numbers, all of which places greater demands on those working across the sector. However there are also significant and major opportunities for innovation, improvement and better engagement across workforces and with service users and their carers as a result of a range of forward-looking policies. 22. So there is a continuing journey of change for social services as recent legislation starts to come into force and into implementation stages. A great deal of current public service reform and improvement activity is being enabled by or having an impact across social services, including: 9

10 new approaches to assessing performance by understanding the impact and contributions made by services to delivery of National and Local Outcomes for people and communities rather than solely by assessment of inputs. transformation programmes and legislation focussed on improving outcomes and reshaping care for children, older people and for those within the justice system, including Reshaping Care of Older People, Getting it Right for Every Child and Reducing Re-Offending and Reform of Community Justice. the move to more joined-up services and integration of adult health and social care, specifically through the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act greater personalisation of services and implementation of self-directed support, specifically through the Social Care (Self-Directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 increased support for unpaid carers, recognising them as key partners in care as evidenced through The Carers and Young Carers Strategy development and implementation of joint strategic commissioning and stronger partnership approaches to service delivery. strengthened approaches to community capacity building, empowerment and engagement. quality and improvement approaches outlined in the 2020 Vision for Health and Social Care. and, importantly, the distinctive Scottish approach to transformation of public services, to ensure that they are: outcomes-focussed; co-produced; assets-based; with an evidence-based approach to performance improvement; delivered through partnerships or integrated services; and focussed on prevention and early intervention. 23. The policy landscape in this area is therefore cross-cutting and complex. Yet alongside this is a real recognition that the current environment brings with it significant opportunities to transform our social services and introduce improved ways of working across the sector. These opportunities offer the potential to refresh and redefine relationships between the providers and commissioners of services and the people they support - all of which have the potential to deliver the improved outcomes and social justice we are collectively seeking. 24. The actions outlined in this strategy are, therefore, intended as a supportive and aligned contribution to the overall direction of travel for the sector within the broader context of public service reform and innovation in Scotland. Delivery of the 10

11 actions will help to ensure that social services as a whole are strong and effective partners in the increasingly collaborative and co-produced landscape. Delivering the Vision and Strategy 25. The proposed actions set out in this strategy can only be delivered in partnership. The partners in the Social Work Services Strategic Forum will develop an Implementation Plan, in discussion with wider stakeholders which will set out: ownership/leadership for each of the actions set out in the strategy, establishment of action groups as required where actions need a broader set of partners to support delivery, identification of resources where required to deliver actions, and direction of travel on how the resource will either be provided or sought whichever is applicable. 26. The Forum will maintain an oversight of delivery of the strategy and monitor the implementation plan through quarterly meetings during 2015 and produce a progress report in early 2016, to inform next steps with regards delivery of the vision and strategy. 11

12 The Sector Some Key Facts Social services is one of the largest employment groups in Scotland employing over 191,000 workers and interacting with a wide range of other people providing support - for example carers and directly employed personal assistants By 2020, approximately 63% of this workforce will be registered with and regulated by the Scottish Social Services Council. The SSSC also regulates the qualifications which underpin registration and undertakes activities to support on-going development of the workforce. The services - statutory, third sector and independent - which are the focus of this vision and strategy are those which are regulated by the Care Inspectorate (Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland) and include those whose workforces are regulated by the Scottish Social Services Council. Social services employers are wide ranging the sector s workforce is employed in a mix of private (41%), public (32%) and voluntary sector providers (27%). Services include those for adults and older people, adults with disabilities and people with mental health issues, criminal justice services and services for children, young people and families. Work in this sector can be focussed on promoting empowerment, independence, safety and protection. Services are provided for people of all ages and their carers, across all care groups and may be on a voluntary or compulsory basis. The Care Inspectorate works with partner agencies to undertake multi-agency inspections of statutory services within Community Planning Partnerships and inspections of registered services. Complexity of the data makes it hard to be exact but indicatively around half a million people are receiving some kind of social work or social care support in Scotland during a year. Social work service spend is the second largest area of spend from local authority budgets (after Education). In Social Work spend comprised 3.79 billion, or 22.2% of local authority General Fund Revenue Expenditure. The spend covers services directly delivered by and also commissioned by Local Authority Social Work departments as well as free personal care and self-directed support budgets. The bulk of the spend is on older peoples services (44%), over a quarter on adult services (28%), with slightly less than that on services for children and families (22%) and around 5% on other services including criminal justice social work. 12

13 ACTION STRAND 1 - WORKFORCE Why Excellent social services can only be delivered by a confident, dedicated and skilled workforce that feels valued by its employers, by those who use its services and by the wider public. Recognising the vital contribution the social service workforce makes is key to ensuring that we sustain a viable sector for the future. Everyone working in the sector needs to feel valued, to be inspired to improve their contribution and to be creative and innovative in their practice. There is a crucial role for employers across all parts of the sector to ensure that workers have the right skills, knowledge, behaviours and values to provide high quality services. Ensuring our workers are well supported, rewarded and motivated is an important element of recruitment and retention and retaining our most experienced staff in front line practice is crucial to delivering excellent social services. It is also important that continuous professional development and career pathways are in place across the workforce to ensure people are equipped for their current jobs as well as to enhance their future career prospects. Recruitment, Retention and Reward Current Activity Employers are required under national Codes of Practice prescribed by the SSSC to ensure that they adhere to safe and robust recruitment practices, as set out for example in Safer Recruitment through Better Recruitment: Guidance in relation to staff working in social care and social work settings, published in The Care Inspectorate ensures that safe recruitment practices are followed and registration with the SSSC provides additional assurance in relation to specific groups of workers. The SSSC has developed A Question of Care, an online resource which helps people assess their own suitability to work in the sector. It also enables employers and education providers to assess potential students and Job Centres to help people considering working in social services. There is also a range of activity promoting careers in social services, such as the Career Ambassadors programme. New procurement legislation has given some flexibility to address the issues around pay and rewards and statutory guidance is being developed which should include workforce matters. The Taskforce on Residential Care for Older People has also recommended that financial modelling should be done to look at the implications of paying the Living Wage in the care sector. So some progress is being made on reward which will also impact on recruitment and retention. Current Challenges Recruitment and retention is however a challenge in some parts of the country and in specific - but importantly not all - parts of the sector. And whilst it is for individual employers to develop recognition and reward systems to retain and inspire staff, 13

14 there is a challenge for parts of the sector because of the reliance on individual employers which can be small, localised and resource-strapped. There is also evidence that turnover is high in some areas of social care perhaps due to the pressures workers deal with, not just in relation to workload but also to the type of work they are engaged in. Other more widespread challenges relate to the economic climate, outsourcing and the current commissioning environment with its perceived emphasis on cost over the value of the services being delivered. All of which can result in pressures on pay and conditions which in turn impacts on morale, recruitment and retention but it can also impact on quality of care and support provided. We would benefit from a positive narrative about the economic contribution made by the sector and the people who work in it. It can be referred to as low-wage which not only reflects negatively on workers, but also the impression of the service given to service users. The thread running through all workforce related activity is the need to ensure that it aligns with and is supportive of wider workforce challenges for example moving towards a workforce which is fully effective in delivering integrated care and selfdirected support. Proposed Actions a) Review current guidance and approaches to recruitment, particularly to more strongly incorporate values-based recruitment approaches. b) Gather evidence to better understand the current picture of recruitment and retention across the sector and identify priorities for enhancing career pathways. c) Undertake work to look at improved support for workers who are dealing with stress and complexity. d) Consider a regular workforce survey (or standardised approaches to employer surveys of staff) in the sector, to better understand key issues for staff. e) Work with partners on improved approaches to workforce planning (in line with the recent recommendation from the Residential Care Taskforce and the needs of Integration Partnerships). f) Undertake work to better understand investment in development of the social service workforce in comparison to other public service workers. g) Work with Scottish Enterprise to better understand the economic value of the sector and promote a better narrative about its economic contribution. h) Consider how the commissioning environment might be improved to value quality as much as cost, and produce guidance to promote the importance of a Living Wage. i) Work to ensure that new procurement guidance incorporates guidance on workforce matters which supports fair and equitable pay and conditions. j) Undertake analysis to better understand the scale of in-work poverty in the sector, the impact of the benefits system and its impact on recruitment, retention, morale and quality. k) Consider the value of development and adoption of a shared approach in Scotland such as that outlined in UNISON s ethical care charter. Leadership, Professionalism and Learning & Development 14

15 The social service workforce requires strong distributed leadership at all levels leadership is for everyone, not just designated leaders. Alongside this, strengthening and protecting the professionalism of social work is a key aspect of this strategy and is equally relevant across the whole social service workforce. So too is ensuring that appropriate learning and development opportunities exist to support all parts of the workforce to access appropriate career pathways and opportunities. Current Activity Strengthening leadership at all levels in the sector, and improving citizen leadership, is being driven by the Strategy for Building Leadership Capacity in Scotland s Social Services and through a range of cross-sectoral leadership development approaches. This will have a significant impact on changes in practice at individual, organisational and partnership level. For example, the SSSC is developing an award to accredit Chief Social Work Officers which will strengthen their role and support succession planning. Work to support middle managers including leadership exchanges, citizen leadership and mentoring/coaching across statutory and commissioned services is also continuing. There is also a significant amount of work under the banner of Public Services Collaborative Learning which crosses all public services and has an emphasis on developing leadership capacity. A comprehensive range of frameworks, regulations, national standards, Codes of Practice and learning and development infrastructure already exists to support the delivery of a confident, skilled and dedicated social service workforce. Key supports are qualifications-based registration of the workforce and the requirement for all workers to adhere to the SSSC Codes of Practice. By 2020, approximately 63% of the 191,000 workforce will be registered and qualified to nationally agreed levels. Workforce development is on-going at a national and local level to: develop a national learning strategy for social services. ensure appropriate registration of the workforce as new types of services emerge and support new workers such as health and care support workers or personal assistants, support the workforce around specific national policies, including the review of the National Care Standards,Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), health and social care integration and self-directed support, review national qualification programmes and standards to ensure their continued relevance, build and maintain appropriate CPD framework for all social service workers, promote and support effective workforce planning by employers, in conjunction with learning providers, ensure that the SSSC Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers remain fit for purpose. Current Challenges 15

16 As with other workforce issues there is a lack of consistency across the country and across different parts of the sector. There is a perceived contrast between the investment in developing this workforce compared to other public services, notably health and education. A challenge exists around supporting leadership, encouraging career progression, the existence of appropriate career pathways at all levels and supporting practitioners to their highest level. Newly qualified social workers would potentially benefit from a more structured system of support in their first year of practice similar to other professions. Local authorities which have this in place can demonstrate the value of this support which not only impacts on effective practice but also aids retention. This would also support Chief Social Work Officers in fulfilling their role in promoting standards of good practice. It is also important to support and enhance the growing professionalism of the wider social service workforce. Proposed Actions a) Ensure that leadership work is linked in to the Scottish Leaders Forum to explore work on public service core values and ethos for the whole workforce as a way of dealing with professional barriers. b) Continue to promote, enhance and implement the Leadership Strategy for Social Services. c) Explore options for enhancing shared/multi-professional values-based induction, including a passport for induction where there are core elements. d) Update existing induction guidance and supporting resources. e) Explore options with partners in other sectors for a more integrated approach to qualifications and CPD. f) Promote learning from existing activity such as IRISS s work on personal outcomes and the SSSC s Skilled Workers, Skilled Citizens project. g) Further develop and promote the use of technology-enabled learning. h) Continue to support the current review of the social work degree and engage with the outcomes to support necessary actions. i) Consider the development and resourcing of a structured framework of support for newly qualified social workers. j) Review the Codes of Practice for Social Service Employers and Employees to ensure that they remain fit for purpose. k) Consider additional approaches to support compliance with the Employer Code such as self-assessment health checks. 16

17 Action Strand 2 - Performance Why For excellent social services we need to know that the support and care being delivered works and has the desired outcomes. Better understanding of the evidence on quality and performance will lead to the improvement of services and interventions, in turn leading to better outcomes for individuals, families and communities. Current Activity A wide range of activities and tools are already in place to measure performance and regulate services. The purpose of this strand is therefore not to duplicate or create new performance tools, but to bring greater cohesion to the information which is already available. It is about helping decision-makers and the public to understand how social services are performing in Scotland. We need to understand why and what is making the difference so that others can adopt good approaches. It is not about standardising performance management, rather it is about how to interpret performance at local level to improve delivery and ensure better outcomes for service users. There is a wide range of work already going on in this area from Audit Scotland Best Value Reviews, through central collection of a wide range of datasets down to local reporting, evaluation of services and feedback through customer surveys. In the current policy context a great deal of effort is also going into new ways of understanding the impact and outcomes of services. This includes current work to: Evidence the delivery of national outcomes and Single Outcome Agreements. Develop and collate measures to demonstrate progress on the health and social care outcomes from the integration of adult health and social care. Understand and evidence the implementation of self-directed support. Evidence on implementation of GIRFEC and improvement delivered through the Whole Systems approach to Youth Justice. Performance measurement in the context of the new structures for Community Justice. Develop approaches to greater joint and place-based scrutiny. Most significantly, the social services sector also has a key body responsible for understanding performance and supporting improvement. The Care Inspectorate: Inspects the full range of registered care services and carries out a programme of strategic inspections. Completed during a programme of inspecting social work services in all local authorities. Undertakes a programme of integrated inspections of services for children and young people and adult services in partnership with other scrutiny bodies. 17

18 Inspects criminal justice social work services across all local authorities and offender accommodation services. Is planning a review of Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). Uses a cohort of strategic inspectors who have been linked to each local authority. These link inspectors maintain a dynamic rolling intelligence approach on social services. Publishes thematic reports and overviews on a regular basis. Current Challenges It is clear that there is rich performance information available, however there are opportunities to use this more cohesively at a strategic level. We need to develop greater clarity, consistency and transparency on how performance can best be interpreted, what should be measured and how it is being measured. There is a need to build greater understanding of what good performance and high quality services look like using feedback loops to measure progress and also engaging service users for their feedback. We clearly do not want to add to the current level of performance monitoring but there is merit in a more cohesive approach to the production and use of performance information. We also need to increase the ability to share, understand and implement good practice based on a knowledge of what works and support a stronger focus of effective self-evaluation which is place-based and outcomesfocussed. At a local level there appear to be challenges in getting an effective balance between ensuring quality and consistency of approach and minimising unnecessary bureaucratic procedures/ allowing for professional judgement. Proposed Actions a) Improved consistency in the approach to the Chief Social Work Officer Annual Reports through use of a template. This will enable the collation of an overview report to inform policy and improvement across the sector. b) Develop a blended picture of evidence from Chief Social Work Officer Reports, Care Inspectorate information, SSSC workforce data and CCPS and Scottish Care sector reports and from user feedback (for example through Care Opinion) to give a more rounded picture of performance and good practice across the sector. c) Produce and publish an annual summary collation of key social services performance data using specific existing datasets. d) Learn from approaches to gathering performance information and service data in other parts of the public sector to support alignment particularly in the context of Integration and the programme of work being led by the Information Services Division within NHS National Services Scotland. e) Support the work of the SSSC to improve the quality and accessibility of its workforce data. f) Develop the capability to run evidence-based programmes, engage JIT and the SG Quality Team to work on strengthening improvement approaches in local authorities building on the current work of the Early Years Collaborative. 18

19 g) Identify learning from other parts of the UK and build on the 2013 and 2014 Social Services Expos to identify opportunities for national sharing of good practice. h) Build on recent Ministerial engagement events to ensure front line practitioners are more strongly engaged in the development of guidance and practice/procedures. 19

20 Action Strand 3 Evidence Why Creation and use of research and evidence has a central role in the development of social services and professional practice. We need to know that the support and care which individuals receive is appropriate to their needs, is effective and leads to desired outcomes. This entails an understanding of the strengths and limitations of a range of social services knowledge. We need to generate, coordinate, disseminate and implement research and evidence so that it informs service users and carers in their choices, and practitioners and managers in the on-going improvement of social services practice and service delivery. There is currently a great deal of activity in the production and dissemination of research evidence and implementation in Scotland. To ensure that policy, practice and services are informed by the evidence base, it is essential that this involves individuals who access services, practitioners, policy-makers, researchers and social work educators. The approach of this strand is to maximise the potential of current research and evidence, to identify key priorities for new research, and for the development of models of knowledge exchange and transfer. Current Activity Over recent years, there have been significant developments in research and evidence-informed practice. This includes: An increasing interdisciplinary research base, particularly in the areas of child care, child protection and criminal justice and a range of research activity from large-scale funded research to small-scale practitioner research projects. A strong infrastructure in knowledge mobilisation involving the centres of excellence and other centres and networks, for example: IRISS, STRADA, SCLD, CELCIS, CYCJ, DSDC, WithScotland, SCCJR, Social Services Knowledge Scotland. Increasing development in the use of logic models, improvement science, effective research implementation models and Research Excellence Framework (REF) impact case studies. A range of partnership models between, government, social services organisations and universities to develop research and evidence-informed practice, including staff exchanges, joint appointments, collaborative training partnerships and practitioner research schemes. A range of learning and development opportunities, for example teaching of research methods in social work and social care qualifying programmes. Research methods in post-qualifying programmes, professional doctorates and PHDs including funding through the social work and social care pathways of the ESRC Scottish Doctoral Training Centre. Developments in the ways in which researchers, educators, practitioners and individuals who access services engage directly to generate, share and implement research - for example communities of practice and knowledge hubs. 20

21 Developments in the use of new technology and social media. Current Challenges Current challenges include ensuring a co-production model which involves all stakeholders, including individuals who access services, in developing priorities for research, identifying gaps in knowledge and in identifying and disseminating good practice. There is a need to develop a cyclical, relational process of research and implementation to break down the traditional barriers between key stakeholders and ensure maximum involvement and participation. Ensuring collaborative practice in all stages of research and knowledge exchange is also key along with building on current strengths to avoid duplication and to focus on identified key priorities. While there are clear strengths in the development of research, knowledge mobilisation and evidence-informed practice, there are important areas for further development. Proposed Actions a) Develop a co-production forum which involves all key stakeholders in developing key priorities for a research agenda for Scotland. This will include: identifying gaps in knowledge, mapping research and knowledge, developing research and evidence resources, identifying good practice in knowledge mobilisation and development of evidence-informed practice. b) Engage with current social services leadership activities to promote research and evidence-informed policy and practice across key organisations: this is essential to ensure the organisational and cultural change for research, knowledge mobilisation and evidence-informed practice is embedded in organisations. c) Undertake work on definitions of research, knowledge exchange and mobilisation to ensure common understanding of the issues and debates in research, and evidence-informed practice. d) Adopt a strategic approach to the education and development of social services practitioners, managers, policy makers, researchers, educators and knowledge brokers. Identify and develop best practice in knowledge exchange, mobilisation, engagement and research implementation models. e) Establish a research and knowledge exchange funding forum to maximise and co-ordinate the use of existing funding opportunities for research, identify and promote new funding sources, and promote collaborative and inter-disciplinary research and knowledge exchange funding applications. 21

22 Action Strand 4 Promoting public understanding Why Promoting public understanding is important for the understanding and valuing of this sector. As noted earlier, these workstrands are very much inter-related and our aspiration for a more consistent, professional service across the sector will itself have a positive impact on public understanding. But part of this is also about promoting a more positive image and being open about decision-making and accountability when things go wrong and how improvement will be made. Promoting public understanding will help to ensure that the public have confidence in the sector and in the crucial work undertaken. It is an important element of this Strategy, both in terms of promoting the strategy, whilst also being a distinct element itself. If the public image and understanding of the sector is poor, people are less likely to engage with or seek support from services. Equally, the staff providing these services may find it hard to stay motivated and creative in their work. People may in turn be less likely to enter the workforce if it is not well thought of or respected. So the wider public understanding and image of the sector can ultimately impact on recruitment and retention as well as the quality of provision. However, we cannot treat the sector as homogenous, as not all parts of the sector have the same public image. We therefore need to focus on the services where a greater public understanding could add most value. Current Activity A range of high profile annual activities help to promote the sector and the individuals and teams working within it. They range from the National Care Accolades and other award ceremonies that focus on the social work and social care services and professions as well as specific support-focussed awards such as dementia or residential child care. These all celebrate good and innovative practice and are an opportunity to promote positively the innovative and inspiring work of the sector. Positive reporting focussed on service quality, improvement and innovation activities will help to highlight and promote the sector. Being proactive, rather than reactive, in sharing information will help to embed a confidence in the sector and those that work in it. Current Challenges To work in social services you need to be resilient - complexity is part of everyday practice and there are no simple solutions. The workforce needs to be both supported and to show confidence in its skills set. The nature of the work can lead to a workforce that is risk averse so we need to create an environment which allows people to be innovative whilst also taking responsibility and being accountable should things go wrong. Communications which focus on failures and blaming a specific sector for a tragic event can have far reaching consequences. So those working to ensure the robustness and quality 22

23 of the sector need to be supported to do that fully by those who have influence with the public. Proposed Actions Collectively we will promote the professional role of social workers and others working in social care, encourage the sector to be more confident in promoting what it does well and the contribution it makes across a wide range of partnerships. There are three main areas of activity which could promote a more positive image of the sector: raising public awareness; engaging the media and better supporting the sector around responsive media work. Public Awareness a) Undertake research into people s perceptions of the sector and what they are influenced by. This might involve engaging with a public relations company to identify key areas to focus on in terms of improving public understanding. This might also help identify the services where a greater public understanding could add greatest value. b) Develop a short, accessible statement that defines the sector which is clear and understandable and which translates across all sectors. If we are to promote social services, we all need a shared view of what we are talking about. c) Use the Scottish Household Survey and survey of MSPs by Ipsos Mori to test knowledge and perceptions of social services. Engaging the Media d) Develop a strategic approach to communications, which might include social media campaigns and human interest stories to promote key messages about the sector. This might also include the development of national tools to support local media engagement. e) Identify advocates for the sector within groups we know to be influential who can speak up on behalf of the sector. f) Train spokespeople at all levels across the sector in engaging with the media. g) Engage the media to outline our vision of social services. This can build on the fact files that some organisations have developed for journalists, secure regular comment pieces addressing any preconception in the media and the use of TV campaigns as a way of promoting positive stories. Responsive Media Work h) Develop protocols for dealing with the media around serious case reviews, including training requirements for staff involved. i) Develop guidelines which help us present a united front of social services and which prevent different parts of the sector blaming each other when under pressure. These guidelines need to be clear and make sense across all parts of the sector. 23