LESSONS have definitely been learned over the past five years in Scottish Borders Council's social work department and a recent inspection now places them amongst the best in Scotland.
The inspection, carried out last year by the Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA), involved a thorough evaluation of all the department's functions and services.
It included around 120 meetings and interviews with service user groups, partner organi
sations, and staff, as well as the scrutiny of over 100 case files and exploration of internal business processes.
Of the ten areas evaluated, eight were defined as 'good', (level 4) and the remaining two 'very good' (level 5).
The evaluation scale includes levels 1-6 defining performance from unsatisfactory to excellent respectively. The two areas given the 'very good' rating are 'impact on the community and 'management and support of staff'.
In 2002 the case of a vulnerable woman abused by three men in the Borders, one of them her carer, resulted in several inquiries which revealed major flaws in the department.
"Five years after the Miss X case it appears many lessons have been learned and I am pleased to see that SBC's social work department appears to have well and truly turned a corner," said SNP South of Scotland MSP Christine Grahame.
"It is perhaps unfortunate that it took a case as tragic as the Miss X case to see the changes that were necessary in the department, but this report will go some considerable way towards rebuilding the Borders social works' reputation."
This is the 26th Inspection Agency report on the work of the social work departments in Scottish councils – there are six more to come and Scottish Borders Council lies in the top quarter of Scottish local authorities.
Alexis Jay of the Social Work Inspection Agency said: "This is a favourable report which gives a positive account of many aspects of social work services provided by Scottish Borders. This is reflected in the strong gradings given across all areas for evaluation.
"There are good structures in place to take forward the recommendations for improvement outlined in the report and we will work with senior managers to monitor progress over the coming months."
Some areas of the department's work were praised as among examples of the best practice in Scotland.
These include: the innovative housing with care solution for people with disabilities at Station Court, Duns - a replacement for Marchmont House, Greenlaw; a night support service for people with extra care needs which was well received by concerned family carers; a swift referral process for juveniles involved in crime and anti-social behaviour; a pilot care project helping frail older people return to their own homes; an intensive outreach service for children; adult protection awareness training for staff, users and carers; a proactive multi-agency Critical Oversight Group; a carers' easy-read guide and a community project for migrant workers.
Andrew Lowe, SBC's director of social work, said: "This report is the result of the most thorough inspection I have ever experienced.
"It demonstrates an enormous improvement journey that this council and social work services have made in the past four years.
"I am particularly pleased to see the number of times the inspectors praise the work of our staff who deliver services to the public every day.
"I hope the Borders public feel a renewed sense of confidence in our services. The report also helps us to focus on areas where we need to improve and we will strive to ensure that we continue to do that."
Councillor David Raw, executive member for social work, said: "This is a very encouraging report which reflects great credit on the social work department. Knowing that SBC social work comes in the top quartile of Scottish local authorities gives us a real boost in carrying forward the work of the department. It should also give the council confidence in ensuring that social work secures the resources needed to meet future challenges.
"We are not complacent and there are significant challenges posed by increasing demands on our services; SBC has the fastest-growing ageing population in Scotland, the downturn in the economy will have a major impact, and - as we have seen in the national media - there is never any room for complacency in matters of child protection."
There is still room for improvement though, and the report also makes nine recommendations.
These include: better outcome measurement; better respite arrangements for fostered children; speeding up shared assessments; more assessments of needs of young carers; greater range of accommodation for young people leaving care, which the department is already working on; better reporting of joint finance to councillors; establishing joint commissioning strategies for all care groups; ensuring a standard set of policies for evaluating contracts with independent organisations and prioritising the implementation of service plans.
The next stage is for the council to prepare an action plan to take forward the recommendations contained in the report. This plan will then be monitored by SWIA who will return in one year and undertake a shorter follow up inspection.
