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POLICY PAPERS - NOVEMBER 2001   Social Services North West is the member-level body which represents the local authorities in the North West of England which have responsibility for the personal social services. 18 of the 21 eligible authorities are in membership. Social Services North West works with its members and others to promote high quality local authority services in the North West of England by: considering issues relating to the personal social services which are of regional or sub-regional significance, and making recommendations to member authorities promoting good practice in the personal social services amongst member authorities making representations to Government on behalf of member authorities on the implications for the North West of Government policies for the personal social services and related matters working with other regional and national bodies on behalf of member authorities to promote high quality public services Social Services North West reviewed its work programme in September 2001. As a result, it has identified four key issues to place at the centre of its Annual Work Programme 2001/02. We have taken stock of where we stand on each of the four issues. In each case, we spell out in the following papers: what we stand for; what we have done; what our experience tells us; and what action we are pressing for. The four topics are dealt with in turn below, or you can click on the links to go direct to the topic you are interested in. Working with the NHS Financial Issues Quality Protects and children’s issues Learning Disability     Social Services North West Policy Papers - November 2001   WORKING WITH THE NHS   What we stand for We recognise the National Health Service as our principal partner in delivering high-quality care to vulnerable people We work in partnership with NHS organisations locally and regionally to achieve the best possible outcome for those needing services We believe that such progress is best achieved through voluntary partnerships rather than enforced organisational change What we have done We have continued the long-established dialogue with the NHS at regional level With NHS North West, we have sent strong joint messages to all NHS and social services organisations on the need for partnership working We held a major conference in January 2001 on Social Care and the NHS Plan Many member authorities are voluntarily building closer partnerships and joint provision with their local NHS counterparts We made links with the regional organisation for CHCs; undertaken a joint service with them and responded to the DH consultation on Involving Patients We replied to the DH document on Shifting the Balance of Power within the NHS - Securing Delivery, and are committed to working with the reformed NHS What our experience tells us Extra resources allocated to the NHS to cope with such issues as winter capacity and intermediate care are not always addressing the total health/social care system Rapid organisational change in the NHS is inhibiting its capacity to address both planning and operational issues on a partnership basis Local joint action at the interface between health and social care is best achieved through voluntary arrangements tailored to local circumstances The improved proposals for Involving Patients and the Public in Healthcare need further work to ensure they mesh effectively with local authority arrangements What action we are pressing for In a spirit of partnership with the NHS, we continue to expect to be treated as equals in the single health and social care system, regionally and locally We will seek a partnership with the three new Strategic Health Authorities in the region as soon as they are formed We will do further work on Involving Patients and the Public in Healthcare We are convinced that voluntary partnerships are the way forward to integrating health and social care, and reject enforced organisational change Back to top of page   Social Services North West Policy Papers - November 2000   FINANCIAL ISSUES   What we stand for We acknowledge the need to use the resources available for the personal social services economically, efficiently and effectively We believe it to be our duty, however, to highlight the fact that many member authorities are contending with increased demand for services, and continue to face budget reductions beyond those which can be met by efficiency savings What we have done In each of the past two years, and jointly with the ADSS North West Branch, we have undertaken a survey of the financial situation in all 21 North West authorities We have shared the findings with Ministers and with the LGA, and have received some recognition of our concerns What our experience tells us Key findings of our summer 2001 survey were: A real problem of structural under-funding with social services authorities finding it increasingly difficult to meet their statutory obligations. Across the region, expenditure was expected to be some £21 million (or 1.5 %) in excess of that budgeted for the financial year 2000/01. Most authorities reported that last year's ‘Winter Pressures’ was significant in reducing delayed discharges, but longer term, more certain funding was urgently needed Pressures on the budget due to the rising costs and demand for placements, especially for foster care and children with disabilities A gap between the cost of meeting all expected demand which falls within existing eligibility criteria in 2001/02 and the budget available. Rising costs and demands in the adult care sector were highlighted by half the respondents. What action we are pressing for We urge Central Government to recognise that financial pressures are still causing real cuts in vital services and restrictions in eligibility criteria, as well as efficiency savings Increased funding to the NHS must be matched with resources to address the consequences for the social care system of increased NHS activity Continued attention is needed to the management of the specific grant regime We will highlight that achievement of efficiency savings can often conflict with the wider social objectives of local authorities eg lower pay and conditions can conflict with social inclusion objectives Back to top of page   Social Services North West Policy Papers - November 2001   QUALITY PROTECTS AND CHILDREN’S ISSUES   What we stand for We aim for the highest possible quality of service to children in need and their families, and recognise the need for innovative multi-agency approaches We support the Quality Protects initiative and related work to improve standards We believe children's services are seriously underfunded at the present time What we have done We have worked at regional level for 30 years to promote the care of children We have updated our directory of high-quality residential resources We have committed ourselves to cross-agency and cross-service approaches through the QP Reference Group We have initiated action jointly with ADSS NW to maximise co-operation amongst member authorities in sharing good practice; in ensuring high-quality, cost-effective residential placements which meet the specific needs of children and young people; and in securing Best Value What our experience tells us Regionally, as well as locally and nationally, the number of children looked after continues to increase, leading to great pressure on social services budgets The recruitment, development and retention of skilled child care staff is an increasing problem in developing high-quality services The commissioning of external placements is an ongoing problem for many authorities What action we are pressing for We will continue to encourage and support member authorities in improving the standards of their services to children in need and their families We will continue to support the development of good practice in foster care We will continue to identify high quality residential resources of value to the region We will work with ADSS NW to maximise co-operation amongst member authorities in all instances where this will bring benefits We urge recognition of the financial pressure on authorities of meeting increased demand and expectations of quality, in a context of staff and skill shortages Back to top of page Social Services North West Policy Papers - November 2000   LEARNING DISABILITY   What we stand for We share the commitment in the Valuing People White Paper to the four key principles of civil rights, independence, choice and inclusion for people with a learning disability We support member authorities to take all necessary action to protect vulnerable adults from abuse, in accordance with the No Secrets guidance We recognise that this can only be achieved through partnership working across a broad range of public services and the wider local community. What we have done For over 10 years to 1999, we worked jointly with the NHS across the region to resettle all long-stay hospital residents and enable them to lead ordinary lives in local communities We have encouraged member authorities to continue supporting the North West Training and Development Team which helps promote high-quality outcomes for people through policy advice, development projects, consultancy and training We promoted a joint conference with SSI and NHS North West to examine with Health colleagues the Valuing People White Paper and the No Secrets guidance What our experience tells us Great strides have been made by member authorities, working with local partners, in improving services to people with learning disabilities and their carers Much further progress remains to be made, with the full engagement of service users and their carers in the planning and implementation process What action we are pressing for We welcome the new impetus given by the Valuing People White Paper, and encourage member authorities to commit fully to the implementation programme We will work with related organisations at regional level to support local implementation We shall press for recognition of the resource implications of the Government's change proposals, which have been insufficiently recognised to date Back to top of page Clicking on these links will help you to use SSNWeb, the website of Social Services North West (NWASSA) Go to Home Page Go back to top of this page Email us Home Page Latest! 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