Issue 15 January 2004

SSNW and LGA

The next quarterly meeting of SSNW will be held in Liverpool on Friday 19 March. Rita Stringfellow Deputy Chair of the Social Affairs and Health Executive, will attend to discuss matters of mutual interest and concern, and all members are encouraged to attend this important meeting.

Other positive developments with the LGA include the possibility of a joint meeting between SSNW and the Social Affairs and Health Executive. This is earmarked to take place on Wednesday 12 May in the North West and full details will be circulated soon. In the meantime, please let us know of any questions or issues you would like to see raised with Rita Stringfellow on 19 March. For more information on the LGA see their website www.lga.gov.uk

Half Day SSNW Seminar with guest speakers Joan Humble MP and Peter Flynn of GONW

On Friday 12 March 2004 SSNW will be holding its second half day seminar, following on from the very successful one held at Wrightington in November. A key purpose of the latest seminar is to build on our relationship with North West MP's, first developed substantially during the time of the SSNW Westminster visit over financial pressures in March 2002.

Joan Humble MP, Chair of the All Party Social Services Panel and formerly the long serving Deputy Chair of SSNW (then known as NWASSA) will speak to members, who are encouraged to identify specific issues they wish to raise with all the political parties represented by NW MP's.

Another key speaker at the event will be Peter Flynn, Deputy Regional Director of Public Health (Policy) at the Government Office North West, who will be talking about the NW Investment for Health Plan and Tackling Health Inequalities.

A publicity leaflet is also being circulated to all members, (who are asked to respond by no later than Friday 20 February). This time the seminar will be hosted at the SSNW HQ at East Cliff Preston and attendance - along with refreshments - is free!

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Regional Resilience Conference

A conference is being organized by Social Services North West on the regional dimension of response to a major incident involving terrorist attack. Emergency preparedness is under the spotlight more than ever. The Government is taking a much keener interest in emergency issues and wants to create a system of crisis management for national and regional emergencies. SSNW has been promoting a regional approach to the co-ordination of disaster response for over a decade. (The SSNW's ‘Social Services Civil Emergencies Planning Manual' revised in 2003, can be seen at the SSNW website at www.ssnw.org.uk.)

The most significant change in perspective in emergency planning has been from that of assuming an ‘event' will be confirmed to a limited location and be effectively contained to a realization of just how extensive an impact could be. SSNW's policy of Networking ha

become more pertinent than ever given that possible terrorist attacks of a biological, chemical or nuclear/” dirty bomb” could have widespread repercussions, with massive implications for evacuation, sheltering and decontamination.

Government planning now incorporates the larger scale involving all affected agencies. Much of this work is being managed centrally through various government department s such as the Home Office and Cabinet Office

The conference has been organized by the Major Incident Management Networking Co-ordinators group chaired by the Professional Assistant, and will focus on three themes: documents

The Civil Contingencies Bill, Dealing with Disasters (the revised third edition 2003) and the Home Office guidance on ‘The Decontamination of People Exposed to Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear (CBRN). There will be presentations by officers from New Dimensions, Regional Resilience, emergency planning, the ambulance and fire services and the police. In particular we will be looking at the implications of the above for the regional response here in the North West specifically as it pertains to, and potentially impacts upon, the role of social services staff and business continuity. It is intended that the audience will consist primarily of staff and councilors from the local social services authorities, as well as staff from local health organizations and other relevant agencies. The Civil Contingencies Bill was published on 28 November 2003, this can be found via www.ukresilience.info/ccbill/index.htm

Every Child Matters

Social Services North West has responded to the Government's green paper “Every Child Matters” published in September 2003. Their response was then sent to Secretary of State Charles Clarke MP and Children's Minister Margaret Hodge. Members are concerned that the proposals are too prescriptive and it is not clear what is envisaged by Children's Trusts, which are an unproven model. They also believe that the focus on outcomes needs to be much stronger and that there is a danger that education agendas and targets could dominate any such new arrangements, this could have disadvantages for vulnerable children. Members also want the Government to acknowledge sufficiently that the failure of a few local authorities to protect vulnerable children is not the failure of all, and make it clear that they understand Social Work is a profession with principles and skills equally applicable to those working with children and adults.

In December Secretary of State CharlesClarke MP announced that £100 million will be made available for safeguarding children. The funding is designed to help a number of key areas including greater stability to those areas experiencing greatest pressures, and is intended to develop a strong platform to develop proposals in the Green Paper, to ensure that every child is protected and realizes their potential.

Political Leadership and Scrutiny in Social Care Pilot Programme

Plans are now firmly in place for what promises to be an exciting and innovative programme. Around a dozen members have so far expressed interest in taking part in the first modules to be run this spring at a venue in Oldham on 23/24 March and 21/22 April and 19/20 May.

There are still places available!!!

If you have not yet signed up for Developing Political Leadership in Social Care, email and telephone booking can still be accepted ! A form was included with the December minutes and can still be returned.

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Financial Pressures

A letter was received from the Department of Health in response to SSNW's correspondences with the Secretary of State Dr John Reid MP, expressing concern about financial pressures on key services and the Local Government Finance Settlement. Considerable financial pressure is expected to continue, especially in Children's Services. Where expenditure is likely to significantly exceed authorities budgets.

The DoH response, dated 18 November, briefly details the extra monies made available by the Government between 1996 and 2003 and mentions the Local Government Finance Settlement regarding social services resources for 2004-05. On 20 November 2003, Charles Clark announced that an extra £100 million was to be made available for safeguarding children. The resources available for children's social services will rise from almost £3.7 billion to just over £4billion in 2004-05 an overall increase of 8.7%. Details are available in the Local Authorities Social Services Letter LASSL (2003/7 available on DfES website and also on www.doh.gov.uk/qualityprotects.

According an analysis by the LGA, it now looks as if social services in nearly one third of authorities face cuts because of government's commitment to prioritise education spending. Many will be forced to pass on almost their entire grant to increase the formula spending share onto schools, leaving less than 1% to spend on other services.

Delayed Discharges

Social Services North West is keeping a watching brief on the new system of fining councils for the delayed discharges of older people from hospital, which came into effect from 5 January 2004. fines are being charged at £100.00 per day if social services fail to arrange care packages. Hospitals must now notify social services departments of patients who may need social car on discharge. Despite initial opposition, many councils have founds ways of reinvesting fines in services and work in partnerhip with local health bodies.

Quarterly Meeting-19 March

Tameside have asked us to include the following matter on the agenda of the quarterly meeting to be held in Liverpool on 19 March “Supporting People Programme-Financial Implications for Councils/Social Services”

This will give us the opportunity to consider what political actions might be appropriate to secure ongoing funding levels for social services, and the maintenance of community care services for vulnerable people, particularly those with learning disabilities and mental health problems.

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