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SSNW eNews
The newsletter of Social Services North West (NWASSA)
Number 2 April 2000
FIVE CHEERS FOR THE NORTH WEST!
Five authorities in the North West have reason to be cheerful this week after Social Services Minister John Hutton
removed Sefton and Bury from the list of ‘monitored authorities’, and commended the Quality Protects Management
Action Plans from Blackpool, Manchester and Tameside.
The controversial ‘special measures’ applied to certain authorities following adverse inspections or joint reviews
are now thankfully a thing of the past for our colleagues in Bury and Sefton.
"The changes in these councils’ services have been achieved through the combined determination of councillors,
managers and staff", said Hutton. "Joint working, partnership, clear lines of responsibility and careful
monitoring of standards - there is clear evidence that these councils have improved in all these areas."
High Quality Children’s Services
John Hutton has also approved the Management Action Plans of all 150 social services authorities in England, but
he picked out 8 of the MAPs as being of particularly high quality. Three of these were from North West authorities:
Blackpool, Manchester and Tameside.
Paul Cummins, Chair of Social Services North West, said "It’s wonderful to have such good news about Social
Services in the North West. There is a great future ahead."
UPBEAT MESSAGE TO DIRECTORS
The message from Government Ministers and officials to the Spring Seminar of ADSS in Liverpool last week was a
positive but challenging one.
Minister of State John Hutton anticipated a good settlement for the personal social services in the forthcoming
Spending Review, but it would be in the context of the modernisation agenda.
SSI Chief Inspector Denise Platt spelt out the Government’s determination to achieve quality services and to improve
service performance and outcomes for people in need. But she paid tribute to the excellent progress already made:
"Social Services were magnificent last winter, and in many areas they led the way".
SSNW MARCHES ON
The future direction for Social Services North West is developing rapidly, as the organisation enters into full
consultation with its members on its new Annual Work Programme from June 2000.
Key partners are engaging in this future planning, with the LGA preparing to hold a joint regional event with us
in the Autumn, and a meeting being arranged with the Regional Chair of the NHS in the North West, Professor Joan
Higgins. And the hope of SSNW becoming fully representative of the whole North West moves a step closer, as non-members
Cheshire, Stockport and Wirral have all agreed to enter talks.
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