Fife Council Taking Steps To Improve Social Work Services

Fife Council is delivering social work services which improve the lives of many people who receive them, but needs to do more, according to Scotland’s social work inspectors.

The council was one of the first to be inspected as part of the Social Work Inspection Agency’s (SWIA) performance inspections of all local authority social work services in Scotland.

The inspection covered all aspects of Fife Council’s social work services which were assessed to be good or adequate.

Inspectors highlighted strengths such as the commitment and competence of staff but they also stressed the need for changes and made 21 recommendations to improve services. These included the senior management team improving communication with their staff, improving joint working with NHS Fife and putting in place a strategy to commission services more effectively from the voluntary and private sectors.

SWIA Chief Inspector Alexis Jay said:”We want to see continuous improvement of social work services across Scotland and that’s why our inspections of councils’ social work departments have a vital role to play.

“These departments are responsible for providing support services for thousands of vulnerable people and helping to improve their lives. It’s important that we make sure these services are of a high standard throughout the country.

“This report shows how well Fife Council is delivering its social work services.  Overall it’s an encouraging picture.  They have dedicated staff providing vital help and support. But there is room for improvement and there are some areas where they need to do better.

“We will work with Fife Council to agree an action plan in response to this report to make sure that the necessary changes are both made and monitored.”