Executive Announce 5 Year Plan to Overhaul Social Services

The actions needed to deliver social work services that meet the needs of the 21st century are set out in a five year plan, published today. Nearly 100 actions for the Executive, service providers and professionals are detailed in the Changing Lives Implementation plan, which will be backed by £15 million over the first two years.  Further funding will follow in the subsequent three years.  The plan will deliver the vision set out in Changing Lives, the 21st Century Review of Social Work, which was published earlier this year.

Education Minister Peter Peacock said: “We have a major test in bringing about lasting change to social work services following the conclusion of the recent review of social work.”We don’t only have an opportunity to change, we have an obligation to change how social work operates.  This plan will ensure that those with vision, ideas and commitment to develop services have the support to deliver that real and lasting change.

“To make this work, everyone working across the range of public, voluntary and private services needs to play their part. The people working on the ground are the experts.

“The implementation plan, like the social work review, will be delivered in a collaborative and participative way.  And that’s why I’m backing the plan up with an initial £15 million to help start the process of bringing about real change, and getting best value from the £2.4 billion we invest in our social services sector every year.”