Busy year for Angus social work department

ANGUS Council social work and health department’s annual report highlighted improvements across a range of services and showed a significant drop in the number of complaints received, the committee heard at their meeting on Thursday.

Areas where there were improvements included:

• reducing the numbers of accommodated children and young people.
• supporting children and young people to remain living at home or in an alternative family setting.
• child protection and Looked After Children processes.
• implementation of a number of fire safety improvements in residential units.
• development of the departmental policy on professional registration.

In 2010/11, there were 74 complaints received by social work and health compared to 147 complaints the previous year. Only one of the 74 complaints progressed to the next stage of investigation, compared with three the year before.