Social Work And Health Committee - 27/02/2012

At a MEETING of the SOCIAL WORK AND HEALTH COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 27th February, 2012.

 

Present:-

 

Lord Provost John R LETFORD

 

 

 

Depute Lord Provost Ian BORTHWICK

 

 

 

BAILIES

 

Willie SAWERS

Helen WRIGHT

Derek J SCOTT

 

Roderick A J WALLACE

 

 

COUNCILLORS

 

Ken GUILD

Elizabeth F FORDYCE

Kevin KEENAN

Jim BARRIE

Stewart HUNTER

Mohammed ASIF

Jimmy BLACK

Ken LYNN

Laurie BIDWELL

David BOWES

Craig MELVILLE

Brian GORDON

Andrew DAWSON

Christina ROBERTS

Richard McCREADY

Will DAWSON

Alan G ROSS

Donald HAY

Bob DUNCAN

 

Fraser MACPHERSON

 

Councillor Jim BARRIE, Convener, in the Chair.

 

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 23rd January, 2012 was held as read.

 

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

 

I DEPARTMENTAL SELF-EVALUATION IMPROVEMENT PLAN

 

Reference was made to Article I of the minute of meeting of this Committee held on 26th September, 2011, wherein it was agreed that the Director of Social Work submitted a Self‑Evaluation Improvement Plan.

 

There was submitted Report No 83-2012 by the Director of Social Work informing of the Improvement Plan produced following the self-evaluation activity undertaken by the Social Work Department between April 2010 and September 2011.

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

(i) to note the contents of the report; and

 

(ii) to remit the Director of Social Work to produce an annual report on the progress of the Self-Evaluation Improvement Plan to Committee.

 

II RESHAPING CARE FOR OLDER PEOPLE - CHANGE FUND

 

There was submitted Report No 84-2012 by the Director of Social Work advising of how it was proposed that the actions put forward in the Change Fund application of 2011/2012 would be consolidated using the 2012/2013 Change Fund.

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

(i) to note the Change Fund submission for 2012/2013 attached to the report as Appendix 1; and

(ii) to note that funds would be available for partnerships annually until the end of 2014/2015 and it was anticipated they would bridge a change in the way the total resource on health and social care was spent.

 

III DUNDEE HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE INTERIM STRATEGY FOR PEOPLE WITH A PHYSICAL DISABILITY AND/OR SENSORY IMPAIRMENT 2012/2014

 

There was submitted Report No 89-2012 by the Director of Social Work recommending the approval of the "Dundee Health and Social Care Interim Strategy for People with Physical Disability and/or Sensory Impairment 2012/2014".

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

(i) to approve the Dundee Health and Social Care Interim Strategy for People with Physical and/or Sensory Impairment 2012/2014 which was attached to the report as Appendix 1;

 

(ii) to note that the interim strategy had been developed within the context of national and local policy direction. The aim of the interim strategy was to promote, enable and sustain independence, social inclusion and improve the quality of life for service users and carers within a framework offering flexibility and choice. The interim strategy set out what had already been achieved in relation to service developments as well as making recommendations as to future potential developments; and

 

(iii) to approve the Action Plan which was attached to the report as Appendix 2.

 

IV MACKINNON CENTRE REFURBISHMENT

 

There was submitted Report No 95-2012 by the Director of Social Work seeking approval to the mechanisms for refurbishing the Mackinnon Centre in Dundee which provided day centre services and residential respite care services for adults with long term conditions, physical disabilities and sensory impairment.

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

(i) to the refurbishment of the Mackinnon Centre in Dundee at an estimated total cost of 1.845m, inclusive of professional fees, as outlined in Option 4 of the options appraisal which would enable the centre to meet the changing needs of this client group in the longer-term; and

 

(ii) that the City Architect be authorised to negotiate the contract with the Environment Department (Construction Services) within the overall allowance of 1.845m and once this was concluded that the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) issue an acceptance for this contract following consultation with the Director of Social Work.

 

V SCOTTISH VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATION - LEARNING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL ASSESSMENT

 

There was submitted Agenda Note AN28-2012 reporting that the Social Work Department's Learning and Workforce Development Service underwent their annual inspection of their Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQ) 'in-house' Assessment Centre on 17th January, 2012. This inspection was undertaken by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). External audit was carried out by the SQA to ensure quality assessment practices and processes were in place at all levels of the SVQ awards provided by the Social Work Department. Following rigorous internal verification, the SQA confirmed that the quality of assessment provision met criteria within a Quality Framework set by their organisation and also the Care Standards set by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).

 

This had been a year of significant change within the Social Work Department's Assessment Centre involving the introduction of e-learning and e-portfolio systems supplemented with recently devised processes and procedures.

 

Several areas of good practice had been highlighted by the SQA which were linked to the codes of practice for social services workers set by the Scottish Social Services Council and these were:-

 

- workbooks

- induction packs

- the quality of internal processes

- the underpinning knowledge and links to job roles

 

The assessment of the competence of the Social Work Department workforce was crucial to the quality of service delivery to ensure positive outcomes for service users and their carers.

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

(i) to note the excellent report from the Scottish Qualifications Authority and the quality assurance practices provided by the staff within the Assessment Centre; and

 

(ii) to note that there were no recommendations for improvement.

 

 

 

 

Jim BARRIE, Convener.