PAPER B5
Committee : SOCIAL
SERVICES, HOUSING AND BENEFITS SELECT COMMITTEE
Date : 6
JUNE 2002
Title : ANNUAL
REVIEW OF PERFORMANCE (2000-01)
REPORT OF THE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL SERVICES AND HOUSING
1.
SUMMARY
This report has attached, the Annual Review
of Performance for Social Services as assessed by the Social Services
Inspectorate (SSI), for the work in 2000/01.
Members are asked to read this in full.
The SSI Inspector for the Directorate, Jessica Slater, is attending the
committee meeting to answer questions.
2.
BACKGROUND
2.1 Each Social Services Department is subject to an Annual Review of Performance. The Review is carried out by the SSI, with support from District Audit.
2.2 The Review was conducted in January 2002
and the Directorate received details of the assessment, in the letter which is
attached to this report, in April 2002.
2.3 The assessment contributes to the final
star grading of all Social Services Departments by the Department of
Health. Details of this grading for
2000/01 are expected imminently.
3.
ISSUES
3.1
The assessment indicates
the Directorate has made considerable progress since the poor Joint Review
(1999) (e.g. greater user/carer involvement; performance management systems in
place; and information on services available).
There has been positive progress in many aspects of the Department’s
work and I am expecting the Performance Assessment Framework returns for
2001/02 to show even further improvement.
Members are thanked for their support and interest in the areas
reviewed, the continuation of which is vital to increasing the positive
assessment of our Social Services Performance.
3.2
The assessment has
highlighted areas where further work is needed (e.g. greater use of Direct
Payments, and a decision about management information system upgrading). The Strategic Management Group (SMG) are
aware of all of these issues and will be working on them during 2002/03. They will be incorporated into the Personal
Development Plans for each member of SMG for 2002/03, so that they can remain
high on the development agenda for the Directorate.
3.3 Progress on the developments will be
further monitored by a Review carried out by SMG in October, which I will
report to the Select Committee in November 2002.