Mixed results in report on social work services

Progress in South Lanarkshire’s social work services is being made, however some targets are falling behind.

At the Social Work Resources Committee, the most recent progress report for social work, covering July 2021 to September 2021, was presented to councillors.

The report highlighted the achievements and progress made as well as the improvements that need to be made to reach targets.

A range of services relating to social work have been impacted due to Covid and the restrictions that were put in place by the Scottish Government.

There are a range of priority areas in which the council wishes to achieve targets in relation to social work services.

A total of 81 per cent of priorities have met the timescale or target in line with expectations, a further seven per cent has faced minor delays in timescales or a shortfall in meeting targets with 12 per cent lacking sufficient information to determine whether the target has been met or not.

A key objective of social work is to provide access to timely support and intervention for people and groups who are disadvantaged.

This target was reached as services were able to provide timely support and interventions with 100 per cent of clients seen within two days of their drug testing and treatment orders commencing – this is above the 95 per cent target.

On top of this, a total of 307 of 319 drug and/or alcohol clients who were referred for treatments and/or psychosocial intervention started treatments within three weeks of being referred – exceeding the target of 90 per cent.

Another key area is to deliver care and to protect vulnerable children and young people.

This was achieved as 83 per cent of children from April to September 2021 who were made subject to a Compulsory Supervision Order (CSO) were seen within the set timescale.

Further to this, 89 per cent of reports were submitted to the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration within a 20-day timescale which is above the 75 per cent target.

These key achievements were among more targets which have been met by social work services, however, some gaps were identified.

The service did not meet targets with regards to Community Payback Orders (CPO). The target of 75 per cent of offenders on CPO unpaid work requirements to be seen within five working days by their case manager was not met.

Only 69 per cent of unpaid work inductions were held within the five-day timescale following the commencement of the order.

Covid did have an impact on offenders carrying out unpaid work as some placements were delayed.

Councillor Lynne Nailon (Hamilton South) questioned the targets not being made in regards to the unpaid work service.

She said: “The unpaid work service, I know this has been flagged up previously, what’s happened to all the people who should have done unpaid work through the pandemic whose basic times have not been met.

“Has this gone before the sheriff and dates been prolonged because I understood it was a human rights issue if this was followed,

“How many people do we know should have done unpaid work who haven’t been let go?”

The Scottish Government announced due to difficulties, 35 per cent of offenders’ hours could be waived in order to fulfil work placements within the timescale.

If timescales did not allow, individual cases were taken to a sheriff and asked for an extension of six months so long as the unpaid work was being impacted due to structural reasons.

No CPO was dropped completely, only certain hours were dropped.

Councillor Allan Falconer (Hamilton West and Earnock) questioned the fate of day services. He said: “What is the position with the day opportunities, especially for older people. Are they reopening? I know North Lanarkshire have reopened the day centres.”

Social work services are in the progress of setting up programmes and reopening some day centres while continuing to deliver outreach services.