EAST AYRSHIRE COUNCIL

COUNCIL 25 JUNE 2015

ANNUAL REPORT OF CHIEF SOCIAL WORK OFFICER 2014/15

Report by Chief Social Work Officer

PURPOSE

1. To provide Council with the Annual Report of the Chief Social Work Officer for the period 1st April 2014 to 31st March 2015.

BACKGROUND

2. This report flows from national guidance issued following the 21st Century Social Work Review report, Changing Lives, published in 2006. Changing Lives recommended strengthening the professional leadership and governance role of the Chief Social Work Officer.

3. Guidance under Section 5(1) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 related to the role of the Chief Social Work Officer was issued in 2009. Section 12.3 of that guidance states that the Chief Social Work Officer should ‘prepare an annual report to the local authority on all of the statutory, governance and leadership functions of the role’. This report is the 5th produced and presented to Council in terms of that Guidance.

4. The 2013/14 report, presented to Council on 3rd June 2014, provided a review of performance within the scope of that period and focused on the expected impact of major legislative change in relation to:

Self Directed Support (Scotland) Act 2013;

The Public Bodies (Joint Working)(Scotland) Act 2014, and;

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.

During the same period a review of Community Justice was under way nationally.

5. The report for 2014/15 (appendix 1) provides a review of progress against these change programmes alongside the key professional leadership and governance functions of the Chief Social Work Officer. The report is in a different format from previous years and alongside local reporting draws on the suggested structure provided by the Office of Chief Social Work Adviser for Scotland issued in May 2015.

6. The report is not intended to provide a full report of the activity and performance of the social work function within the Health and Social Care Partnership. Reports on this are presented throughout the year to Shadow Integration Board (and from April 2015 the Integration Joint Board), Council, NHS and the Community Planning Partnership. It is the intention rather to present an overview in terms of the specific role of the CSWO in terms of professional leadership, professional advice to the Council and the statutory functions set out in legislation and guidance.

REPORT

7. The template provided by the Office of the Chief Social Work Adviser for Scotland covers a breadth of contextual, market and service quality themes. The remainder of this report focuses on a summary of the key CSWO functions in relation to professional

advice, leadership and statutory functions together with a review of progress against the key priorities set out in the previous annual report.

Professional Advice and Leadership

8. During 2014/15 the CSWO role has been fulfilled by Eddie Fraser (Director of Health and Social Care). This is in line with interim arrangements agreed in 2014.

9. In this period provision of professional advice and leadership has been exercised through membership of the Council’s Management Team, advice to the Chief Executive as Chair of the Chief Officers Group and to the Council in relation to the duties set out in the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968.

10. There are robust governance arrangements in place within East Ayrshire to support the CSWO. Governance arrangements in East Ayrshire were recognised as good practice in the Office of the Chief Social Work Adviser 2013-14 Summary Report (April 2015).

11. From April 2015 the management structure within the Health and Social Care Partnership situates the role of CSWO at Head of Service level. This preserves the good practice noted in the Chief Social Work Adviser’s report. The CSWO will also be a non-voting member of the Integration Joint Board.

12. The establishment of the Health and Social Care Partnership has been a key area of work during 2014/15. This work involved the production of the Integration Scheme between East Ayrshire Council and NHS Ayrshire and Arran through the Shadow Integration Board. Cross-party representation and support to the Social Work Service from Elected Members on the SIB throughout 2014/15 has been a major enabler in this process. This is evident in key reports to Council following the decision taken in October 2013 to include Community Care, Children and Families and Justice services within the Partnership. The main reports during 2014/15 include:

‘Transformation Strategy 2012-17: Management of Change’ report of 3rd April 2014;

‘Proposals for Management and Governance Arrangements of East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership’ of 28th April 2014;

‘Draft Integration Scheme’ report of 30th October 2014 agreeing the draft for consultation;

‘Integration Scheme’ progress report of 29th January 2015 agreeing the scheme for submission to the Scottish Government, and;

‘East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership Business Plan/Strategic Plan’ submitted for consideration at the Council meeting of 2nd April 2015.

13. The Community Planning Partnership Board has also been appraised of the implications of the integration of health and social care with progress reports being taken to the CPP Board on 19th June and 2nd October 2014 and the draft Integration Scheme being presented on 18th December 2014.

14. A pan-Ayrshire approach was taken to the development of the Integration Scheme during 2014/15. Social Work and Corporate Support officers within East Ayrshire played a significant role in this ensuring that the values and outcomes we aspire to for out Social Work Services have been included. Local consultation with employees and key stakeholders took place in the latter half of 2014/15. The Integration Scheme was submitted to Scottish Ministers for approval on 2nd February 2015, approved by Order of Scottish Ministers on 26th February and lay before Parliament for 28 days prior to

commencement on 1st April 2015. The 3 Ayrshire Integration Scheme remain the only approved schemes at this time.

15. The Integration Scheme describes detailed arrangements for operation and governance

of Community Health and Social Care Services in East Ayrshire. In addition it describes the detail for lead Partnership arrangements where one Ayrshire and Arran Integration Joint Board will manage functions on behalf of the others. For East Ayrshire this will include Pan Ayrshire responsibilities for all Primary Care Services and Out of Hours Community, Medical, Nursing and Social Work services. This arrangement will require the CSWO to liaise with colleagues in North and South Ayrshire in respect of delegated services.

16. In addition the Strategic Plan for the Health and Social Care Partnership was developed throughout 2014/15. The CSWO ensured Social Work values were included and that the Strategic Planning Group developed the vision, values and key priorities of the Strategic Plan to agreed milestones and regular reporting to the Shadow Integration Board. The CSWO also led on a substantial programme of engagement on the Strategic Plan between December 2014 and February 2015, that offered employees, including Social Work and Social Care professionals, to comment.

17. The Strategic Plan details the vision for the HSCP which is ‘working together with all of our communities to improve and sustain wellbeing, care and promote equity’. The values of the parent bodies coming together to establish the Partnership are also set out alongside the supporting partnership values of empowering, supportive, seamless and inclusive. Outcomes for the Partnership are described in the Strategic Plan covering the outcomes for children and young people, the national health and wellbeing outcomes and those for community justice. There is an overarching focus on tackling inequalities throughout the plan.

18. Lead partnership arrangements are included in the Strategic Plan with a focus on Primary Care services where East Ayrshire has the lead role. The Plan also includes ‘before’ and ‘after’ scenarios to illustrate the benefits of integration as well as a summary population needs assessment section.

19. Finally, the Strategic Plan sets out the strategic priorities for the HSCP in realising the East Ayrshire Community Planning priorities and the 2020 vision for health and social care.

20. The Shadow Integration Board on the 26th March 2015 endorsed the Strategic Plan and recommended the commencement of the HSCP to the first Integration Joint Board (IJB). The HSCP is effective as of the meeting of the Integration Joint Board on 2nd April 2015.

Statutory Functions

21. There has been relative stability in the number of children looked after by the Council at 492 (500 last year) and within this some positive shift in the balance of care with fewer looked after in residential schools. Recruitment of Permanent and Temporary Foster Carers has shown improvement in line with progress agreed in the transformation strategy rising from 44 to 54. Kinship care has expanded considerably from 114 to 147 between 2013/14 and 2014/15. Performance has improved on the percentage of reports submitted to the Scottish Children’s Reporters Administration with over 88% submitted to timescale.

22. The number of children whose names are placed on East Ayrshire Child Protection Register is relatively stable at 107 (100 last year) with the number on the register at

anyone time rising from 61 to 66. However, the rate of re-registration has reduced to just over 8% (15% last year) and this is indicative of improvement in the reduction of risk.

23. In adult support and protection there has been a continued rise in the number of at risk referrals to 550 (451 last year). The biennial reports of the Chair of the Adult Protection Committee consistently demonstrate a range of improvement activity being taken forward to contribute to the national priorities in adult support and protection.

24. In mental health, statutory work continues to show an increase in demand with Guardianship Orders under the Adults with Incapacity Act rising by 16% to 215 (185 last year). We continue to work to support people in line with the principles of minimum intervention, and have seen less intrusive interventions through Access to Funds and Corporate Appointeeship increase.

25. Criminal justice social work services has seen a small reduction in the number of reports required to 857 (871 last year) and an increase in the number of new Community Payback Orders to 754 (705 last year). Submission of reports to Court, giving effect to supervision and unpaid work requirements is timely.

26. Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) are overseen by the South West Scotland Community Justice Authority through the Strategic Oversight Group and the Operational Group within the CJA and link directly to local protection committees and the Chief Officers Group. At the end of 2014/15 MAPPA arrangements were the subject of the first national review of effectiveness by the Care Inspectorate and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland. A report of the national findings is anticipated late in 2015.

27. A risk register for the establishment of the Health and Social Care Partnership was prepared during 2014/15 covering risk identification and mitigating action across finance, workforce, service delivery, reputational damage and shared services/commissioning risks.

Progress Against Priorities for 2014/15

Further development of personalised outcome-focused support through Self-Directed Supports.

28. The development of Self Directed Support supports the human rights of some of the most vulnerable people in our communities offering them more choice and control in their own lives. Our local experience is also that progression with SDS is supporting wider sustainability in Social Care Services.

29. An SDS Project Board has led the further development of the approach to personalised support during 2014/15. The Project Board has met regularly to drive progress on this agenda. The Board regularly receives positive personal stories. Progress monitoring of the supporting workstreams is through an SDS Implementation Plan which focuses on Resource Allocation/Assessment; Communication; Commissioning and Procurement; Workforce Development; Information Systems; Operational Guidance, and; HR Implications.

Further development of integrated health and social care services through preparation of an Integration Scheme and Strategic Plan.

30. The Shadow Integration Board was in place throughout 2014/15 taking forward the integration of health and social care.

31. The Integration Scheme for East Ayrshire was developed through local contribution to a pan-Ayrshire approach. Officers within East Ayrshire played a key contributory role in this. Widespread consultation and engagement took place during the year and the Integration Scheme was submitted to Scottish Ministers for approval in February 2015.

32. The first Strategic Plan for the Health and Social Care Partnership was produced by the Strategic Planning Group. Key stakeholders were engaged in its production during 2014/15 developing the vision, values and key priorities of the partnership. A thorough programme of engagement supported this work.

33. Progress in developing the Strategic Plan was overseen by the Shadow Integration Board with regular reports being presented.

34. The final Shadow Integration Board met on 26th of March 2015 and recommended commencement of the HSCP to the first Integration Joint Board meeting on 2nd April 2015.

Playing full role in the implementation of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act with other key stakeholders.

35. A new East Ayrshire Integrated Children and Young People’s Service Plan 2015-18 was produced during 2014/15. The new plan is fully in keeping with the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 and the first plan to be produced under this legislation. The plan incorporates the SHANARRI principles (safe, healthy, active, nurtured, achieving, respected, responsible and included). The plan focuses on wellbeing and ‘stretch aims’ to deliver on outcomes. Our plans are complementary and aligned, feeding into the delivery of the Community Plan and the Economy and Skills and Wellbeing themes set out therein.

36. At the end of 2014/15 Scottish Government provided £50k of funding to East Ayrshire HSCP as one of only 2 partnerships, along with Glasgow to support consideration of the implications of the new act in relationships between Primary Care and Children’s Services.

Exploration of opportunities for shared services with neighbouring authorities and strategic partners, e.g., supported accommodation for adults and sensory impairment.

37. A pan-Ayrshire supported accommodation group has been established and has met during 2014/15 to share and learn from good practice and successful models of support for people with complex needs. The close relationship between Housing and Social Work in East Ayrshire has been a particular area of good practice. This includes the development of Lilyhill, Ross Court and Berryknowe.

38. Work has been taken forward to appraise options for the delivery of equipment to support activities of daily living with neighbouring partnerships in 2014/15. The Strategic Plan Action Plan also highlighted out commitment to a local review of systems for the provision of equipment and adaptations to support independent living.

39. Work with Strategic Partners has included Vibrant Communities, East Ayrshire CVO and the Independent Sector.

40. Partnership working between health, social care and the Vibrant Communities service in East Ayrshire has facilitated the development of community capacity, rehabilitation and enablement support as well as falls prevention. Work within HMP Kilmarnock by Vibrant Communities in respect of attachment is innovative in respect of preventing reoffending.

41. East Ayrshire CVO is a key strategic partner and delivers across a range of services and programmes. This has enabled significant community capacity building and the further development of preventative services over recent years, particularly for people living with frailty, e.g., volunteering, befriending, intergenerational work and practical supports.

42. The Independent Sector has also played an important role in taking opportunities to test changes in the care home sector.

Action related to the reduction of the impact of alcohol and drugs in our communities – redesigning services to support recovery.

43. East Ayrshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership has led on the delivery of a range of programmes promoting recovery during 2014/15. This has included innovative partnerships with providers and user-led organisations (e.g., Barnardo’s and Artistic Creations).

44. ‘Thinking Differently’ around the use of self-directed support in relation to alcohol and drugs has also demonstrated positive outcomes. During 2014/15, the voice of people with lived experience has been further embedded in our ADP. Work has progressed in relation to education, prevention, treatment and recovery. Success is reflected in high level indicators with the prevalence of problem drug use falling and a considerable reduction in alcohol-related hospital admissions.

45. Waiting times for access to treatment that supports recovery have improved substantially. Alcohol and drug misuse remain significant challenges in East Ayrshire with our residents continuing to experience higher than national average levels of harm. At the same time the reduction in prevalence to the lowest level from 2006 has resulted in a loss of revenue due to the funding formula in place.

46. Tackling alcohol and drug related issues is a key priority for the HSCP Strategic Plan 2015-18.

Delivering a safe, progressive service model within an environment of diminishing Public Sector finance.

47. The Social Work service, through a number of workstreams is committed to supporting the Council, meet the outcomes of the Transformation Strategy. With increasing demand for service, this requires exploring opportunities for redesign within resources available.

48. The service model in East Ayrshire has continued to develop with a focus on improved outcomes for people. Our focus is on shifting power and control to people in determining their outcomes and how these are realised. The culture change in achieving this has been supported through a range of mechanisms including peer mentors, networks such as Everyone Together, the Community Brokerage Network, and a programme of Workforce Development. Supporting documentation is outcome-focused and branded as ‘My Life....’ demonstrating the person-centred nature of SDS in East Ayrshire. Personal stories from the local SDS work are regularly shared within local fora and within regional and national networks.

49. A considerable amount of service re-design has been taken forward in relation to supported accommodation during 2014/15. These developments have been as a result of strong partnership working between the Health and Social Care Partnership, Housing and provider agencies. Key developments here include Lily Hill Gardens purpose built supported accommodation, the re-provisioning of Ross Court care home as an interim

support ‘moving on’ service, and the re-design work undertaken in moving Berryknowe from a residential to a housing support model. We have continued to develop our service model in partnership with individuals, communities and the Third and Independent sectors.

Priorities for 2015/16

50. Key improvement priorities for 2015-16 are:

Embedding the Health and Social Care Partnership

Challenge of delivering system-wide efficiencies and redesign

Implementation of the Strategic Plan

Preparing for the implementation and impact of Universal Credit.

Implementation of Children and Young People Act

Community Justice Redesign preparation for shadow year 16/17

2014/15 Summary

51. In 2014/15 planning and delivery of Social Work services have been delegated from the Council to the Health and Social Care Partnerships.

This has required considerable focus on recruitment of a new integrated Partnership Management Team, development of local governance arrangements and approval through parliamentary process of a joint Integration Scheme between the Council and NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

At the same time the service has required to continue to deliver safe progressive services, address increasing demand within reducing resources and implement new and emerging local priorities and national legislation.

This has been achieved through the continued support, goodwill and challenge of Elected Members and Senior Officers through both Council and the Shadow Integration Board.

As we enter into integration with NHS colleagues, sustaining and progressing Partnership arrangements within the Council with operational services of Education, Housing and Vibrant Communities have remained a priority to deliver positive and cohesive outcomes for our communities.

The support from Corporate services of Human Resources, Finance, Legal and IT have been essential elements of change and many of these services have realigned to the new arrangements.

As always the delivery of Social Work services cannot be achieved without the dedication and leadership at all levels of our workforce.

Our employees are to be commended for maintaining and improving services in a time of change that offers both opportunity and uncertainty.

The contribution of partners particularly from the third sector in areas of prevention, financial inclusion and recovery has been immense and continues to develop.

Finally and most important the honest and open feedback from people who use services and communities has given thought for reflection and helped shape services and practice.

POLICY/LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

52. None arising directly from this report. COMMUNITY PLANNING IMPLICATIONS

53. The Annual Report of the Chief Social Work Officer for 2014/15 aligns with the Wellbeing and Safer Communities theme of the Community Plan 2015-2030.

54. RISK IMPLICATIONS

55. The risks associated with the delivery of Social Work Services are considered and managed through the HSCP Risk Register and the Corporate Risk Register. RECOMMENDATIONS

56. It is recommended that Council:

(i) Receive the report of the Chief Social Work Officer for 2014/15, and; (ii) Consider and comment on the contents of the report.

BACKGROUND PAPERS

East Ayrshire Council ‘Transformation Strategy 2012-17: Management of Change’, 3rd April 2015

http://docs.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/crpadmmin/2012%20agendas/council/3%20april%202014/Transformation%20Strategy%20-%20Management%20of%20Change%20-%203%20April%202014.pdf East Ayrshire Council ‘Proposals for Management and Governance Arrangements of East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership’, 28th April 2015

http://docs.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/crpadmmin/2012%20agendas/council/28%20april%202014/Proposals%20for%20Partnership%20Management%20and%20Governance%20Arrangements.pdf East Ayrshire Council ‘Draft Integration Scheme’, 30th October 2014

http://docs.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/crpadmmin/2012%20agendas/council/30%20october%202014/Draft%20Integration%20Scheme%20-Council%20Report%2030%20October%202014.pdf East Ayrshire Council ‘Integration Scheme’, 29th January 2015

http://docs.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/crpadmmin/2012%20agendas/council/29%20january%202015/Integration%20Scheme%20-Council%20Report%2029%20January%20%202015.pdf

EAST AYRSHIRE COUNCIL

REPORT BY CHIEF SOCIAL WORK OFFICER 2014/2015

Eddie Fraser

CSWO

June 2015

Executive Summary

In 2014/15 planning and delivery of Social Work services have been delegated from the Council to the Health and Social Care Partnerships.

This has required considerable focus on recruitment of a new integrated Partnership Management Team, development of local governance arrangements and approval through parliamentary process of a joint Integration Scheme between the Council and NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

At the same time the service has required to continue to deliver safe progressive services, address increasing demand within reducing resources and implement new and emerging local priorities and national legislation.

This has been achieved through the continued support, goodwill and challenge of Elected Members and Senior Officers through both Council and the Shadow Integration Board.

As we enter into integration with NHS colleagues, sustaining and progressing Partnership arrangements within the Council with operational services of Education, Housing and Vibrant Communities have remained a priority to deliver positive and cohesive outcomes for our communities.

The support from Corporate services of Human Resources, Finance, Legal and IT have been essential elements of change and many of these services have realigned to the new arrangements.

As always the delivery of Social Work services cannot be achieved without the dedication and leadership at all levels of our workforce.

Our employees are to be commended for maintaining and improving services in a time of change that offers both opportunity and uncertainty.

The contribution of partners particularly from the third sector in areas of prevention, financial inclusion and recovery has been immense and continues to develop.

Finally and most important the honest and open feedback from people who use services and communities has given thought for reflection and helped shape services and practice.

East Ayrshire – A profile

1. Social Work services are delivered within and on behalf of our communities in East Ayrshire. The changing profile of our communities has an impact on the present deliver and future planning of services. The profile below describes some significant determinants of these changed.

2. East Ayrshire is a diverse area covering some 490 square miles with a population of 122,440 spread over both urban and rural communities. Kilmarnock is the largest urban area with a population of around 44,000. The rest of the population live in smaller communities, ranging from less than a hundred people in some villages and rural areas to around 9,000 in Cumnock, the second largest town.

3. Overall, the East Ayrshire population is projected to remain relatively static between 2015 and 2030, with a rise of 0.4%, while the population of Scotland is projected to increase by 5.9%.

4. There is a number of observable trends within the East Ayrshire population.

5. Firstly, there are shifts within the area with some significant de-population in the South of the area while the North has seen a rise in population around the M77 corridor. This is important for service planning as household formation and needs are changing with an older profile in the South, accompanied by multi-morbidity, and a younger profile in the North with implications for early years services.

6. Secondly, we have an ageing population. There will be a significant increase in the 75+ age group in East Ayrshire, where there is a projected increase of 51.4%, and the population for the 65-74 age group is also projected to increase by 20.2% between 2015 and 2030.

7. In addition, the number of residents aged 85 and over is projected to increase markedly from around 2,500 to over 4,800, representing a rise of 94%. While higher life expectancy is a measure of success, it will be important to add an improved quality of life in these years. Conversely, the working age population and the number of children and young people aged 0-15 years are projected to decline in the same period by 9.4% and 1.4% respectively.

8. These changes present significant challenges for the future shape and delivery of our public services and the resources required to deliver them. In particular, while most older people do not require formal support, as people live longer we know from current experience that they are more likely to develop health conditions which may become complex and, as a result, require a growing reliance on local services.

9. There are also general trends in longevity for people with complex needs with consequent implications for additional support needs, transitions and adult services.

10. Many parts of East Ayrshire are prosperous and it is a vibrant area in which to live and work, and to visit; however, significant inequalities continue to exist within and between our communities. The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation highlights that 20% (1 in 5) of East Ayrshire residents live in the 0-15% most deprived areas in Scotland and we have the tenth largest proportion of population categorised as most deprived.

11. The proportion of children living in poverty is among the highest in Scotland with most recent figures indicating that child poverty affects 26% of our children.

12. The impact of the high incidence of misuse of alcohol and drugs is considerable across many aspects of our communities, from the loss of individual talents, pressures on health services, the impact on children and families and implications for justice services and community safety. As a consequence this is an established priority for Community Planning Partners.

13. Research locally and nationally has provided us with a clear insight into the causes of health inequalities and the steps required to address these issues, including the need to foster social cohesion and develop the assets of local people and communities; the importance of early years, giving our children the best start in life; and the need for people to have a sense of purpose and control over their own lives.

14. The emphasis on early intervention and prevention will be key to addressing inequalities. Community Planning partners in East Ayrshire recognise that tackling inequalities is complex and goes beyond the capacity of any single organisation to understand and respond. The integration of health and social care provides an important framework to address inequalities in East Ayrshire by focusing social care and wellbeing in the regeneration of our communities. The Community Plan for East Ayrshire gives a clear commitment to tackling poverty and inequality across all partners. Action to tackle inequality centres on mitigate, prevent and undo.

Partnership Structures/Governance Arrangements

15. In line with interim arrangements agreed in 2014, the Director of Health and Social Care, Eddie Fraser, has fulfilled the role of Chief Social Work Officer during the shadow year of the Partnership 2014/15. The Chief Social Work Officer has continued to provide advice to Council in relation to national and local policy developments. The CSWO has accountability to the Chief Executive of the Council in respect of professional Social Work issues and, through this, to Elected Members.

16. During 2014/15 the CSWO has contributed to discharging the role of provision of professional advice on social work services through membership of the Council Management Team as well as attendance at Partnership Management Team meetings. Throughout the financial year a range of reports on policy development, service and budgetary performance has been presented with the opportunity for consideration on Social Work issues by the CSWO. In terms of partnerships structures and governance arrangements, preparation for the establishment of the Health and Social Care Partnership has been a key area of work during 2014/15. Cross-party representation and support to the Social Work Service from Elected Members on the SIB throughout 2014/15 has been a major enabler in this process.

17. A pan-Ayrshire approach was taken to the development of the Integration Scheme during 2014/15. Social Work and Corporate Support officers within East Ayrshire played a significant role in this ensuring that the values and outcomes we aspire to for out Social Work Services have been included. Local consultation with staff and key stakeholders including employees from all Social Work functions took place in the latter half of 2014/15.

18. The Integration Scheme was submitted to Scottish Ministers for approval on 2nd February 2015, approved by Order of Scottish Ministers on 26th February and lay before Parliament for 28 days prior to commencement on 1st April 2015. The Shadow Integration Board on the 26th March 2015 recommended the commencement of the HSCP to the first Integration Joint Board (IJB). The HSCP is expected to ‘go live’ as of the meeting of the Integration Joint Board scheduled for 2nd April 2015.

19. The Integration Scheme sets out the functions that are to be delegated from the Council and the NHS Board to the Integration Joint Board, and includes the prescribed matters set out in The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Integration Scheme) (Scotland) Regulations 2014. The Integration Scheme was prepared with due regard to the Integration Principles and the Health and Wellbeing Outcomes. The Integration Scheme lays out:

the local governance arrangements;

the functions to be delegated, these functions will be delegated to the

Integration Joint Board on the date set out in the approved Strategic Plan;

the local operational delivery arrangements;

Health and Care Governance arrangements;

the arrangements in relation to the Chief Officer and the Chief Officer’s line

management;

the arrangements to be put in place to develop a Workforce Development and

Support Plan and an Organisational Development Strategy for integrated service teams;

the finance arrangements;

the information sharing and data handling arrangements;

the complaints procedure;

the claims handling, liability and indemnity arrangements;

the development of a risk management strategy; and

the dispute resolution mechanism.

57. The Integration Scheme describes detailed arrangements for operation and governance of Community Health and Social Care Services in East Ayrshire. In addition it describes the detail for lead Partnership arrangements where one Ayrshire and Arran Integration Joint Board will manage functions on behalf of the others. For East Ayrshire this will include Pan Ayrshire responsibilities for all Primary Care Services and Out of Hours Community, Medical, Nursing and Social Work services. This arrangement will require the CSWO to liaise with colleagues in North and South Ayrshire in respect of delegated services.

58. In addition the Strategic Plan for the Health and Social Care Partnership was developed throughout 2014/15. The CSWO ensured Social Work values were included and that the Strategic Planning Group developed the vision, values and key priorities of the Strategic Plan to agreed milestones and regular reporting to the Shadow Integration Board. The CSWO also led on a substantial programme of engagement on the Strategic Plan between December 2014 and February 2015, that offered employees, including Social Work and Social Care professionals, to comment.

20. The Strategic Plan details the vision for the HSCP which is ‘working together with all of our communities to improve and sustain wellbeing, care and promote equity’.

21. The values of the parent bodies coming together to establish the Partnership are also set out alongside the supporting partnership values of empowering, supportive, seamless and inclusive.

22. Outcomes for the Partnership are described in the Strategic Plan covering the outcomes for children and young people, the health and wellbeing outcomes and those for community justice.

23. Lead partnership arrangements are included in the Strategic Plan with a focus on Primary Care services where East Ayrshire has the lead role. The Plan also includes ‘before’ and ‘after’ scenarios to illustrate the benefits of integration as well as a summary population needs assessment section.

24. Finally, the Strategic Plan sets out the strategic priorities for the HSCP in realising the East Ayrshire Community Planning priorities and the 2020 vision for health and social care.

25. In East Ayrshire the Community Plan is the sovereign plan for the area. In 2014/15 the Community Plan has been fully reviewed with a new plan being prepared for 2015-2030. The HSCP will assume the lead responsibility for the Wellbeing theme of the new Community Plan. The Partnership will have a budget of £200 million and a employee complement of around 2,000. The Partnership will have responsibility for the planning and delivery of health and social care services delegated to it and a key role in planning for unscheduled care and the associated ‘set aside’ budget.

26. From April 2015, the management structure within the Health and Social Care Partnership situates the role of Chief Social Work Officer at Head of Service level, reporting to the Director but also with a line of accountability to the Chief Executive of the Council. This is in keeping with The Role of the Chief Social Work Officer Principles, Requirements and Guidance. From April 2015, the Chief Social Work Officer will also be a non-voting member of the Integration Joint Board. The CSWO will provide support to the Chief Executive as Chair of the Chief Officers Group.

27. Proposals for Partnership Leadership and Management Arrangements for the next tier of management within the Partnership were also taken to the Shadow Integration Board on 24th February 2015.

28. East Ayrshire participated, as one of two case studies, in research commissioned by Social Work Scotland and undertaken by the Centre for Excellence for Looked after Children (CELCIS) and Children in Scotland (CiS) which looked at ‘Integrating Health and Social Care in Scotland: Potential impact on children’s services’.

29. Partnership arrangements for Health, Safety and Wellbeing, Resilience, and Risk have been agreed by the Shadow Integration Board and have been established.

30. Health and Care Governance arrangements are detailed in the Integration Scheme. There is delegation to the Integration Joint Board and the Chief Officer for appropriate health and care governance arrangements in respect of integrated functions. Local arrangements will have regard to the Scottish Government’s draft Clinical and Care Governance Framework. The Partnership is responsible for the quality of commissioned services. Health and Care Governance arrangements set out in the Integration Scheme covers integrated management responsibilities over skills, knowledge, practice support and supervision. Professional leadership and advice is also explicitly covered with reference to the Chief Social Work Officer or relevant Health Lead.

31. Under the Integration Scheme, a Health and Care Governance Group will be established which, will report to the Chief Officer and the Integration Joint Board. It will contain representatives through this including:

the Senior Management Team of the Partnership;

the Clinical Director;

the Lead Nurse;

the Lead from the Allied Health Professions;

Chief Social Work Officer;

Director of Public Health or representative;

service user and carer representatives; and

Third Sector and Independent Sector representatives.

32. The Health and Care Governance Group is enabled to invite appropriately qualified individuals from other sectors to join its membership as it determines, or as is required given the matter under consideration. This may include NHS Board professional committees, managed care networks and Adult and Child Protection Committees.

33. The role of the Health and Care Governance Group is to consider matters relating to Strategic Plan development, governance, risk management, service user feedback and complaints, standards, education, learning, continuous improvement and inspection activity. When clinical and care governance issues relating to Lead Partnership Services are being considered, the Health and Care Governance Group for the Lead Partner will obtain input from the Health and Care Governance Groups of the other Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnerships.

34. The Health and Care Governance Group will provide advice to the strategic planning group, and locality groups within the Health and Social Care Partnership area. The strategic planning and locality groups may seek relevant advice directly from the Health and Care Governance Group.

35. The Integration Joint Board may seek advice on clinical and care governance directly from the Health and Care Governance Group. In addition, the Integration Joint Board may directly

take into consideration the professional views of the registered health professionals and the Chief Social Work Officer.

36. Detailed arrangements dealing with the advisory roles of the Area Clinical Forum, Managed Clinical Networks, Adult Protection Committee, Child Protection Committee, and other appropriate professional groups are set out in Annex 4 of the Integration Scheme.

37. Further assurance is provided through the responsibility of the Chief Social Work Officer to report directly to the Council, and the responsibility of the Health Leads to report directly to the Medical Director and Nurse Director who in return report to the NHS Board on professional matters.

Social Services Landscape/Market

38. The social work element of the £205 million HSCP budget equates to £69.2 million for 2014/15. A significant proportion of the social work budget is used to commission services in partnership with the Third and Independent Sectors. Commissioned services amount to around £36.3 million (52%) of the social work budget within the Partnership. Commissioned services span across a range of low level preventative and practical supports through to secure accommodation for children, supported accommodation for adults and care home provision.

39. In East Ayrshire the social work and care sector is a major area of employment and accounts for almost 4,900 jobs across sectors and services. Within this overall total there are around 2,100 independent sector, approximately 1,700 public and over 1,000 voluntary sector jobs. Across services this includes over 2,000 people working in housing support, day opportunities or care at home and almost 1,300 in care homes.

40. The landscape for services has changed significantly during 2014/15 with self-directed support moving on apace and alternative models of service and re-design all impacting on how we work.

41. Supporting arrangements in this changing context encompass the SDS team which includes a strong peer support element, the Community Brokerage Network, the My East Ayrshire portal, commissioning expertise and Provider Fora.

42. There are significant pressures on the social work element of the Partnership budget in East Ayrshire. These pressures link to complex demographic changes related to an ageing population and increasing numbers of people with complex needs. This is a positive result of changes in society and improvements in health, care and treatment. These changes have an impact in terms of increasing long-term conditions and multi-morbidity linked to poverty and deprivation on the other. Welfare Reform has exacerbated this for people and communities already at risk of social exclusion.

43. East Ayrshire has a positive reputation as a forward thinking partnership area. There remain challenges in respect of recruitment and retention within services and this can be particularly the case in the more rural communities. The Health and Social Care Partnership recognises its role as a major employer in the area and will seek to influence the local labour market and the attractiveness of social care as an occupation locally. This has been supported through capital investment in buildings and infrastructure, in refurbishment of existing buildings and in purpose-built resources.

44. Work is increasingly being taken forward involving all partners in developing sustainable solutions and approaches under the banner of ‘Thinking Differently’. This has been at the heart of our approach to self-directed support, SmartSupports (Technology Enabled Care), commissioning around the Integrated Care Fund and further developing our locality arrangements.

45. Commissioning arrangements work well with officers aligned to services and care groups. Third and Independent Sector partners deliver a range of services on our behalf. Provider Forums are in place across care at home and home care and are an excellent platform for discussion and consultation with local providers.

46. One area where commissioning of provision has been less positive relates to the provision of intermediate care. This aims to prevent admission and enable timely discharge from hospital. The step-up/step-down service commissioned in 2013/14 has not been as

effectively utilised as expected and requires further work on the model to maximise the prevention of admission to and discharge from hospital.

47. There is a significant change agenda linked to integration, shifting the balance of care, Getting it Right for Every Child, recovery oriented support, self-directed support, managing multi-morbidity, effective admission prevention and hospital discharge. The range of challenges and our strategic priorities over the medium term are set out in the Health and Social Care Partnership Strategic Plan 2015-18.

48. The implementation of our Corporate Parenting Strategy 2012-15 continued in the period. This strategy clearly sets out the values and outcomes corporate parenting partners work to. There has been considerable progress against the key priorities linked to these outcomes. In the reporting period we have:

stabilised the number of children becoming looked after and accommodated and developed more individualised short-break supports;

trained all staff in Early Years Establishments, Family Support Services and East Ayrshire Children’s Houses in the Nurture Model and progressed the Health Improving Childcare Establishments (HICE) framework;

Implemented the “Getting it Right” outcomes framework, taken forward work to embed the approach regarding the Child’s Plan and identify an appropriate outcomes tool to roll-out across partners;

Participated in the AYRShare secure information sharing system;

Improved the identification and tracking of children and young people in need of additional support to promote positive achievement and destinations;

Put in place plans to transform accommodation and support for children and young people and commenced implementation;

Improved stability of placement for children looked after away from home, taken forward foster carer recruitment plans, improved our approach to permanency planning, ensured that our workforce in Children’s Houses are qualified, skilled and equipped.

49. Partnership working across statutory and voluntary sectors has resulted in reduced re-conviction rates over the long-term. We have also seen fewer under 18 year olds entering the criminal justice system over the recent period.

50. In 2014/15 we have continued to take learn from national work on Women Offenders, the Reducing Reoffending Programme and Public Social Partnership work.

51. The ongoing implementation of action to address the recommendations of the Commission on Women Offenders (2012) continues with the roll-out of Fiscal Work Orders from April 2015.

52. The Re-designing community justice programme has been a key feature of the changing social services landscape over 2014/15. The re-design process commenced with the initial consultation on three potential options in December 2012. Local stakeholder engagement in the consultation process was substantial. The Scottish Government response was published in December 2013. Subsequently, we have been involved in responding to further development in the alternative model set out in that response. The Future Model of Community Justice in Scotland was published in December 2014. In 2014/15 local partners have been kept up to date on the new model in preparation for the expected primary legislation to put this into effect. This is more fully described in the Planning for Change Section below.

53. We have good foundations on which to build with effective collaboration across Ayrshire and strong local partnership relationships in East Ayrshire.

Finance

54. The overall net social work budget within the Health and Social Care Partnership is £69.2 million. The gross spend (after income from NHS and service charges) breaks down into £35million for older people, £17.5 million for children and families, £14 million for people with learning disabilities, £3 million for mental health, £1.6 million for justice services, over £1million for physical disabilities and sensory impairment, £1million for addictions, and £0.45 million adult support and protection.

55. Community Planning partners recognise the current and forthcoming period as a difficult and challenging one with reducing public sector budgets. This requires that essential services need to be secured with less money, while maintaining service quality and coping with rising and diverse demands.

56. Audit Scotland’s Overview of Local Government in Scotland 2015 notes that local authorities continue to be presented with increasing challenges to their financial sustainability following a funding decrease of 8.5% (in real terms) between 2010/11 and 2013/14 and further reductions likely in 2016/17 and 2017/18. The wider financial environment is one of an increasing gap between funding and the cost of delivering services. Outwith local government funding, NHS funding is level and our key partners in Primary Care have seen a reduction in the share of the Scottish Budget. The full implications of the Smith Commission are not yet clear.

57. In an East Ayrshire context this means being clear about our role, what services are needed and valued by local people and communities; providing opportunities for service delivery in new and innovative ways; and maximising the collective resources of all partners.

58. A Transformation Board lead on service re-design and efficiency programmes. These programmes stem from the Council’s Budget Transformation Strategy which covers the period to 2017. The Budget Transformation Strategy focuses on achieving financial sustainability while delivering on key outcomes, shifting to prevention, alternative models of delivery, shared services and services built around people and communities. Total savings within the social work budget for 2014/15 agreed were just over £3 million. Progress against the Transformation Strategy and efficiencies is reported to East Ayrshire Council Cabinet through East Ayrshire Performs.

59. Welfare Reform has serious implications for many of our most vulnerable residents and families. The impact of these reforms and the rising cost of living present a number of challenges, including an increase in demand for a range of services for vulnerable children, families and adults.

60. Community Planning Partners are committed to tackling deprivation and disadvantage wherever they exist, with a particular focus on working together to address the impact of the Welfare Reform programme on individuals, families and communities across East Ayrshire.

61. Re-modelling of services and the use of investments such as the Change Fund has been targeted at shifting toward more preventative approaches. This has been taken forward through strategic partnership working involving the statutory, third and independent sectors as well as communities and individuals. Local work in this respect is recognised as good practice nationally.

62. The preceding section outlined broad trends influencing the social services landscape. The implications of these on specific areas of budget have been experienced most clearly in relation to foster care, supported carers, kinship care and adoption allowances for children and families and justice services and in transition of children to adult services, reablement

and increasing demand for care home placements among older people. There has been in-year pressure on budgets related to secure placements for children. These pressures are considered as part of the budget-setting process. The CSWO has involvement in budget setting and financial decision-making related to the social work element of the Health and Social Care Partnership budget. The CSWO seeks to identify and advise on any budgetary issues affecting the operational delivery of statutory social work services and any challenges facing the profession related to responsibilities. Additional recurring funding of £1.4 million to offset these pressures from 2015/16 was approved by Council in 2014/15.

Service Quality and Performance

63. There is a close alignment between social work delivery within the Health and Social Care Partnership and the outcomes set out in the Community Plan. In turn, these link directly to the National Outcomes through the Single Outcome Agreement. The Health and Social Care Partnership has led on key areas of activity in the implementation of the Community Plan and will be lead for the Wellbeing theme of the Community Plan from April 2015.

64. During 2014/15 there has been an ongoing focus on prevention, partnership and performance. This has been clearly demonstrated in our work with partners in East Ayrshire CVO and in the development of our partnership arrangements related to the establishment of the Health and Social Care Partnership.

65. Partnership working with the independent sector includes supporting management development programmes. 2014/15 saw the completion of My Home Life management Development Programme. This learning has been transferred into the workplace. This has resulted in a more person centred approach throughout the workforce. The success of the programme is recognised by the Regulatory body and many of the care homes are being awarded improved grades. My Home Life is being made available again in 2015/16 and for the first time will include Care at Home service representatives.

66. Partnership working has provided opportunities for joint training between NHS, local authority the independent and third sectors, further enhancing the partnership approach and up-skilling the workforce.

67. Early intervention and prevention runs through the Strategic Plan 2015-18 for the Health and Social Care Partnership and is a guiding principle in the Integrated Children and Young People’s Service Plan 2015-18.

68. In 2014/15 we have further developed our approach to co-production. This is evidenced in engagement in the production of the Strategic Plan, locality conversations and initial collaborative commissioning work related to the Integrated Care Fund. It is our expectation that these will develop further as we implement the Health and Social Care Partnership Strategic Plan in the forthcoming year.

69. 2014/15 has seen significant progress made in relation to self-directed support. This was identified as a key priority in the CSWO report for 2013/14 and is described in the review below. The progress made within East Ayrshire is recognised nationally and has been highlighted in national reports such as that produced by the Learning Disability Alliance ‘Self Directed Support – The Start’.

70. There have been significant developments in relation to supported accommodation during 2014/15. These developments have been as a result of strong partnership working between the Health and Social Care Partnership, Housing and provider agencies. Key developments here include Lily Hill Gardens purpose built supported accommodation, the re-provisioning of Ross Court care home as an interim support ‘moving on’ service, and the re-design work undertaken in moving Berryknowe from a residential to a housing support model. A pan-Ayrshire Supported Accommodation Group is in place to share experience, good practice and positive models of care.

71. 2014/15 saw further development of links between community services and community based resources such as Centre Stage. There is greater of evidence of intergenerational work with care homes forging relationships with local schools in the development of projects such as eco-gardens.

72. Variance in quality of care previously reported across the care home sector has seen improvement. Grades have significantly improved over 2014/15 with approximately 80% of care homes now scoring a grade 5 (Very Good) in at least one category. There are challenges for providers associated with changes to the inspection methodology and the transition to an outcome-focused approach, e.g., the SOFI tool (Short Observational Framework for Inspection).

73. In care at home services some substantial pressure has been experienced within in-house services and independent providers as they responded to quality and satisfaction issues linked to another provider in the sector. This also involved a re-tendering process and the development of a framework of greater choice for care at home.

74. In Adult Protection, we have developed the ACIRT (Adult Concern Initial Response Team), using existing resources, to screen and ensure a proportionate response to adult concerns, thus allowing for a more consistent approach and assist in reducing the increasing demands being placed on Social Work front line services. It is anticipated this will also assist in improving the knowledge of Police Scotland in relation to ASP thresholds with the joint working arrangements.

75. The wider reporting of safeguarding trends has resulted in consideration being given across Ayrshire to address these which has resulted in the scoping of a Police Concern Hub Model and a joint Mental Health Innovation Funding proposal being submitted to build capacity of services to be responsive to the needs of those in distress.

76. The following events have been held by the Adult Protection Unit:

Disability Hate Crime Awareness Event which included local people with a learning disability as trainers

Protecting People Awareness Events and Conference

Protecting People for Children Animation and Lesson Plan developed and delivered to 17 schools.

Protecting People Elected Members (20 November 2014)

Hands are not for Hurting Initiative for older people as part of the VAWP 16 days of action

Pan Ayrshire APC – People in Distress Multi Agency Seminar

Pan Ayrshire APC – Trauma across the Lifespan Practitioners Seminar

77. Partnerships have been strengthened with the Care Inspectorate who continue to be an independent critical friend for the multi agency self evaluation of adult support and protection which is scheduled to take place in 2015 with a focus on adult protection case conferences.

78. A focus throughout 2014/2015 has been on promoting the recognition and prevention of institutional harm. The Adult Protection Unit Team attend the quarterly Care Home Providers meeting to promote adult support and protection which has resulted in their participation in the pilot of Respect Me Training Course for Personal Carers and Care Homes which is currently being delivered throughout 2015 in partnership with Scottish Fire and Rescue Services.

79. The Adult Protection Unit facilitated discussions between Scottish Fire and Rescue Services and East Ayrshire Contract and Commissioning in relation to the link between fire risk and poor standards of care. As a result, East Ayrshire Contract and Commissioning Managers now automatically notify Scottish Fire and Rescue Services if a moratorium is placed on a care establishment to allow for prioritisation of Fire Safety Audit Visits to the establishment.

80. A Short Life Working Group of the Pan Ayrshire Chief Officers Group and Strategic Alliance has commenced to scope a potential model for a multi agency Public Protection Hub. This has the potential to reduce the impact that increased Adult Protection/Adult Concern reporting is having on front line social work services whilst still ensuring the appropriate and proportionate multi-agency response to people in distress is given.

81. In addition, an independent review of local Public Protection arrangements has been commissioned and a progress report in relation to this is expected in June 2015.

82. Alcohol and drug misuse is recognised as a significant issue impacting on our families and communities in East Ayrshire. The Alcohol and Drug Partnership provides a range of treatment and supports with the aim of promoting recovery. In 2014/15, the service user led charity Artistic Creations, offering art activities as well as a range of other leisure and recreational activities, received recognition for this by being nominated for a Community Planning award. People with lived experience are embedded across the ADP structures and sit on ADP groups and committee. Small individual budgets under self-directed support contributed to recovery for 10 people in the year. The ADP has focused on the use and availability of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS or ‘legal highs’) with able to access up-to-date information through the drug trends monitoring group and NPS training.

83. Significant activity has been undertaken in education and prevention with young people and school pupils. For those young people who do experience problems with drugs and alcohol, a unique partnership between Barnardo’s and accident and emergency has seen significant declines in the number of young people being admitted to hospital as a result of drug and alcohol use.

84. In response to concerns raised by Elected Members and other partners, Scottish Drugs Forum consulted with individuals deemed to be responsible for issues of anti-social behaviour. With a key finding being around provision of additional town centre support opportunities, the ADP will in 2015 arrange a series of recovery café events.

85. Most recent data show that the prevalence of problem drug use in East Ayrshire has now dropped to its lowest level since 2006 but remains above the Scottish average. Alcohol hospital discharges have also continued to decline year on year since a high in 2007, but still remain above the Scottish average and remain eighth highest among ADPs. SALSUS findings among school children also indicate reductions in alcohol and drug use.

86. East Ayrshire’s Financial Inclusion Strategy has been in place since 2013. This outlines the approach taken by the Council and partner agencies to tackling poverty and promoting financial inclusion. The strategy set out the current and future challenges, strategic priorities and outcomes to be achieved by 2017. The supporting action plan for 2014/15 has been implemented, and overall progress has been good. In 2014/15, the Financial Inclusion Team dealt with 1,298 new referrals achieving financial gains of £4.02M. Work was undertaken with partners to develop EA Money - a single point of access to welfare benefits and money advice via web pages and a freephone telephone line. Partnership work has been undertaken with Ayrshire College to address the specific support needs of the student population. Links between the Financial Inclusion Team and health have been strengthened in the context of the establishment of the Health and Social Care Partnership. Also during 2014/15, an Elected Members’ Seminar on Welfare Reform was held and a Chief Executive Listening Event on Financial Inclusion.

87. During 2014/15 we have entered into partnership with the Share Foundation, an independent charity, to deliver Junior ISAs (Individual Savings Accounts) for looked after children. As well as the initial £200 contribution from the Government, East Ayrshire Council agreed to

contribute £100 per annum for each active JISA. At present there are 92 children in East Ayrshire who have an active JISA and meet the criteria above. Cash for Kids ‘Christmas Treat’ for children whose families are unable to do so from their own resources supported 910 children nominated from across Social Work and Early Years services.

88. June 2014 saw the launch of the new national violence against women strategy – ‘Equally Safe: Scotland’s Strategy for Preventing and Eradicating Violence Against Women and Girls’. In responding to this the East Ayrshire Violence Against Women Partnership Action Plan is being refreshed to ensure that it reflects national priorities. The Violence Against Women Partnership has engaged with Scottish Government leads and undertaken self-evaluation in line with the Improvement Service’s ‘Violence Against Women Partnership Capacity Building Programme – Supported Self-assessment’. The self-evaluation shows a positive position in East Ayrshire across the evaluation themes of leadership, impact, performance, engagement, accountability, governance and use of resources. The Violence Against Women Partnership has also been developing service user experience questionnaires to inform improvement activity. The ‘Inspiring Change’ event in June 2014 included a series of workshops working with children and young people, preventing sexual violence, supporting survivors, working with men, and initiatives in schools. The ‘Male Speaker Network’ has also been developed as part of the local White Ribbon Campaign and has sixteen members across partners in East Ayrshire. A social media campaign supported work on the 16 Days of Action to End Violence Against Women in 2014/15. A coordinated learning and development programme is in place and the Break the Silence – Rape and Sexual Abuse Service held an awareness raising practitioner event in December 2014.

89. Last year’s Chief Social Work Officer report highlighted six key priorities for 2014/15. This section of the current report briefly reviews progress against these.

Further development of personalised outcome-focused support through Self-Directed Supports

90. An SDS Project Board has led the further development of the approach to personalised support during 2014/15. The Project Board has met regularly to drive progress on this agenda. The Board regularly receives positive personal stories. Progress monitoring of the supporting workstreams is through an SDS Implementation Plan which focuses on Resource Allocation/Assessment; Communication; Commissioning and Procurement; Workforce Development; Information Systems; Operational Guidance, and; HR Implications.

Further development of integrated health and social care services through preparation of an Integration Scheme and Strategic Plan.

91. A Shadow Integration Board has been in place throughout 2014/15 taking forward the integration of health and social care.

92. The Integration Scheme for East Ayrshire was developed through local contribution to a pan-Ayrshire approach. Officers within East Ayrshire played a key contributory role in this. Widespread consultation and engagement took place during the year and the Integration Scheme was submitted to Scottish Ministers for approval in February 2015.

93. The first Strategic Plan for the Health and Social Care Partnership was produced by the Strategic Planning Group. Key stakeholders were engaged in its production during 2014/15 developing the vision, values and key priorities of the partnership. A thorough programme of engagement supported this work.

94. Progress in developing the Strategic Plan was overseen by the Shadow Integration Board with regular reports being presented.

95. The final Shadow Integration Board met on 26th of March 2015 and recommended commencement of the HSCP to the first Integration Joint Board meeting on 2nd April 2015.

Playing a full role in the implementation of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act with other key stakeholders.

96. Draft guidance issued under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 has been discussed across services and responses to consultation themes submitted. Services also undertook a self-evaluation under the Getting it Right for Every Child – Where are we now? framework. This sought to assess awareness of the implications of the legislation, familiarity with child’s plan, named person and wellbeing aspects, communication and clarity of roles. Feedback from this informs the East Ayrshire GIRFEC Implementation Plan.

97. A new East Ayrshire Integrated Children and Young People’s Service Plan 2015-18 was produced during 2014/15. The new plan is fully in keeping with the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 and the first plan to be produced under this legislation. The plan incorporates the SHANARRI principles (safe, healthy, active, nurtured, achieving, respected, responsible and included). The plan focuses on wellbeing and ‘stretch aims’ to deliver on outcomes. Our plans are complementary and aligned, feeding into the delivery of the Community Plan and the Economy and Skills and Wellbeing themes set out therein.

Exploration of opportunities for shared services with neighbouring authorities and strategic partners, e.g., supported accommodation for adults and sensory impairment.

98. A pan-Ayrshire supported accommodation group has been established and has met during 2014/15 to share good practice and successful models of support for people with complex needs.

99. A pan-Ayrshire approach was also taken in delivering the workstreams associated with the integration of health and social care.

100. Work has been taken forward to appraise options for the delivery of equipment with neighbouring partnerships in 2014/15.

101. Strong strategic partner work with East Ayrshire CVO across a range of services and programmes is a key feature of our approach.

Action related to the reduction of the impact of alcohol and drugs in our communities – redesigning services to support recovery.

102. East Ayrshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership has led on the delivery of a range of programmes promoting recovery during 2014/15. This has included innovative partnerships with providers and user-led organisations (e.g., Barnardo’s and Artistic Creations). ‘Thinking Differently’ around the use of self-directed support in relation to alcohol and drugs has also demonstrated positive outcomes. During 2014/15, the voice of people with lived experience has been further embedded in our ADP. Work has progressed in relation to education, prevention, treatment and recovery. Success is reflected in high level indicators with the prevalence of problem drug use falling and a considerable reduction in alcohol-related hospital admissions. Waiting times for access to treatment that supports recovery have improved substantially. Alcohol and drug misuse remain significant challenges in East Ayrshire with our residents continuing to experience higher than national average levels of harm. Tackling alcohol and drug related issues is a key priority for the HSCP Strategic Plan 2015-18.

Delivering a safe, progressive service model within an environment of diminishing Public Sector finance.

103. The service model in East Ayrshire has continued to develop with a focus on good outcomes for people. Our focus is on shifting power and control to people in determining their outcomes and how these are realised. The culture change in achieving this has been supported through a range of mechanisms including peer mentors, networks such as Everyone Together, the Community Brokerage Network, and a programme of Workforce Development. Supporting documentation is outcome-focused and branded as ‘My Life....’ demonstrating the person-centred nature of SDS in East Ayrshire. Personal stories from the local SDS work are regularly shared within local fora and within regional and national networks. A considerable amount of service re-design has been taken forward during 2014/15 in relation to supported accommodation during 2014/15. These developments have been as a result of strong partnership working between the Health and Social Care Partnership, Housing and provider agencies. Key developments here include Lily Hill Gardens purpose built supported accommodation, the re-provisioning of Ross Court care home as an interim support ‘moving on’ service, and the re-design work undertaken in moving Berryknowe from a residential to a housing support model. We have continued to develop our service model in partnership with individuals, communities and the Third and Independent sectors.

104. Key improvement priorities for 2015-16 are:

Embedding the Health and Social Care Partnership

Challenge of delivering system-wide efficiencies and redesign

Implementation of the Strategic Plan

Preparing for the implementation and impact of Universal Credit.

Implementation of Children and Young People Act

Community Justice Redesign preparation for shadow year 16/17

Statutory Functions

105. Alongside the provision of professional leadership and advice, the CSWO has a specific role in relation to particular aspects of the social work function set out in law.

106. Key pieces of legislation relevant to the Chief Social Work Officer responsibilities are:

Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968

Children (Scotland) Act 1995

Criminal Procedures (Scotland) Act 1995

Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000

Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003

Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011

Social Care (Self Directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013

Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014

Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014

107. These legislative provisions cover the placement of children in secure accommodation, transfers of children subject to Supervision Requirements, adoption, Community Payback Order enforcement, statutory intervention linked to the Mental Health Officer role, the protection of adults at risk and adults with incapacity. The remainder of this section provides an overview of the range of statutory issues and changes over the preceding 12 months.

Looked After Children

2013/14 2014/15

Looked After Children 500 492

Looked After at Home or Community Placements

312 314

Looked After away from home with Foster Carers

150 151

Looked After Away from Home in Residential Care

38 27

Children in Secure Placements 5 4

Adoptions Completed 12 12

108. Over the last year the total number of looked after children has reduced slightly from 500 to

492. Within this there has been some shift in the balance of care with an increase in children supported at home of in community placements and a reduction in the use of residential care from 38 to 27 children. Support for children through Kinship Care has expanded considerably over recent years, rising from 114 to 147 over the last year. The recruitment of Permanent and Temporary Foster Carers has shown improvement over the year rising from 44 to 54.

Scottish Children’s Reporters Administration Liaison

2013/14 2014/15

The number of reports submitted to the Reporter during the year

365 284

The proportion of reports requested by the Reporter which were submitted within the target time

67.9% 88.4%

109. The proportion of reports submitted to the Reporter to target timescales has improved

between 2013/14 and 2014/15 rising from just under 68% to over 88%.

Child Protection

2013/14 2014/15

Number of Child Protection Registrations in the year

100 107

The proportion of these that were re-registrations

15.0% 8.4%

Number of children whose names are placed on the Child Protection Register

61 66

110. Between 2013/14 and 2014/15 the number of children whose names were placed on the

Child Protection Register increased both in terms of the number of children registered at any point in time and in relation to a snapshot at year-end. Respectively, these rose from 100 to 107 and from 61 to 66. This is an increase of over seven percent. At the same time the rate of re-registration has reduced, indicating improvement in the management of risk.

111. A four-year Business Plan covering 2011-15 is in place for the work of the Child Protection Committee. Annual progress reporting is well established and monitoring regularly details performance and improvement activity. An overview of progress highlights work on improving SMART plans through file audit and self-evaluation, responding to the findings of the Significant Case Review reported in last years’ CSWO report, pre-birth support, prevention and resilience work with partners in the Third Sector and Police Scotland, together with workforce development. The Child Protection Committee has robust governance structures and is supported by sub-groups covering the areas of Performance and Quality, Learning and Development, and Public Information and Engagement. There are close links between the work of the CPC, the Adult Protection Committee, MAPPA, the Violence Against Women Partnership and the Alcohol and Drug Partnership.

Adult Support and Protection

2013/14 2014/15

Number of adult at risk referrals 451 552

Adult Concern referrals (Statutory Referring Agencies)

92 698

112. There are 91 Council Officers trained at present and 8 trained from the 1 April 2014 – 31

March 2015. A Council Officer Practitioner Forum has been developed and is held on a quarterly basis. Topics such as Trauma through the Lifespan and Clare’s Law have been addressed and the upcoming one will look at Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with a guest speaker attending from Combat Stress.

113. In 2013/2014 Police Scotland developed an Interim VPD (Vulnerable Persons Database) System which was implemented throughout Scotland in a phased manner. This new system encompasses a broad span of “concerns” onto one form (adult/child concerns, domestic violence, youth offences and hate crime). These forms are directed towards a central hub for screening purposes prior to being sent to relevant agencies. Within East Ayrshire, the interim VPD system came into effect on 20 March 2014. Following implementation, there has been a 658.7% increase in Adult Concern Referrals of which 79% were received from Police Scotland as detailed above which reflects the substantial impact that the introduction of the Interim VPD system has had on front line social work services.

114. In contrast, Adult Protection Referrals have increased by 22% during 2014/2015 which is represents a reduction in the rate of increase experienced in the previous two years. It is anticipated that this reduction may continue throughout 2015/2016 with the introduction of Adult Concerns and the joint working being undertaken between Police Scotland and East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership.

115. The Chair of the Adult Protection Committee published his biennial report for 2012-14. This report demonstrated the range of work undertaken under the auspices of the Adult Protection Committee against a backdrop of increasing adult support and protection activity. The number of referrals has increased from 199 in 2010/11 to 451 in 2013/14 and further to 550 in 2014/15. Support and protection work has included awareness raising, developments ensuring that user and carer feedback is an integral part of our approach, delivery of the Protecting People training programme, Multi Agency Self Evaluation and Case File audit, addressing financial harm through ‘bogus caller’ and ‘call blocker’ initiatives, pan-Ayrshire care home guidance, and training and reporting systems for NHS staff in Accident and Emergency settings. Public and partner engagement has been a key feature of work over the year. The Adult Protection Committee, together with the Adult Protection Unit and public protection partners held a series of Protecting People engagement events and workshops in 2014. There is substantial evidence of local delivery against the National Priorities. The establishment of the Health and Social Care Partnership offers further opportunities for enhancing the support and protection responses.

Mental Health Care and Treatment and Adults with Incapacity

2013/14 2014/15

Compulsory Treatment Orders 36 (31 active as at March 14)

28 (42 active as at March 15)

Emergency detention in hospital 33 39

Short-term detention in hospital 63 88

Various* (including assessments to extend or vary orders, social circumstance reports, reports for court disposals for mentally disordered offenders)

77 97

MH Tribunal Attendance 41 38

2013/14 2014/15

Financial Guardianship 16 14

Financial & Welfare Guardianship 10 12

Interim Financial Guardianship - -

Interim Guardianship - -

Interim Welfare Guardianship 1 4

Joint Welfare Guardianship 1 1

Private Financial Guardianship 8 9

Private Welfare & Financial Guardianship 60 81

Private Welfare Guardianship 43 42

Welfare Guardianship 46 53

TOTAL 185 215

116. In 2012, there were 157 Guardianship Orders in place. By the end of 2013/14 this had risen

to 185 and further to 215 by 31st March 2015. This represents an increase in activity of over one-third (37%) and reflects increasing statutory safeguarding work. In terms of Adults with Incapacity legislation, where an individual requires assistance to manage their finances, Business Support Officers now support 34 service users through Access to Funds an

increase from 28 last year and 48 service users through DWP Appointeeship an increase from 21 in 2013/14. This remains a positive approach ensuring that individuals funds are managed effectively and efficiently with minimal intervention.

117. There are 21 MHOs trained at present (18.5 WTE), 6 are managers in post and 15 (12.5 WTE) are Social Workers. A further 3 registered social workers are undertaking the training as at 31 March 2015.

118. A challenge over the past year has been meeting the demands of recent changes that have been made to the Adults with Incapacity Legislation in relation to the supervision of Welfare Guardians by Local Authorities which came into force on 12 August 2014. Whilst these changes have minimum impact on the supervision arrangements for the first year of an Order, at the first annual review of the Guardianship consideration could be given to varying the interval between supervision contacts. Supervision may take place more than every 12 months or create with the agreement of the adult and the guardian.

119. It should also be noted that in line with legislative principles there are less legally restrictive options that include s13ZA: Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 or one off Intervention Orders if criteria is met. There has been recent agreement to promote and fund Powers of Attorneys for people who have been diagnosed with Dementia; this promotes the principles of prevention, early intervention as well as protection in the least restrictive manner for the adult.

120. The East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership has redesigned current resources to fund an additional MHO post to review all supervision requirements for all longer term orders. This may mean where supervision ceases it will allow scope to sustain the workforce capacity to ensure effective supervision arrangements are in place for all adults subject to new welfare guardianship orders. This is an area kept under scrutiny by the Mental Welfare Commission.

Criminal Justice Social Work Services

2013/14 2014/15

The number of reports submitted to the courts during the year

871 857

The proportion of these submitted to courts by the due date

99.0% 98.4%

Number of new Community Payback Orders 705 754

Community Payback Orders with Unpaid Work Requirement

580 600

121. Between 2013/14 and 2014/15 there has been some reduction in the number of reports

required to be submitted to court by Criminal Justice Social Work Services. These fell from 871 to 857 continuing a long-term downward trend. Performance against due-date timescales has been maintained at over 98%. In 2014/15 there were 754 new Community Payback Orders, of which 600 contained an unpaid work requirement. There is good practice in giving effect to the supervision of these orders and commencement of the orders is timely.

122. The Area Plan for the South West Scotland Community Justice Authority 2014-17 was produced with a refreshed outcomes framework. This centres on community approaches, domestic abuse, community integration, families, victims of crime, and working in partnership.

123. In the year we have continued to respond to the national ‘Redesigning the Community Justice System’ programme. A progress up-date on the consultation was taken to the Community Planning Partnership Board on 19th June 2014. The CPP Board has been appraised of the consultation findings, the Scottish Government response, the proposed model and next steps during the redesign engagement process. Awareness of the refinement of the initial options has been promoted and the preferred model of local strategic planning overseen by a national leadership and assurance body set out for partners within East Ayrshire in preparation for the Community Justice (Scotland) Bill.

Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements

124. Partners in the South West Scotland Community Justice Authority have over the course of 2014/15 been working to a high level three year Strategic Plan supported by annual work plans and self evaluation. A MAPPA Strategic Oversight Group is in place within the South West Scotland CJA with an Operational Group having an overview of local work delivered through Adult Protection and Child Protection Committees linked to the Chief Officers Group. Systems are in place for the assessment and review of registered sex offenders and restricted patients, information sharing, audit, quality assurance and practice guidance. Recent progress includes the establishment of the ‘Moving Forward, Making Changes’ group-work programme. Taking account of the Community Justice Review and the development of Health and Social Care Partnerships has been a key area of work in the last 12 months. Monitoring reports indicate effective management of offenders. During 2014/15 partners within the South West Scotland CJA were involved in self-assessment work for the first national review of the effectiveness of MAPPA arrangements undertaken by the Care Inspectorate and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland.

Contribution to Corporate Risk Management

125. In 2014/15, the CSWO has been instrumental in advising on risk associated with the Health and Social Care Partnership and the mitigation of that risk. This related to the management of financial risk, workforce, service delivery, reputational damage and shared service/commissioning risk. The Corporate Risk Register continues to record an amber risk regarding protection of children and vulnerable adults and responsibility for managing this risk lies with the Health and Social Care Partnership.

Complaints

126. Work has been taken forward to develop interim arrangements for complaints handling. These arrangements locate Partnership complaints co-ordination within the business support function. Parallel administrative processes will remain in place, with health complaints administered by the NHS Ayrshire and Arran Complaints and Feedback Team and social work complaints via the Directorate Business Support Team. Partnership Senior Managers have responsibility for the effective management of feedback and complaints, including local resolution and any quality improvements/ learning arising from feedback and complaints. A lead officer will be identified to ensure a there a joint response. The Partnership Management Team will receive regular reports on the handling, themes and learning arising from complaints and feedback.

Improvement Approaches

127. The Chief Social Work Officer also has a role in supporting continuous improvement. Self Evaluation and Improvement Planning

128. Self-evaluation guided by the supported self-evaluation model developed by external scrutiny bodies is well developed in East Ayrshire. Robust mechanisms for self-evaluation are in place across the social work function of the Health and Social Care Partnership.

129. The approach to self-evaluation follows a three-year cycle initiated by a high level scan in year one to develop a SMART action plan, followed-up by ‘taking a closer look’ scrutiny and annual stock-takes of progress. Areas of focus over the last year have been staff supervision and workforce development.

130. A programme of file audit supports self-evaluation and improvement with random sampling and assessment against quality indicators. During 2014/15 the regular programme of file audit has progressed with focused work undertaken in relation to self-directed support and multi-agency public protection. This work dovetails with the production of service-level improvement plans.

131. Services have also made use of the PDSA improvement cycles, particularly in early years work with ‘lean’ approaches and the ‘improvement methodology’ being used to evaluate tests of change. Personal Stories

132. Over the course of 2014/15 we have increasingly brought personal stories to key fora. For example the SDS Project Board has regularly featured people’s direct experience of self-directed support. This has been extended to the Shadow Integration Board. Care Opinion

133. The Health and Social Care Partnership agreed to participate in the Scottish pilot of Care Opinion in the latter half of 2014/15. This is an online, moderated, resource where individuals can comment on their care and support experiences. The pilot will run until mid-way through 2015/16. Quality Checker

134. During 2014/15 individuals who use day services short breaks undertook a self audit and evaluation of those services with independent facilitation from the Heartfelt organisation. The findings of this work will be feedback in the early part of 2015/16.

Planning for Change

135. The Health and Social Care Partnership’s Strategic Plan 2015-18 sets out the key priorities for the partnership over the next three years. The key priorities are linked to the national outcomes, the Community Plan 2015-30 themes and outcomes for children, health and wellbeing and community justice. The focus of the Strategic Plan is on delivering the 2020 Vision for Health and Social Care and care at all life’s stages. The Strategic Plan also prioritises addressing inequality in line with the Community Planning Partnership’s aim to:

MITIGATE the impact of inequalities through the provision of support and the delivery of services;

work to PREVENT individuals and communities experiencing inequalities; and

take action and use our influence to UNDO the root causes of inequalities.

136. Comprehensive engagement with communities, Partners and other stakeholders in the development of our new Community Plan has confirmed the following as the key priority areas on which we will focus the delivery of services over the life of the Plan:

Economy and Skills

Safer Communities

Wellbeing

137. Through each Delivery Plan, we will take forward the actions that have been shown to make the biggest difference and will bring about real change for local people and communities.

138. The Delivery Plans will have a three year lifespan and will be dynamic documents to allow amendment, where appropriate, to take account of changing circumstances.

139. The responsibility for driving forward the actions within the Delivery Plans will sit with the Community Planning Partnership Board, supported by three Strategic Lead Officers.

140. Cross-cutting elements of lifelong learning, tackling inequalities, and early intervention and prevention permeate through each of the Delivery Plans.

141. During the shadow year of the Health and Social Care Partnership, a great deal of progress has been made in further preparing the way for the formal establishment of the partnership. This relates principally to the production of the Scheme of Integration and the Strategic Plan as detailed above.

142. Significant employer – use power to influence to tackle inequalities.

143. Embedding HSCP including governance and delivering against Strategic Plan.

144. There are several key pieces of new legislation and pending legislation that will continue to shape and influence social work services within the Health and Social Care Partnership. Over the forthcoming year these relate principally to the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, the Community Justice (Scotland) Bill, the Carers (Scotland) Bill, the Mental Health (Scotland) Bill, and the Community Justice (Scotland) Bill. Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014

145. The Act brings Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) into law. The GIRFEC sub-Group of the Officer Locality Group (OLG) has been taking this forward during 2014/15 across the themes of systems, practice and culture.

146. The implementation plan has been further developed in 2014/15 to reflect a self-evaluation against the Scottish Government Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) – Where are we

now? tool. Progress is being made in taking forward the requirements of this legislation in terms of the Named Person, Lead Professional and Child’s Plan. The ‘Starting a Conversation’ model of outcomes-focused assessment was piloted in the first half of 2014/15. This was positively evaluated and the OLG approved the model for roll-out during 2015/16. This roll-out will include use of the Wellbeing Web and SMART Planning. This will ensure that the SHANARRI outcomes flow through engagement between children, families and professionals. Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014

147. During 2014/15 work focused on ensuring a smooth transition from Shadow Integration Board to Integration Joint Board implementation. Activity related to this in terms of the Integration Scheme and the Strategic Plan 2015-18 is described elsewhere in this report. The final recommendation for commencement from the Shadow Integration Board on 26th March 2015 was only the first step in integration. The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 will profoundly influence our work over the following year as we move into implementation of the integration of health and social care proper. Carers (Scotland) Bill

148. The Carers (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 9th March 2015. The Bill aims to introduce a number of key changes. The proposals contained in the Bill have been the subject of consultation and negotiation over the last year, predominantly through COSLA, and evidence will be sought from local partnerships during the key stages of progress under the Health and Sport and Finance Committees. Specific provisions in the Bill are:

Introduction of the Adult Carer Support Plan;

Introduction of a Young Carers Statement to recognise the unique needs of young carers;

A duty placed on local authorities to provide support to carers and young carers based on local eligibility criteria;

Ensuring that carers and young carers will be at the centre of decision making on how services are designed, delivered and evaluated, and;

Placing a duty on local authorities to establish an information and advice service.

Mental Health (Scotland) Bill

149. Introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 19th May 2014, the Mental Health (Scotland) Bill seeks to amend the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 in light of the McManus Review, to improve efficiency and effectiveness particularly in relation to Tribunal provisions on people held in conditions excessive security alongside other amendments. The Bill seeks to amend the Criminal Procedures (Scotland) Act 1995 in relation to people with a mental disorder involved in criminal proceedings. The Bill also aims to introduce a victim notification scheme for victims of some mentally disordered offenders subject to certain orders. This Bill will enter Stage 2 early in 2015/16. Community Justice (Scotland) Bill

150. Following on from the Community Justice Review, there will be a Community Justice (Scotland) Bill progressing through the Scottish Parliamentary Stages during 2015/16. Currently community justice services are overseen by Community Justice Authorities (CJAs) established under the Management of Offenders etc. (Scotland) Act 2005. Under this

legislation, CJAs have the role of planning, co-ordination, monitoring and reporting on the delivery of services for people with offending behaviour. CJAs are also required to produce a strategic plan for their area in consultation with statutory and non-statutory partner bodies. The Commission on Women Offenders, an Audit Scotland report on reducing re-offending and feedback responses to consultation provide the rationale for changing the governance and accountability mechanisms surrounding community justice.

151. The Community Justice (Scotland) Bill will put in place a new model for community justice services based on local delivery, partnerships and collaboration, with supporting national leadership and assurance arrangements. The aim of the new Bill will be to strengthen accountability and improvement through enhanced opportunities for learning, development and further developing person-centred and evidence-based models of delivery. Core aims within the Bill relate to:

Local responsibility for planning and monitoring of community justice services across a defined set of community justice partners;

Placing duties on community justice partners to engage in local strategic planning and to be accountable for this;

Establishing a national strategy and performance framework for community justice;

Putting in place a national body to provide leadership, innovation, learning, development, assurance on the delivery of outcomes and improvement support where required;

A focus on collaboration – including the opportunity to commission, manage or deliver services nationally where appropriate.

User and Carer Empowerment

Co-production

152. Partnership with people at an individual, community and organisational level runs through our Strategic Plan. Strong partnerships are central to our way of working and our model of service delivery. The focus is consistently on positive outcomes for East Ayrshire residents and the contribution each partner can make to securing these. A particular strength locally is the relationship between the social work services within the Health and Social Care Partnership, the Third Sector through East Ayrshire CVO as the Third Sector Interface and the Council’s Vibrant Communities Team. This partnership has supported the delivery of a range of innovative and flexible services within the community. Community capacity building has been a central feature of workstreams under Reshaping Care for Older People, the Early Years Collaborative, and in our plans for the Integrated Care Fund. In addition the relationships here form the basis of developing locality planning arrangements around natural communities. Partners, including carers, the Third Sector Interface and the Public Partnership Forum are represented and play a key role in governance arrangements within East Ayrshire. In the last year we have begun to further develop how we collaboratively commission as partners and at a locality level. ‘Thinking Differently’ - Self Directed Support, Smart Supports and Anticipatory Care

153. There is strong outcomes-focused practice in relation to self-directed support. Our focus is on shifting power and control to people in determining their outcomes and how these are realised. The culture change in achieving this has been supported through a range of mechanisms including peer mentors, networks such as Everyone Together, the Community Brokerage Network, and a programme of Workforce Development. Supporting documentation is outcome-focused and branded as ‘My Life....’ demonstrating the person-centred nature of SDS in East Ayrshire. Personal stories from the local SDS work are regularly shared within local fora and within regional and national networks. There is recognition of local good practice within networks. ‘Thinking Differently’ encompasses our approach to self-directed support, technology enabled care (known as Smart Supports locally) and anticipatory care. This is about exploring alternative ways of meeting people’s outcomes through good conversations about what is important to them.

Workforce Planning and Development

154. The provision of high quality, effectively targeted learning and development opportunities continues to be a key driver in achieving improved outcomes for people who use our services. In progressing these objectives there has been a move towards integrating an organisational development approach across the social work services workforce in order to support effective learning and development activity.

155. The key aspects of this are in seeking to develop:

A whole system approach to developing social work services to support the delivery of Council Key Priorities and associate Community Planning objectives;

A process which is concerned with developing, enhancing and improving all aspects of high quality service delivery;

Seeking improvements in service delivery, which takes full account of the environment within which social work services currently exist and operate.

156. In working to our values and principles we have adopted an approach which is about the ongoing development of the organisation i.e. the people, the processes and the culture therein. There is a specific focus on leadership, culture change, partnership through integrated working, and effective service redesign.

157. All managers have responsibility for the leadership and development of their respective services, and leadership at all levels across Social Work services has been encouraged throughout the organisation.

158. Examples of existing good practice are:

Engagement of employees has been a key aspect of service development, with staff at all levels given an opportunity to advise on and influence improvements in the work they undertake.

Engagement of employees in an open and meaningful way in the financial challenges the Council faces to seek their ideas in supporting continuity of quality services within the resources available.

Consolidation of our Management Development Programme for all team managers.

159. Structural and policy change arising from health and social care integration will radically alter the way in which Social Work services are delivered and the structures within which they are organised. The key factor of successful integration lies within addressing cultural change across services. In turn this has implications for aspects of professional identity and the delivery of learning and development opportunities.

160. Self Directed Support (SDS) agendas have continued to be a key focus of workforce development over the past year. This initially targeted managers and those employees who have key assessment roles and has been further extended to address support service workforce development requirements. This is in recognition of the impact of this agenda in requiring whole system change requiring to be embedded across social services.

161. Employees at all levels have been offered opportunities to undertake professional development examples of this being:

18 staff were supported to undertake accredited courses funded by their employer. This is in line with East Ayrshire General Employee Review (EAGER) processes in identifying qualifications which are supportive both of professional employee development and in seeking to raise the standard of service delivery.

A further 4 Home Care Managers completed the Professional Development Award in Health and Social Care Supervision in line with supporting identified staff to meet their qualification requirements for registration of Care at Home Services staff with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC.)

162. East Ayrshire Assessment Centre continues to support the delivery of Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs). Over the past year this has resulted in:

The Personal Carer workforce increasing from 91% of staff who hold a qualification at SVQ Level 2 or above in year 2013/14 to 96% of the workforce year 2014/15 now holding a qualification which will meet the registration requirements of the SSSC for staff working as Personal Carers within Care at Home Services.

23 Classroom Assistants/Support Workers being supported to gain a qualification at SVQ Level 2

163. East Ayrshire Council is a member of the Learning Network (West). As a partner within the Learning Network the authority works in partnership with the five Higher Educational Establishments that operate within the west of Scotland supporting the development of practice learning opportunities which make the best use of resources and lead to improved application of practice learning.

164. East Ayrshire Social Work Services are asked to accommodate 20 Social Work Student placements each academic year.

165. There continues to be pressure on in-house capacity which results in a heavy reliance on the use of Independent Practice Teachers and the associated increased use of Link Workers in supporting practice placement requirements in East Ayrshire.

166. The Strategic Plan 2015-18 identifies partnership with employees as essential to building and developing the Health and Social Care Partnership. Plans will be developed to take this forward through workforce planning and organisational development in the partnership and the Integration Joint Board.

Key Challenges for Year Ahead

167. Key improvement priorities for 2015-16 are:

Embedding the Health and Social Care Partnership

Challenge of delivering system-wide efficiencies and redesign

Implementation of the Strategic Plan

Preparing for the implementation and impact of Universal Credit.

Implementation of Children and Young People Act

Community Justice Redesign preparation for shadow year 16/17