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Recent releases
Members of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Social Work Services Committee met this week (4 Oct) and received the Chief Social Work Officer's annual report. Members were asked to review performance and achievements for the previous year.
Against a difficult set of circumstances, the overall performance of the Social Work Service has improved with identified areas of good practice which are reflected within the Chief Social Work Officers report.
The period covered within the report presented to the Elected Members is 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 and outlines the continuing challenging context for Social Work Services in Dumfries and Galloway, arising from the growth in demand for services, service complexity, new legislative responsibilities, specific financial and workforce pressures and Covid-19 and how the service has responded to these challenges.
Key areas highlighted in the full report include: the responses to emergency legislation; development of the Single Access Point - a streamlined single ‘front door’ contact for members of the public, social services users and professionals alike; response to an increased number of referrals compared to pre-pandemic levels; the design of a Home Teams approach to provide locally based solutions across the spectrum of care requirements for adults; and an intense intervention programme designed to steer individuals away from the justice system towards community services and future non offending.
Chairman of the committee, Councillor Andy Ferguson, said: “I would like to commend the Chief Social Work Officer and the whole Social Work Services department on their work over the past year, and their dedication to support those most in need in our region.”
Councillor Iain Howie, Vice-Chair of the committee added: “This annual report demonstrates the volume of work undertaken by Social Work Services and its staff working in a period of unprecedented demand.”
