Press Releases

Newport Social Services improving

17/03/2009

Focused Review of Newport Social Services

Newport City Council is providing effective support for many service users with some good services available, according to a focused review report published today.

The focused review, carried out by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales and the Wales Audit Office, says that social services delivered by the Council are supported by strong corporate leadership and good strategic planning. However some aspects of services need to improve. 

The review which looked at a number of key themes found that considerable effort has been made to help promote the independence of adult service users and in particular to support older people and younger disabled adults at home. However, assessment and care management practice needs to be developed to provide more focus on outcomes for service users so that services are better tailored to meet individual needs. The Council also needs to address poor performance with regard to reviewing care plans and tackle some pressures and gaps in services for adults, particularly those with a learning disability or mental health problems.

Reviewers found that the assessment and care planning and management of children who need protection and children who are looked after were generally working satisfactorily. They also found the support provided for children leaving care had improved and the arrangements for placing children were working well. However, improvements in the educational attainment of looked after children, the opportunities for care leavers and arrangements to support the transition of young disabled people into adulthood are needed in order to enhance their life chances in the future.

Overall, the review found that the Council is in a good position to continue to improve services. There are still some key areas which need to be addressed including the need to:

• Develop a corporate approach to tackle the recruitment and retention issues affecting the teams in adult and children's services.
• Address key gaps in services through more effective commissioning.
• Improve performance in some key aspects of assessment and  care management in adult and children's services.

The Chief Inspector of CSSIW, Rob Pickford said today:

'Our focused review has found that Newport has strong leadership and a robust approach to planning in social services. The authority needs to continue to build on the improvements it has made in order to continue its journey of improvement.'

Auditor General for Wales, Jeremy Colman said today:

'The Council has shown a commitment to the work of social services and has a track record of improvement. To progress further, the Council now needs to improve commissioning, leadership and recruitment.'

Notes to Editors:

• This focused review of social services looked at a number of key themes which were decided at an issues analysis meeting held with the Council.  It seeks to give an overview of the way in which the Council carries out its responsibilities for social services in the areas examined by the focused Review Team. It is not intended to deliver a detailed critique in every area of work.
• The focused review was conducted jointly by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales and the Wales Audit Office. The review of Newport took place between August 2008 and October 2008.
• The Council has been asked to produce an action plan in response to the focused review and will be expected to take the findings of the report into account in developing their business and improvement plan.