Social work inspectorate launched

The agency wants to move away from a blame culture

A new agency which will inspect council social work departments in Scotland is due to be launched in Edinburgh.

The Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA) has been set up to examine social work services in all 32 local authorities in Scotland.

Officials stress that the inspectorate will put people within the care system at the centre of its inspections.

It was brought in after a series of high profile tragic cases involving failures by social work departments.

These include the case of Miss X in the Borders, in which a woman was abused by three men, one of whom was her carer.

A series of inquiries highlighted failings in the local social work department.

More independence

Edinburgh Council's social work and children's services were also changed following the case of Caleb Ness, a baby who died after he was allowed to stay in the care of his drug addicted mother and brain damaged father.

A review was also ordered into the treatment, supervision and risk posed by every medium and high risk sex offender in Scotland.

It followed a damning report into the case of James Campbell, who attempted to rape a toddler while under the supervision of North Lanarkshire Council.

We want to concentrate on the outcomes of users of services, are they actually enjoying a better quality of life as a result of what local authorities have arranged for them? Alexis Jay SWIA

Alexis Jay, chief inspector of the SWIA, said, although still part of the Scottish Executive, the new agency would have more independence than its predecessor.

She explained: "In the past the inspectorate had several functions, including the development of social work policy. That has now been separated out and is within a different section.

"As a result, the agency is now able to fully focus on the inspection of councils."

Ms Jay added: "We want to concentrate on the outcomes of users of services. Are they actually enjoying a better quality of life as a result of what local authorities have arranged for them?"

'Fulfilling responsibilities'

She said the agency wanted to move away from a previous blame culture.

"Only in that way will people fully learn from lessons of the past and problems that have previously occurred in serious incidents," she said.

Social work professor Cherry Rowlings, of Stirling University, said it was important that the inspection of care services needed to be at an "arms length of government".

She told BBC Radio Scotland: "I think we will see a more regular and routine inspection of social work departments now, not just when things go badly.

"The agency will highlight good practice, as well as practice which needs to be improved.

"The public, service users and carers should also be able to get reassurance that local authorities, who have a good deal of power and money over the lives of many very vulnerable people, really are fulfilling the responsibilities they have as caring agencies."