Services for children and disabled people criticised by inspectors in five joint reviews

Services for children and disabled people have been highlighted
as areas for improvement in government inspections of five social
services departments.

Inspections were carried out jointly by the Social Services
Inspectorate and the Audit Commission of social services
departments in Dorset, Peterborough, Doncaster and Slough. Gwynedd
was inspected jointly by the SSI and the National Assembly for
Wales. The reviews took place in late 2000 and earlier this
year.

Services for children in Dorset were especially picked out as
needing improvement.

“Some children’s homes were not well managed and there is
insufficient shared care and respite care for carers of disabled
children,” the inspectors concluded. They recommended that Dorset
increase the number of reviews taking place for looked after
children.

Staffing problems were leading to poor services for children and
disabled people in Doncaster, inspectors found. In Peterborough,
people were ‘less well served’ in children’s services,
mental health and support for vulnerable people from ethnic
minorities.

Social services in Slough were criticised for “gaps in services
and long waits” for those needing practical equipment to help with
mobility. Gwynedd Council’s adult services were found to be
“too reliant” on residential care, and had insufficient
community-based alternatives.

Peterborough, Slough and Doncaster were praised for good
partnerships and inter-agency work, especially with the health
service. All five councils were charged with good prospects for
future improvements by inspectors.

Peterborough councillor, Yvonne Lowndes, cabinet member for
children’s services said: “We are not complacent and clearly
we still have some way to go before we achieve good quality
services right across the board for our children and families. This
report shows we can make it.”

Councillor Pat Larsen, social services lead on Gwynedd
Council’s board, said: “Our responsibility, indeed our
commitment, is to continue to improve our services, making them
more flexible to meet the changing needs of individuals.”