Standards bodies ‘poorly recognised’

A Community Care survey of more than 1,600 social care practitioners has found low levels of awareness of two key sector
improvement bodies.

It found that just 22 per cent had heard of the Care Services Improvement Partnership and only  31 per cent of the Improvement and Development Agency. Meanwhile, 77 per cent were aware of the Social Care Institute for Excellence. 

Of those who had heard of IDeA, just 52 per cent knew what it did, compared to 72 per cent for CSIP and 76 per cent for Scie. The survey found that 59 per cent rated Scie’s effectiveness as very good or good, with 56 per cent for IDeA and 55 per cent for CSIP, (out of 285 respondents).

CSIP was set up in 2005 through the merger of several Department of Health agencies to support the delivery of health and social care policy. The IDeA is local government’s in-house improvement agency and appointed a social care adviser in 2003 to accompany the Every Child Matters reforms. It has since expanded into adults’ services, with a team of six under strategic  adviser for children, adults and health services.

Cozens said he was not surprised by the results because his team was small, and the IDeA is focused on councils’ leadership.
CSIP chief executive Richard Humphries said: “With CSIP’s social care programme only six months old – and CSIP only 18 months old – we find the results encouraging.”

Related articles
Do you know your quangos