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• Behan is chief inspector for new commission

New ADSS president David Behan, answered your questions put to him by Community Care website editor David Callaghan.

Question: Some sections of the voluntary sector will be taking a hard look at their future role in the light of the government's cross-cutting review and other recent developments. Your thoughts on the future of the voluntary/statutory relationship?

Harry Marsh

London

David Behan: There is a real opportunity to debate the outcome of the cross-cutting review of the voluntary sector. The review makes a number of important points on the development of the capacity of the voluntary sector. My thoughts are about the importance of local authorities seeing the relationship with voluntary organisations as a partnership in the future of our communities. We can redefine the relationship with the voluntary sector, and move away from one where we distribute grants to a relationship where we work together to invest in the communities we are there to serve.

Q: Why is there such a variety of solutions to the problems of drug and alcohol addictions, which in one way or another impact on the most vulnerable?

Pat Reihill

DB: The problems over the past few years have been about focusing on the amount of drugs and alcohol that is among us. We didn't have the resources available to us, but over the past few years we have more money made available.

Drug action teams are now able to commission services and that has managed to really allow local communities to develop solutions to substance misuse. The area where I work in Greenwich we have invested significant resources in the development of a new drug treatment service which is making a real difference.

There is a tremendous amount of energy going into commissioning services and also into prevention work.

I think we have got a clear plan and resources which allow us to drive forward some real improvements.

On the issue of alcohol: a number of areas have drug action teams which also include alcohol services.

The evidence shows that alcohol is a significant problem particularly among young people and many people are misusing both alcohol and drugs. But there is less money available nationally for people who misuse alcohol. We need to develop integrated services.

Q: I am 49-year-old disabled woman and I also suffer from severe depression. I hear a lot about 'care in the community', but here in Bromley, south London, the care seems to have come out of the community and those with mental health difficulties are being left to sink or swim.

Only those in crisis can access community psychiatric support. Surely if there is added money being poured into the NHS did we ought to be feeling the benefit. So why are there so many of us being left without the support we need to prevent us from going into crisis and costing the country by having to be admitted into hospital? Surely it is better to put the money whether it is needed into patient services rather than lining the pockets of yet another level of management.

Joan-A MacLennan

Bromley, south London

DB: It is difficult to comment on individual cases, but I will ensure that the message that Joan is sending will go to the director of social services for Bromley.

The underlying principle of the question is about the adequacy of resources for mental health services. I am only to aware of the problems that we have got in delivering and developing services which are sufficient to tackle the needs of people who are mentally ill.

It is vital to stress the importance of mental health remaining a priority in NHS services. There is some evidence that historically it has not always been viewed as a priority and investment has suffered.

The national service framework for mental health represents a real opportunity to continue viewing mental health as a priority. It is also very helpful in emphasising the importance of preventive work to stop people's conditions deteriorating.

Q: I came into the profession at the age of 32, I had left school without any formal qualifications and was accepted on the CQSW course as a mature student. It is now becoming apparent that colleges and universities are expecting prospective students to have some formal qualifications. This will sadly mean that we will not attract some very suitable candidates who have a great life experience, into the profession.

I am very concerned about this change of strategy given all of the vacancies we are now facing, and the fact that I am a practice teacher.

Can you please let us know what your views are on this trend, and also, how you see the way forward for attracting new people into social work?

Iain Craig, social worker/practice teacher

DB: I think this is a very important question. I really do welcome the three-year graduate qualification for social work. It is absolutely essential for the future of social work that the qualification remains as a graduate level qualification, and it is equally important that there is a qualification structure in place.

The workload that we place on social worker today is immense, and if people are going to respond to the challenges then we need to ensure that people have appropriate skills for what is a very challenging job.

But Iain raises important questions. Some of the best social workers I have come across in my career have not had formal qualifications, and some social workers that have doctorates have not necessarily been the best social workers. So we do need to ensure there are a variety of routes into social work and that people with a wide experience are available to work.

We need to be clear though, about the skills and competencies that people should have to undertake what is a very difficult and challenging job. People must be able to develop the appropriate skills to undertake the work.

An improved qualification system is key to improving the quality of work. Taking people from a variety of backgrounds is key to ensuring we have a suitable workforce within social care.

Q: Do you think local government could take on some responsibility for primary care commissioning, as suggested in the recent IPPR (Institute of Public Policy Research) report?

Community Care

DB: The government has said all children's services should be commissioned by local government and the ADSS would welcome that.

The IPPR's report really brings us back to this question, which is not particularly new, because local authorities have had this responsibility in the past. I think it is important that we have a debate on these issues.

Many authorities have arrangements for the joint commissioning of services, for example, with people with mental health problems. But looking forward over the next few years then singular responsibility for commissioning services, community leadership, and responsibility to promote the welfare of communities, should be within one organisation.

It shouldn't be imposed from the top as an automatic solution. We need local flexibility to meet local needs in a most appropriate way. New ways of working come out of local decisions and decision-making. One size doesn't fit all, and there have been a range of different arrangements that will fit local circumstances. What suits a county authority won't suit an inner city authority.

ends