Five areas singled out by inspectors

Services
for children and disabled people have been highlighted as needing
improvement in inspections of five social services departments,
published this week.

Joint
reviews were carried out in Peterborough, Dorset, Doncaster and
Slough, while Gwynedd was inspected jointly by the Social Services
Inspectorate and the National Assembly for Wales.

Services
for children in Dorset were highlighted as needing particular
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 in
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 had good prospects for improvement according to
inspectors.