Glasgow expands service integration

Agencies in Glasgow are to bring together 6,000 staff to provide integrated services, including social care, health, community safety and welfare support.

A single key worker will be appointed for children who need  multi-agency services, and a community safety unit will take charge of youth justice and antisocial behaviour.

The initiative involves Glasgow Council, Greater Glasgow Health Board, Jobcentre Plus, Strathclyde Police and Scottish Enterprise Glasgow.

The social care and health element of the scheme builds on five community health and care partnerships, with 700 staff and joint budgets of £114m, which were approved a year ago.

From next month, this will expand to include about 5,000 council and NHS staff and a budget of £750m. The partnerships will take control of children’s and adult social care and health, learning difficulties services, addiction services and mental health.

Staff will continue to be employed by their current agency.

Council leader Steven Purcell said: “It makes no sense to have public agencies dealing with the same issues working in isolation.”