Extra funds to back Scots change plan

The Scottish executive has unveiled detailed plans and announced £15m of extra funding to deliver the recommendations of the 21st Century Social Work Review.

Its five-year action plan to implement the review’s Changing Lives report, which was published in February (news, page 7, 9 February), includes nearly 100 actions for the executive, councils, independent sector and staff.

It will focus on five programmes aimed at service and performance improvement, workforce development, and practice governance.

The executive will also set up a ministerial board across six of its departments to oversee progress, and create additional education programmes for social work staff.

Later this year, the Social Work Services forum, which comprises a range of stakeholders from the sector, will report on the national priorities it has identified for the sector. The executive will back this up with new draft legislation in spring 2007.