ABSTRACT
This 1 chapter is concerned with the formal external inspection of the quality of social work services. As a case-study, I consider the development of criteria for use by the Social Work Services Inspectorate in Scotland 2 . The purpose of the Inspectorate is to “work with others to continually improve social work services so that they genuinely meet people’s needs and the public has confidence in them” (SWSI, 1996). One way in which services can be improved is to see whether and in what ways they meet existing standards. The Secretary of State for Scotland sets national standards for social work services in some areas, for example in the criminal justice system. However, in most areas of social work local authorities are currently responsible for setting their own standards for services. They are expected to monitor and publish these standards, so that users of services know what they can expect and the public can form its own judgements. In the area to be discussed in this chapter, community care, local authorities are obliged to publish information about their intentions in three yearly Community Care Plans. These should be devised jointly with health, housing and other agencies, in consultation with the people who use their services. In April 1996, the local authority structure in Scotland underwent considerable change. The 12 regional authorities which had previously had a statutory responsibility for social work services were reorganized into 32 unitary authorities which had a slowing-down effect on community care development. Some of the new, very small authorities are not able to provide all community care services themselves and some responsibilities, such as local inspection of residential care, are being purchased from larger authorities. The reorganization has also had implications for Scottish Office inspections of a much larger number of authorities.
