ABSTRACT
The managers with greatest concern for radical empowerment were in favour of the changes, even those working in SSDs dominated by a political tradition of 'we'll do it ourselves'. The underpinning of assessment and care management with legislation could give considerable impetus to user empowerment. During the 1980s, a number of innovations in management were incorporated into good systems of assessment, care management and care packaging. Agencies will vary in whether assessment and care management is contained within one or more role and level. Effective management of a scenario such as the one given above requires a crucial area of teamwork at first-line and middle-management level. Staff inside contracting or inspection units may have the greatest opportunities for radicalising the social services. A contracting unit will also be able to exercise leadership 'from the top down', encouraging care managers to take risks. Both care managers and service delivery managers may be able to exercise some freedom to develop service delivery.
