ABSTRACT
Setting national developments in performance indicators within a framework
which can be used by local social services authorities is one of the main tasks of
this book. This chapter traces the work undertaken by PSSRU in conjunction
with Cheshire Social Services Department in developing and implementing a
set of performance indicators for use in the department. It outlines the results
of staff interviews, which were conducted in Cheshire for the purposes of
eliciting views concerning existing mechanisms and how these could be used
within a system for measuring performance in a number of areas. This review
was set in the context of the overall aims and objectives of the department in
serving its older people. The key issues described here are pertinent both to the
past development of PIs, outlined earlier, and to the work of other social
services departments who might wish to review their own performance
measurement systems.