ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a broad tour d’horizon of where the social services inspectorate (SSI) feels it has reached with care management. It focuses on just four areas where, it appears, difficulty is being experienced: terminology; purchaser/provider separation; commissioning; and social work and care management. Care management can only be truly needs-led if it is backed up by a commissioning process that is similarly needs-led. The practice guidance on care management encouraged the progressive devolution of commissioning responsibility, but only when the necessary financial management systems were in place. When the Department of Health has completed its internal review of what has been learnt so far about the implementation of care management, the SSI will need to consider whether any further guidance of a generic nature is required or what other stimulus can be given to the ongoing development of care management.
