Increasing demand “may impact negatively” on Angus social work services unless it is matched by greater resources.
That’s the warning sounded by Angus Council’s chief social work officer Tim Armstrong.
Mr Armstrong spoke of specific challenges while delivering his annual report to the council’s scrutiny and audit committee.
He said: “The past year…saw challenges in terms of responding to increasing levels of need and demand on services.
“There has been increasing demand across all community care services, increasing numbers of referrals regarding children in need, an increase in the need for Community Payback Orders with unpaid work requirements and an increase on demands on the mental health officer service associated with guardianships.
“Whilst services have been able to meet the demand within existing resources, a continued increase without increased resources may impact negatively on the quality of the service that can be provided.
“The environment in which social work operates reflects the issues faced by our communities and within wider society.
“Social work services face significant change in the coming years associated with new legislation and policy.”
Mr Armstrong said they were operating “in an increasingly difficult financial climate in which we must strive to deliver services within available budgets whilst promoting and maintaining professional values and standards”.
He said the work social work staff undertake on behalf of Angus Council “is life changing”.
“It enables vulnerable citizens to gain independence, to be safe and to be cared for and contributes to the overall safety and well-being of our communities,” he said.
“Although not often publicly recognised, our staff are skilled, experienced and highly committed to delivering the best possible services to the people in Angus.
“The continued provision of high quality social work services in Angus is essential if we are to continue to effectively support vulnerable, children, young people and adults; promote independence and inclusion; protect children and adults at risk; and improve outcomes for all the citizens of Angus.”
Mr Armstong said the interdependence of social work and other universal services delivered by the council and partners is – and will continue to be – the key to ensuring success.
On average throughout 2015/16 there were 84 children on the Angus Child Protection Register which was a decrease from 98 the previous year.
Across Scotland, the number of looked after children has increased year on year since 2001, with a slight fall in 2014/15.
In Angus, however, a focus on early intervention and prevention has helped reduce the number of children looked after away from home year on year since 2007.
