Social Work Services Strategic Forum

Overview

The group was set up in late 2013 as a partnership forum of key stakeholders from across the social services sector. It published Social Services in Scotland: a shared vision and strategy 2015-2020 in March 2015.

The group has since published a progress report summarising what work is under way to implement the strategy. That work is grouped into four workstrands:

1. Supporting the workforce

• Social work recruitment and retention project: survey findings
• Social work recruitment and retention project: literature review

2. Understanding service quality and performance

• Chief Social Work Officers Annual Report - Template and Guidance
• Social work services practitioner engagement events: 2016 report
• Social work services practitioner engagement events: 2015 report
• Social work and social care statistics for Scotland: a summary
• Occupational therapist practitioner engagement events: report

3. Improving use of evidence

• Social Work Services Strategic Forum scoping workshop, November 2015: report

4. Promoting public understanding

• Scottish Social Services Awards
• What the Public Think about Scottish Social Services and Why

Members

• Chair: Scottish Government – Minister for Childcare and Early Years
• Scottish Government – Chief Social Work Adviser
• Scottish Social Services Council – Chief Executive
• Care Inspectorate – Chief Executive
• Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS) – Director
• Social Work Scotland (SWS) – President
• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) – Senior Officer
• Representative of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE)
• Scottish Care – Chief Executive
• Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland (CCPS) – Chief Executive
• Representative of Higher Education Institutions which deliver social work education
• Practitioner representation at a minimum through UNISON and the Scottish Association of Social Workers
• SG Directors/Deputy Directors – Integration, Children and Families, Justice, Joint Improvement Team, Health Workforce, Local Government.

Publications