Issue - meetings

to note the content of the Annual Report (as set out in Appendix A).

The Board had before it a report by Graeme Simpson, Chief Social Work Officer, ACC, which presented the Chief Social Work Officer’s Annual Report for the 2017/18 financial year.  The report provided information on the role and responsibilities exercised by the Chief Social Work Officer, as well as detail on statutory decision making that had been undertaken during the period and progress on key areas of social work provision within Aberdeen.

Mr Simpson advised that the report required to be submitted to the Scottish Government on an annual basis and that he proposed to look at the format of the document for future years. 

Thereafter there were questions for Mr Simpson in respect of recruitment challenges with social workers and mental health workers, and the transition from children’s services to adult services.  Mr Simpson advised that there were difficulties with recruitment but that he maintained links with Robert Gordon’s University and there had been some progress with recruiting mental health workers.  Training schemes were also in place and work would be undertaken to identify any evolving training requirements.  In respect of the transition between children’s services and adult services, Mr Simpson had regular contact with Claire Duncan of Adult Social Care to ensure that there was awareness of any issues and to enable Ms Duncan to escalate any particular concerns.

The report recommended:-

that the Board note the content of the Chief Social Work Officer Annual Report, as attached at Appendix A.

The Board resolved:-

to approve the recommendation.