A literature review said that there was an urgent need for social work to clarify its professional identity and its distinctiveness compared with other professions.
Source: Stewart Asquith, Chris Clark, and Lorraine Waterhouse, The Role of the Social Worker in the 21st Century: A literature review, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Date: 2005-Dec
A discussion paper drew together evidence and perspectives on the need for social work intervention. It explored definitions of need from the perspective of users and providers, and considered how these definitions were interpreted in practice.
Source: Don Brand, Trish Reith and Daphne Statham, The Need for Social Work Intervention: A Discussion Paper for the Scottish 21st Century Social Work Review, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Date: 2005-Dec
A report examined the development and expansion of Sure Start Scotland services since 2001.
Source: Sarah Cunningham-Burley, Amanda Carty, Claudia Martin and Anne Birch, Sure Start Scotland Mapping Exercise 2004, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Dec
A report on health and care information in Scotland recommended the collection of additional information on new areas of activity; improved methods of collecting and publishing information; and easier access to data to allow more research and analysis.
Source: Strategic Review of Health & Care Statistics in Scotland, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2005-Dec
A report said that both local authority professionals and school staff members perceived that the national free fruit in schools initiative had been very successful.
Source: Andy MacGregor and Christine Sheehey, Evaluation of Free Fruit in Schools Initiative, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Date: 2005-Dec
An audit report said that the performance of the National Health Service in Scotland had improved in key areas such as availability of treatment, and also in death rates from cancer, stroke, and heart disease.
Source: Overview of the Performance of the NHS in Scotland, Audit Scotland for Accounts Commission and Auditor General (0131 477 1234)
Links: Report | Audit Scotland press release | SE press release
Date: 2005-Dec
A report examined the evidence base for effective social work with older people. It said that social work with older people should focus on the key social work tasks of assessment, care management, and review for people with complex needs, as distinct from the provision of social services to the majority of older people who had relatively straightforward needs.
Source: Brian Kerr, Jean Gordon, Charlotte MacDonald and Kirsten Stalker, Effective Social Work with Older People, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Date: 2005-Dec
A report said that social work was seldom mentioned in the wider literature about prevention and early intervention: but a key preventive role for social workers was to enable vulnerable children and families to access and benefit from universal and specialist preventive services.
Source: Moira Walker, The Statutory Social Worker s Role in Prevention and Early Intervention with Children, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Dec
The Scottish Executive published an action plan aimed at reducing the number of people who lost their lives as a result of drug abuse.
Source: Taking action to reduce Scotland s drug-related deaths, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2005-Dec
The Scottish Executive announced a pilot programme to strengthen primary healthcare and reduce health inequalities. The programme would target deprived communities with poor health records; it would actively seek out those at risk of ill health, and offer them access to services and treatments which met their needs.
Source: Press release 21 November 2005, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: SE press release
Date: 2005-Nov
A report examined the relationships between mental health and inequalities in Scotland - including poverty, gender and race.
Source: Fiona Myers, Allyson McCollam and Amy Woodhouse, Equal Minds: Addressing mental health inequalities in Scotland, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Nov
The Scottish Executive published a programme of action for the National Health Service in Scotland. It aimed to reduce reliance on episodic, acute care in hospitals, and move towards a system which emphasized wider health and well-being - through preventive medicine, support for self-care, and greater targeting of resources on those at greatest risk.
Source: Delivering for Health, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Date: 2005-Nov
Results from the 2003 Scottish Health Survey were published. Between 1998 and 2003 smoking prevalence among both men and women (aged 16-64) fell, and physical activity levels increased.
Source: Catherine Bromley, Kerry Sproston and Nicola Shelton (eds.), Scottish Health Survey 2003, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2005-Nov
A report said that fostering services in Scotland were in danger of being 'overwhelmed'. There was a shortage of 1,700 foster families.
Source: Caring for our Children: Fostercare in Scotland, Fostering Network Scotland (0141 204 1400)
Links: Report (pdf links)
Date: 2005-Oct
The Scottish Executive published a Bill to introduce new legal powers of joint inspection and access to information for those involved in inspecting children's services.
Source: Joint Inspection of Children's Services and Inspection of Social Work Services (Scotland) Bill, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Text of Bill (pdf) | SE press release
Date: 2005-Oct
An article said that the impact of devolution on the health systems of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland was almost impossible to gauge, due to a lack of information needed to make meaningful comparisons.
Source: Arturo Alvarez-Rosete, Gwyn Bevan, Nicholas Mays and Jennifer Dixon, 'Effect of diverging policy across the NHS', British Medical Journal, 22 October 2005
Links: Article | Kings Fund press release
Date: 2005-Oct
The Scottish Executive published (following consultation) a framework setting out an integrated approach for all agencies who worked on mental health issues with children and young people.
Source: The Mental Health of Children and Young People: A framework for promotion, prevention and care, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report (pdf) | Consultation responses | SE press release
Date: 2005-Oct
The Scottish Executive set out its priorities for the National Health Service over the coming decade, based on recommendations made by the Kerr Group. Healthcare services across Scotland would focus more on preventative and continuous care in local communities, and resources would be targeted on those with the greatest risk of ill-health.
Source: Delivering for Health, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report (pdf) | Kerr report | SE press release
Date: 2005-Oct
A research report said that Scotland was improving its support for unpaid carers, but set out a series of recommendations for further action.
Source: Office for Public Management Ltd, The Future of Unpaid Care in Scotland, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: Report (pdf links) | SE press release
Date: 2005-Sep
The Scottish Executive began consultation to establish whether vulnerable adults needed further protection in community and regulated settings.
Source: Protecting Vulnerable Adults: Securing their Safety - Third consultation paper on the protection of vulnerable adults and related matters, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | SE press release
Date: 2005-Jul
The Scottish Parliament approved a Bill which provided for free eye and dental checks for all, a wider range of pharmacy services, and better access to dental services. The Bill also introduced smoke-free public places from 26 March 2006.
Source: The Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Text of Bill (pdf) | Explanatory notes (pdf) | Policy memorandum (pdf) | SE press release
Date: 2005-Jul
A literature review updated previous work relating to mental health legislation and mentally disordered offenders.
Source: Jacqueline Atkinson, Jacquie Reilly, Helen Garner and Lesley Patterson, Review of Literature Relating to Mental Health Legislation, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Jul
An updated guide was published to social and health policy and policy-making in Scotland. It gave a comprehensive overview of recent policies and health-related initiatives implemented by the Scottish and United Kingdom governments, and by the European Union.
Source: Peter Taylor, Understanding the Policy Maze: A guide to social and health policy in Scotland, Health Education Board for Scotland, available from NHS Health Scotland (fax: 0131 536 5501)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jun
An audit report said that solving the problem of delayed discharges from hospitals in Scotland needed action across all parts of the health and community care system.
Source: Moving On? An overview of delayed discharges in Scotland, Audit Scotland for Accounts Commission and Auditor General (0131 477 1234)
Links: Report (pdf) | Audit Scotland press release (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jun
The Scottish Parliament voted in favour of a Bill that would make Scotland the first part of the United Kingdom to become completely smoke free in all enclosed public places. The new law would come into force in March 2006.
Source: Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Text of Bill (pdf) | SE press release
Date: 2005-Jun
The Scottish Executive began consultation on plans to modernize Scotland's children's services (including the children's hearings system), designed to give vulnerable children better, quicker and more co-ordinated support.
Source: Getting it Right for Every Child: Proposals for action, Scottish Executive (0131 244 7389)
Links: Consultation document | SE press release | CHILDREN 1ST press release | Community Care report
Date: 2005-Jun
The Scottish Executive accepted the main recommendations of a review group report on modernizing the adoption system in Scotland, and began consultation.
Source: Better Choices for our Children: Adoption Policy Review Group - Report phase 2, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283) | Secure and Safe Homes for our Most Vulnerable Children: A consultation paper, Scottish Executive
Links: Phase 2 report (pdf) | Consultation document (pdf) | SE press release | Fostering Network press release
Date: 2005-Jun
A report examined ways of improving public health, and reducing health inequalities, in Scotland.
Source: Fiona Crawford, Doing It Differently: An asset-based approach to well-being, Scottish Council Foundation (0131 225 4709)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-May
A study of four integrated children s services across Scotland found that, from the perspective of families, continuity in services was very important.
Source: Kay Tisdall, Jennifer Wallace, Evelyn McGregor, Dianne Millen and Andrew Bell, Seamless Services, Smoother Lives, Children in Scotland (0131 228 8484) for Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: JRF Findings
Date: 2005-May
An expert group produced a detailed set of recommendations on how the National Health Service in Scotland could be shaped over the coming decades. Key recommendations included: a systematic approach to caring for people (especially older people) with long-term conditions, with a view to managing their care at home or in the community and, where possible, without hospitalization; and action in deprived areas, through anticipatory care, to prevent future ill-health and reduce health inequality.
Source: Building a Health Service Fit for the Future ('Kerr Group report'), Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | SE press release | NHS Confed press release | Children Now report
Date: 2005-May
The interim report of a review of Scottish social work highlighted the growing diversity of roles that social workers fulfilled.
Source: 21st Century Social Work Review: Interim report, 21st Century Social Work Review Group/Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: Young People Now report
Date: 2005-Apr
A report by a committee of the Scottish Parliament said that a ban on smoking in enclosed public places would impact positively on public health, and that a voluntary approach to tobacco control would not ensure the same outcome.
Source: Stage 1 Report on Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill, 6th Report 2005, SP Paper 322, Scottish Parliament Health Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | Evidence | SE press release
Date: 2005-Apr
An independent evaluation report was published on a project (in Glasgow) to improve child health by a programme of early interventions. A significantly lower rate of depressive symptoms was found at 6 months for intervention mothers, but not at 18 months. There was no improvement in the quality of the home environment at 6 months, but some at 18 months.
Source: Mhairi Mackenzie, Jon Shute, Kathryn Berzins and Ken Judge, The Independent Evaluation of 'Starting Well': Final report, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Apr
A report by a committee of MSPs said that the costs of providing free personal care for older people in Scotland could be greater than originally estimated.
Source: Report on Community Care, 2nd Report 2005, SP Paper 313, Scottish Parliament Audit Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SP press release
Date: 2005-Mar
Researchers said that the base cost of 70 million per annum for providing free personal care in the community for elderly people in Scotland needed to be increased by 18 million.
Source: Margaret Cuthbert and Jim Cuthbert, Free Care of the Elderly, Fraser of Allander Institute/University of Strathclyde (0141 548 3958)
Links: Community Care report
Date: 2005-Feb
An audit report highlighted a number of challenges faced by local councils in Scotland. In the financial year 2003-04, 60 per cent of young people aged 16-17 who left care away from home did not gain standard grades in English and maths. 20 per cent of children placed under supervision were not seen by a supervising officer within the 15-day target time. 33 per cent of primary schools were seriously under-occupied.
Source: Education & Children's Services: Performance Indicators 2003/04, Audit Scotland for Accounts Commission and Auditor General (0131 477 1234)
Links: Report (pdf) | Audit Scotland press release (pdf)
Date: 2005-Feb
A report said that deprivation was a factor impacting on a range of health issues among children in Scotland - such as teenage pregnancy, and the number of children admitted to hospital for unintentional injury, asthma, and diabetes.
Source: Health Indicators Report: A Focus on Children, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (0131 623 4300)
Links: Report (pdf) | QIS press release
Date: 2005-Jan
Following consultation, the Scottish Executive published a strategy and action plan for improving sexual health.
Source: Respect and Responsibility: Strategy and action plan for improving sexual health, Scottish Executive (0131 244 2568)
Links: Report (pdf) | Consultation responses | SE press release | FPA press release
Date: 2005-Jan
An audit report said that there were 'encouraging signs' of further improvement in key areas of social work services in Scotland. There was evidence that home care services were being delivered more flexibly, the proportion of qualified staff in care homes for older people increased, and criminal justice services also improved. However, housing services continued to face challenges.
Source: Housing & Social Work: Performance indicators 2003/04, Audit Scotland for Accounts Commission and Auditor General (0131 477 1234)
Links: Report (pdf) | Audit Scotland press release (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jan
Researchers found that people in Scotland were becoming more understanding and tolerant of mental health problems, and of people who suffered from them.
Source: Simon Braunholtz, Sara Davidson and Susan King, Well? What Do You Think?(2004): The second national Scottish survey of public attitudes to mental health, mental well-being and mental health problems, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2005-Jan
