17 October 2003
Social care is to get its own voice in Whitehall with the creation of a national director of social care, Health Secretary John Reid told social services chiefs this week.
In what was described as a largely conciliatory speech by a still 'trainee health secretary', Reid said the post would operate along parallel lines to that of 'patients' czar' Harry Cayton, the director of patient experience and public involvement.
The post will fill the obvious void that will be left by the Social Services Inspectorate. This is currently the direct policy voice for social services in Whitehall as well as its watchdog, but will be subsumed by the independent and arm's-length body, the Commission for Social Care Inspection, next year.
Andrew Cozens, president of the Association of Directors of Social Services, welcomed the announcement and described the post as 'substantive'.
'With the departure of the SSI out of the department there had been some debate about who would be the voice of social care,' he told Public Finance. 'This post should bring together the distinct issues of social care and local government within the department.'
John Ransford, director of education and social policy at the Local Government Association, said he was seeking an early meeting to discuss how the post would operate. He added that the director must be 'senior enough to be a strong and influential voice for social care' in Whitehall.
Also speaking at the joint ADSS/LGA conference in Brighton on October 15, Audit Commission chair James Strachan warned that structural changes alone would not solve the problems inherent in children's social services.
He described last month's green paper, which advocated children's trusts, as a step forward. 'But it is not enough on its own to deliver the transformation we want to see.'
He said there were often tendencies in government to form partnerships then leave responsibility at the door of new organisations. He added that strong leadership, intelligent regulation and a stronger focus on users' needs were the keys to reform.
The LGA also joined in the criticism of the green paper, warning that it was too prescriptive.
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