Report into the implementation of modernisation of social services, with evidence drawn from a major survey of social workers in a large case study authority. Social services are some of the most vital local public services, acting as both a social safety net to catch those who become excluded from a society and a system of vital support for children, families, adults with emotional or learning difficulties and older people no longer able to maintain their independence without external help. The quality of our social services are a key barometer of how caring and inclusive our society is.
Social services, like all aspects of the public sector have had to cope with two decades of under-funding and almost constant incremental reform. They are now subject to what the government calls ‘modernisation’. This report examines the implementation of the government’s modernisation agenda for public sector reform. It gives a voice to social care professionals at the frontline of service delivery and therefore also modernisation.