§ Baroness Turner of Camdenasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish the performance assessment framework for personal social services promised in the White Paper Modernising Health and Social Services. [HL1224]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Hayman)The Department of Health has today published the consultation document,A New Approach to Social Services Performance, setting out the details of our proposals for a new performance assessment framework for social services and an associated set of 46 performance indicators. Copies will be placed in the Library.
The framework and its indicators will help government, councils and local people to assess how well local social services are performing. Councils and government will be able to use the framework and the indicators to identify areas of possible good practice and areas where improvement is required.
We are redefining and strengthening our approach to social services performance to improve the Department of Health's capacity to assess performance and to put in place the necessary structures to support best value in social services. The performance assessment framework is one part of this. We will build upon the success of the Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) inspection programme and the SSI/Audit Commission joint reviews and enhance the performance role of the Regional Offices of the SSI. A New Approach to Social Services Performance describes these new arrangements and how they will help to ensure that best value is delivered in social services.