Changing Lives

Changing Lives (main and summary reports), the report of the 21st Century Social Work Review set out a compelling and challenging vision for the future direction of social work services in Scotland.

It delivered three main messages and challenges.

• Social work doesn't have all the answers. So we need to build capacity to deliver personalised services.
• We don't make best use of social work skills. So we need to build the capacity of the workforce.
• Doing more of the same won't work. So we need to build capacity for sustainable change.

In February 2006, Scottish Ministers welcomed the findings outlined in Changing Lives (Executive response), accepted all 13 recommendations and gave a commitment to act upon them.

Implementation Plan

On 28 June 2006, a five year Changing Lives Implementation Plan was published, which puts in place the processes required to build capacity for change across social work services.

This plan translates the aspirations of Changing Lives into five change programmes.

The change programmes inform and are informed by the National Social Work Services Forum which has been set up to help shape the future of social work services and directly inform the 21st Century Social Work Cabinet Delivery Group.

We will only achieve the vision set out in Changing Lives if practitioners, leaders and the people who use services understand the potential benefits of, and are involved in, the change process. Implementation will therefore need to be participative and collaborative. It will need to draw on the talent and commitment of people in every part and, at every level of the system.