Members of The Highland Council have noted an Annual Report by the Chief Social Work Officer for 2025/26.
The report provides information on the range of statutory activities carried out during the past year and highlights the achievements, and opportunities and challenges moving forward. Councillors discussed the content of the report and the implications for social work and social care services within Highland Council and NHS Highland at yesterday's meeting of the Council.
Cllr David Fraser, Chair of the Council’s Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Committee said: “I commend the Chief Social Work Officer’s report for 2025/26 and all the staff who have contributed to the delivery of services. The report highlights a positive view of service improvement, partnership working and workforce development, supported by a strong commitment to prevention, early intervention and delivering The Promise.
“These achievements, however, continue to have significant challenges relating to workforce capacity, financial pressures, placement availability, housing shortages and increasing demand across social work and social care services.”
Fiona Duncan, Chief Social Work Officer said: “Social Work and Social Care Services continue to experience significant pressures in the current climate; however, we do have good news to relay about service improvement, partnership working and positive outcomes.
“This report highlights the dedication and commitment of our Social Work and Social Care teams who continue to deliver high-quality services despite sustained pressures.”
Positive outcomes highlighted in the report include:
- The Council continues to invest in its "grow your own" social work scheme which has reduced vacancies and strengthened workforce resilience.
- Development of the Promise Health Team and increased emphasis on prevention and early intervention through Child Health services.
- Improved collaboration between Children's Social Work, Child Health and Education through the Council’s People Cluster structure.
- Positive inspection outcomes across fostering, adoption and continuing care services, with improvements in leadership, care planning and wellbeing support.
- Justice services continue to perform strongly, with high levels of client satisfaction, reductions in offending behaviour and positive community impact through Community Payback Orders.
- Child protection services have improved assessments with stronger inclusion of children's feedback and successful implementation of the Scottish Child Interview Model.
- The Comraich service for unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people continues to demonstrate excellent partnership working and positive outcomes in education, employment and integration.
The report also noted that new legislative requirements will place additional pressures on social work services in the coming years. Additional key challenges also affecting social work and care services included rising demands on housing services; demand for Mental health officers and Adults with Incapacity; increasing pressure on adult social care; shortages of foster carers and residential placements and ongoing recruitment and retention issues.
The Chief Social Work Officer Annual Report for 2025/26 can be viewed at Appendix 1 in agenda item 7 of the meeting of The Highland Council.