Previously, the council’s chief social work officer, described 2020/21 as the ‘hardest year ever’ due to the demands of the covid crisis.
However, the annual report for 2021/22 has just been published and shows that the total number of calls handled by the social work department rose from 81,010 to 83,603 – the equivalent of 229 per day.
In her annual report, Lillian Cringles, the chief social work officer, wrote: “We have all been touched by the pandemic and the impact of this will be felt for many years to come as we recover and rebuild.
“Social work staff have, and continue to, show remarkable commitment, compassion, adaptability, and determination to maintain services, in these challenging times and for this I send my sincere thanks.”
The need in the community for adult, children, and families support services is also on the increase.
The report detailed that 25,079 referrals were made last year, with the following breakdown: adults – 17,916, children and families – 4,516, and justice service – 2,647
Lillian Cringles wrote: “The total of 25,079 referrals represents a 12 percent increase on the previous period. The initial stages of the pandemic resulted in a drop in the referral rate.
“This increased as restrictions eased and continues to surpass previous levels. The active workload across the service reflects a significant increase as we focused on those already known to the service and those coming into the service for the first time.”
The annual report and overall performance of the social work department last year is to be discussed at the council’s social work committee on October 4.
It has also be highlighted how the region’s “stark” poverty figures mean that social workers and their colleagues have a particularly tough job on their hands in Dumfries and Galloway.
Around one in five Dumfries and Galloway residents live in poverty and some areas within the region are amongst the 20 percent most deprived data zones in Scotland.
Lillian Cringles wrote: “These are mostly in and around the largest towns – our most deprived areas are Stranraer West and Northwest Dumfries.
“The statistics on child poverty are of particular concern: 6,141 children (26.2 percent) across our region live in households below 60 percent median income before housing costs.
“This proportion has increased by 2.8 percent since 2015, the fifth highest increase amongst Scottish local authorities. Eighteen percent of children in the region are reliant on free school meals.”
She concluded: “I know the coming years will be challenging, we will continue to innovate the way we operate, and confident that Dumfries and Galloway social work services will continue to rise to the challenge.”
