Assistant Service Manager, Justice Social Work, Glasgow Health & Social Care Partnership
‘Your Voice’ – Glasgow Justice Social Work’s stock method of gathering feedback about the quality of the service concluded its second year of existence at the end of March 2024. In last year’s article ‘Your Voice – Ready for Feedback’ we reported on the early feedback from this initiative.
This year’s report focuses on year two quantitative analysis with some qualitative feedback from Service Users. In 2023/24 Phase two of the workstream also launched and this surveys people subject to Drug Testing & Treatment Orders (DTTO), Clyde Quay Project and Tomorrow’s Women Glasgow Service. Feedback for 2023/24 should be read in conjunction with last year’s Annual Reporter as it explains the principles, design and scoring methods adopted to analyse Service User feedback about the quality of the service. Last year’s results are also contained, within the link.
Glasgow Justice Services are currently part of a developmental sub-group within Social Work Scotland focusing on performance, quality and outcomes and this group is currently designing guidance for services in relation to agreeing principles for ‘User Voice’ consultation activity. It is also attempting to widen ‘User Voice’ within National Justice Services in relation to increasing levels of involvement through the ladder of participation.
The Care Inspectorate is currently supporting a guided self-evaluation and this year’s ‘Your Voice’ outcomes will be part of an assessment into how Glasgow Justice Services use Service User feedback to inform improvement planning. The following model is useful in considering the structure of performance improvement and the implementation of change.
Links to the electronic survey or traditional paper surveys (Phase one) were sent to 1270 clients in year two. (2023/24)
The demographics of those who responded reflects the overall population of Service Users subject to Supervision, Unpaid Work, Structured Deferred Sentences and Throughcare licence.
- 25.06% identified as having a disability.
- 13.71% were women, 0.2% Trans community.
- 4.16% (16-20), 10.26% (21-25), 12.5% (26-30), 30.48% (31-40), 42.27% (41+)
- 75.10% White Scottish, 4.77% Black African, 3.96% Pakistan, 1.93% any other ethnic background, 0.71% Chinese
- Pollok 21.23%, Parkhead 21.13%, Norfolk Street 13.82%, Easterhouse 12.9% Partick 9.95%, Mansion Street 9.04%, Eastgate 1.32%, Castlemilk 1.11%
For a description of procedural justice and the scoring methodology please do link back to last year’s article. Satisfaction levels are slightly down on the first year for procedural justice surveys and this appears directly related to an increase in surveys being sent to those who had a breach outcome in year two.
Qualitative feedback also enhances the quantitative analysis. Here are some examples from the smart survey and I have also included phase two surveys which reached the year stage of their use in a two-year cycle. Phase two are surveys sent out to clients who use centre based or specialist services.
Unpaid Work:
“I did my unpaid work in a charity shop and felt I was doing good for people that didn’t have much wealth and were grateful for what they bought as a bargain. I learnt about serving the public, having manners and being helpful.”
“My placement was excellent, as such I have chosen to continue to volunteer in this space with the view of continuing to do so for months/years in ahead.”
“You need more rewarding jobs and variety to keep people interested and more flexibility for those who must travel further, like me.”
Supervision:
“My worker was lovely and very caring and helped me work through a lot of personal issues I was dealing with. I’m so grateful for her help and encouragement in my recovery and self-help process.”
“The interview rooms are a midden. I can’t understand how Social Work staff are meant to do good work in airless boxes.”
“During Supervision I was assisted in being able to analyse and make corrective steps towards improving both my mindset and future goals with regards avoiding future criminal behaviour.”
“The services were good. The level of support was good. Only thing I feel the quality of the videos in the group sessions need upgraded.”
“This supervision gave me a profound insight into the person that I was leading up to my offence and what steps I should follow to achieve a future life void of criminal behaviour.”
Structured Deferred Sentence:
“My worker was brilliant as I have many mental health issues and she helped me understand and cope as I was struggling just out of prison didn’t even have a GP, she really helped me, I’m grateful to her and how she helped me cope, she went over and above, I’ve struggled with some orders before, she took me as she found me and did a lot of stuff she didn’t need to.”
“I think the worker assigned to me did her best to help me complete my order and took the time to allow me to progress and was more than helpful with me – seeing me earlier than I expected so as not to impact my work commitments.”
“My social worker was fantastic, was always there for me when I needed her and listened to everything I said. I couldn’t fault her at all she helped me every way possible she is a fantastic social worker 10/10. It is because of her influence I am going to stay out of trouble and never be up in front of a judge again.”
Throughcare:
“My social worker has helped me do things I never knew how to do and apply for. She has helped me with my mental health/doctors’ appointments and even family issues and day to day life things u forget or struggle with as a long-term prisoner, adjusting into community and family after so long. I enjoy my social work appointments. Thanks to the help of the social work team and social worker who is a great help and credit to my license and my family. She has helped me a lot into settling in with my life after being in prison for a long time, if wasn’t for the social work team and I would not have had this sort of help to resettle grateful for it.”
“Just that I get on well with my social worker and just for me to keep progressing.”
Tomorrow’s Women:
“The staff are kind and respectful, caring and fun.”
“I need to do more to access local activities. As I feel very isolated and lonely. I have a disability.”
Clyde Quay:
“Unlike most I imagine who would resent social work/OMU involvement in their lives, I welcomed it. It gave me an anchor to which I was accountable to oversee the transition from prison custody and confinement to liberation and the next chapter in my life. At times even when I was feeling somewhat confused or despondent the representatives from the CJ Social work team and the OMU have always reassured me that there is still more to be had from life and that my conviction and status are not definitions of me. I have only ever had positive interactions with either team and only have thanks and gratitude for their consideration, courtesy, professionalism and the dignity that they afforded me.”
“I came away from the group with an understanding of why and also the paths that lead to my offending. Through group I have gained skills that not only help me in avoiding paths but also skills that help me in other areas of life.”
“I was supported in the group and the facilitators were excellent. I have benefited a lot from participation and am in a better situation having learnt a lot about my behaviour.”
DTTO:
“My DTTO Order helped me a whole / hell of lot as am going on to train for Scottish Drug Forum now and my workers were excellent with me and the Sheriff. Thank You.”
“My time on my order was just at the right time in my life. I was looking for help and asked and got help with drugs. Since being on it I never treated it as an order, I treated it as if it was an investment in my life and that I had an amazing team behind me.”
Next year we are hoping to be able to report on the progress of phase three surveys which focus on the Caledonian System, Positive Outcomes Project, Diversion from Prosecution, and the Youth Court.
Margaret Smith, Manager, Community Justice Glasgow commented:
“It is fantastic to see the continuing development of Your Voice, getting consistent and quality independent feedback from the people who use justice services has been a long-term ambition of the Community Justice Glasgow Partnership. To see it come to fruition in the way that is has is testament to the work and determination of the Glasgow Health & Social Care Partnership to hear and act on service users’ voices and particularly in Dominic’s professionalism and collaborative approach in driving this work forward.
If we want to have informed service development and continuous improvement this is exactly what is needed. I can see from the qualitative feedback that there are areas identified for improvement, but I am heartened to see the great feedback not only about the staff and services but also the thread of benefits people are seeing in improving their own personal outcomes, which lies at the very heart of what Community Justice is all about – improving outcomes by addressing the underlying drivers of offending behaviour and helping people to bring improvements to their lives right now that will benefit them and reduce the risk that they will re-offend. I look forward seeing this work go from strength to strength.”