Effectiveness as a Guide to Planning in the Social Services

Introduction The purpose of social services can be defined as the provision of support services, to individuals who are unable to lead a “normal” existence within the community at large. Irrespective of the emphasis placed on different aspects of its purpose, in practice, the agencies that are charged with this duty must take three steps. Initially the client's needs must be identified, in some cases this being no easy task as the perceived and actual client needs are not identical. Secondly, the strategy for aiding the client must be defined and the resource requirements specified. Finally, the effectiveness of the chosen strategy in meeting the client need must be determined such that if unsatisfactory, some corrective alternative solutions can be devised within the resource constraints that are prevalent.