Top-down priorities

The Social Services Inspectorate found that assessments and outcomes are often influenced by a ' "professional knows best" culture', in which only a 'tokenistic acknowledgement' is given to the views of parents, contrary to the emphasis put on working in partnership with parents by The Children Act 1989.

(See SSI reports of inspections of individual councils as listed in Appendix E of Goodinge, S., A Jigsaw of Services, Social Services Inspectorate, Department of Health, 2000.)