About ASCC
Original SSIN
In February 1986 a meeting was held in Coventry to establish a group for social service staff in information work.
The call for such a group came out of three workshops set up by the National Institute for Social Work's (NISW) Practice and Development Exchange funded by the Rowntree Trust, to explore information needs in the field of social care. A report of the workshops was produced by Gerry Smale in 1985 entitled Information Exchange: Swamp or Desert?
NISW felt that such a group was necessary because of the professional isolation and lack of contact between information workers in the field and the lack of information being exchanged between departments.
Social Services Departments (SSDs) throughout the country constantly generate vast quantities of information such as reports, research, new projects etc. This information although of interest to other SSDs engaged in similar research and work, often did not get publicised or reported. Other SSDs therefore did not get to hear about what other authorities were doing.
The group of librarians and information officers felt that there should be a way of facilitating the flow of information between SSDs to avoid unnecessary duplication of work which is costly in terms of staff time and resources.
The Social Services Information Network (ssin) was formally established in November 1986.
In May 2003 the SSIN name evolved into the ASCC - Association of Social Care Communicators.
Aims and objectives
ASCC aims to:
- Raise the profile of information - it's a service in its own right.
- Improve the quality and range of information available to service users and staff.
Encourage the exchange of ideas between information workers throughout the country. - Act as a support group offering a change to discuss the particular problems of providing quality public information - you don't need to re-invent the wheel.
Policy group roles
Chair - Chairs Policy Group, organises training events, the AGM and residential conferences. Liases with all members nationwide to co-ordinate and plan ASCC activities.
Past Chair - Created at the AGM 2001, the function of this post is to ensure continuity for ASCC and provide support for the new Chair.
Vice Chair - Attends Policy Group, planning for training events, AGM and conference. Deputises at meetings. Arranges the updating and production of the Directory of Contacts.
Treasurer - Deals with all financial matters relating to ASCC including invoicing members and writing the treasurer's report.
Policy Group Administrator - The Policy Group Administrator is responsible for organising ASCC Policy Group meetings and producing minutes of meetings.
Membership Secretary - Maintains the membership list of ASCC and produces a membership mailing list.
Newsletter Editor - Writes, collects and edit items for the newsletter. Attends Policy Group meetings and liaises with other Policy Group members over production and distribution.
Web Editor - Maintains and develops the content and design of the ASCC website. Their role includes adding new material to the site, authorising passwords for the membership area and moderating the email list.
Regional Representatives - Co-ordinate meetings and activities within designated ASCC regions. Promote regional exchange of ideas and experiences and represent the interests of region at the Policy Group.
Constitution and standing orders
Constitution
(47kb PDF file)
Approved at the AGM on 21 May 2001 and
amended at the AGM on 4 October 2004.
Standing Orders (70kb PDF file)
Approved by the Policy Group
on 12 September 2005.