Be Inspired! Shirley Ayres Consulting

Social work is complex and challenging. The post qualifying awards provide important learning and development opportunities for social workers to develop advanced practice skills.  

I have recently completed an audit and evaluation of the impact of the post qualifying (PQ) awards for social work practice across six London boroughs. The research was commissioned by Skills for Care London on behalf of the Social Work Development Partnership

Following consultation with a number of stakeholders we developed two online surveys. Staff with responsibility for post qualifying education and practice learning (PQ Leads) were asked for their views and the support they needed to promote the post qualifying framework. Social workers who had completed a post qualifying module or award were asked about their  motivations, the support offered by their employers,  the benefits and their experiences of studying for a post qualifying award.

Although it was small scale research project the findings are significant for employers, social workers, HR, Workforce Development and Learning and Development teams. There are key messages for  the Social Work Reform Board and the Munro Review of child protection: Better frontline services to protect children.

The PQ awards are highly valued by social workers who believe that they are more skilled, confident and reflective practitioners as a result of undertaking PQ study. Overall the majority of respondents felt that post qualifying training in their organisations was important or essential 47.5% of social workers believed that post qualifying training for social workers is very important and 18.7% stated that it is absolutely essential.

73.7% of social workers believe that there has been a direct impact upon their work with service users as a result of undertaking a post qualifying award. There was a particular focus on the importance of being able to reflect on practice and reaffirm the importance of social work values when working in multi-disciplinary settings.

Promoting, supporting and recognising the value of PQ learning is a valuable recruitment and retention strategy. Social workers in the survey placed a great deal of importance on their professional development and career advancement. Currently most local authorities do not have a career grade for advanced social work practitioners. The majority of responses indicated that the PQ framework is not embedded within a social work career pathway or linked with career development.  

Career progression and advancement is an area for development by local authorities to provide career pathways and develop a strategic approach to the recruitment and retention of social work staff. Local authorities who have developed a framework for career progression, which links with the post qualifying awards, could be promoted as exemplars of good practice.

There is an important link between the PQ awards and practice learning. 62% of those undertaking a PQ award had supervised a student. At a time when we need to ensure that high quality statutory placements are available the PQ awards have an important role to play in ensuring best practice standards are maintained.

Local authorities who have a dedicated lead for practice learning and the post qualifying awards are in a stronger position to contribute to the wider workforce agenda which includes the development of the InLaws framework and for children’s services implementing the One Children’s Workforce Tool.

Skills for Care London have developed a range of support materials and and resources. These include the Post Qualifying and Practice Learning Bulletin, the London Directory of Post Qualifying Programmes, the PQ Employers Guide to the PQ Framework and PQ case studies.

Sharing learning and knowledge is an important employer  benefit for  post qualifying education. The research indicated that PQ award holders have been involved in the development of policy within their organisation, writing for professional publications, running workshops, presenting at conferences and shared their learning with students to embed good practice within their organisations.  

Can employers afford to ignore the return on investment of improving social work practice through the post qualifying awards?

Download the report Evaluating the impact of the PQ awards and find out about the Key Messages for the Social Work Reform Board

Shirley Ayres Consulting specialise in impact audits and communication strategies linked to demonstrable outcomes. Contact info@shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk to discuss  how we can help you to evaluate and communicate the benefits of the services your organisation delivers.

Tags: advanced social work practice, improving social work practice, Leadership and Management, Learning and Development, post qualifying awards, research, researching the impact of post qualifying awards, ROI

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The 4th National Continuing Professional Development Conference for Social Workers on the theme of ‘Integrated   Practice’ will be held at the Institute of Psychiatry on 14th September 2010.

 The conference features prominent keynote speakers, engaging workshops and a unique opportunity to network with professional colleagues from across the country.

Camila Batmanghelidjh from Kids Company http://www.kidsco.org.uk will be talking about the need for new paradigms of care.

Keynote papers will be given by:

Professor Peter Huxley ( Swansea University ) – Integration of health and social care in mental health services

Professor Nick Frost ( Leeds Metropolitan University ) – Integrated working in frontline children’s services: research, policy and practice

Professor Marian Barnes ( University of Brighton ) – Ethics of care in promoting effective dialogue between workers, service users and carers.

The conference will also feature an interactive plenary session on the theme: “Are families becoming more dangerous?”

Professor Colin Pritchard ( Bournemouth University ) will address the issue of ‘Who kills children?’, based on data presented in his recent British Journal of Social Work paper that hit the headlines.

Attendance at the conference will count towards your GSCC post registration training and learning requirements.

Further information and the online booking form can be found at www.iop.kcl.ac.uk/annualsocialworkconference. Early bird bookings are available until 31^st July. All Making Research Count bookings should be made by Learning and Development Managers to janet.noble@kcl.ac.uk.

Abstracts for parallel workshops throughout the day are still being received . If you or a colleague are interested in leading a workshop of relevance to the conference theme, please submit your abstract by 25^th June. Full information and an online abstract submission form are available from: www.iop.kcl.ac.uk/annualsocialworkconference.

Any questions? Contact Julie Smith, the conference organiser julie.smith@iop.kcl.ac.uk

Tags: advanced social work practice, be inspired, institute of psychiatry, integrated working, professional practice, Social Work

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There was a real sense of anticipation at the launch of the final report of the Social Work Task Force last week. A gathering of the “great and the good”, government ministers and a sprinkling of celebrity. Goldie, the singer who appears in the social worker recruitment campaign “Helpgivethemavoice.com” spoke powerfully and movingly about his own experiences of being in care and the importance of social workers in his life.
It was always going to be a difficult balancing act – addressing the problems of today whilst presenting a vision for tomorrow. The Social Work Task Force are to be commended on producing such a thoughtful and considered report within a relatively short time scale. The extensive consultations with numerous stakeholders are reflected in the commentary and narrative of the Report. It is radical in the sense that it coherently addresses the concerns expressed by social workers and social users over many years about the cultural change needed to improve social work services. 
“Building a safe, confident future” has fifteen recommendations which have the potential to rebuild and reposition the social work profession.
Children’s Secretary Ed Balls and Health Secretary Andy Burnham announced the Government’s acceptance of a radical package of recommendations from the final Social Work Task Force report, to transform social work and the public understanding of social workers’ crucial contribution to our society.

Under the package, every social worker will benefit from: 
Reforms to initial training, so all students receive good quality education and practice learning placements, equipping them for the challenges they will face when they begin to practice. A change in the number of placement day is proposed to balance the new assessed probationary year. 
1.45 Serious consideration should be given to reducing the minimum number of placement days to be undertaken within the social work degree from 200 to no less than 130. Such a reduction would help to
●● release more time to deliver important elements of the curriculum which may not be currently covered sufficiently
●● ensure a sharper focus on what the placement is meant to achieve in terms of the student’s learning and development
●● enable all students to have better quality placements

A new ‘licensing’ system which will introduce an assessed probationary year in employment for new social work graduates, during which they will receive extra support. The assessed year in employment would also allow social workers to increase their expertise in specialised areas of social work, building on the improved grounding provided by the degree and creating a solid platform for further career long development. Responsibility for assessment could potentially be shared between employers, higher education institutions and the regulator.

A revamped framework for continuing professional development, underpinned by a practice-based masters qualification, so all social workers can keep their skills up to date and develop specialist knowledge.
3.6 The current post-qualification (PQ) framework of nationally accredited courses, in effect since 2007, includes some excellent provision for both the adult and children’s workforce. Where there are strong partnerships and good collaboration between employers and HEI – for example in commissioning, planning and developing current PQ courses – this has led to a more strategic approach to ongoing learning and the exchange of knowledge, more sharing of resources; and positive steps to develop and update practice.
(I would like to see a national research project commissioned which evaluates the impact upon practice of the current PQ framework before making any substantial changes. Moving towards a masters level is good news but consideration also has to be given to the 90,000 plus existing social workers on the GSCC Social Care Register who may not be in a position to undertake a masters programme). http://http://shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk/post-qualifying-learning-and-education/what-to-do-about-pq

A career structure so that experienced practitioners can progress in front line roles as well as in management. (Hackney’s reclaiming social work initiative is an excellent example of promoting the advanced social work practitioner).

A new standard for employers to ensure all employers put in place high quality supervision, time for continuing professional development and manageable work loads. In a Guardian article published 2nd December 2009 Moira Gibb encouraged employers not to wait for the standard to be in place but to publish NOW the caseload ceilings they work to locally, how they are achieving against them and engaging their front line staff in those discussions. (If your employer has already published guidelines do let me know)
The Task Force Report recommends the presence of a senior manager who is also a qualified social worker and who oversees the overall health of professional social work in the organisation; advises it on how the standard for employers can be upheld; and is accessible to frontline staff21. (This manager would also be the person who oversees the framework proposed below for assessing of the “health” of their organisation on a range of issues affecting workload).

Pay reform – unions will work together with employers in local government to ensure social workers receive the appropriate pay for their work and that the pay reflects their career development and progression.  

A new and independent College for Social Work led and owned by the profession, which must establish a stronger voice for social work and exercise appropriate influence over national policy making and public debate. Ministers will support it to become the first Royal College of Social Work as soon as possible. (it is interesting to contemplate the future roles of the GSCC, Skills for Care, Children’s Workforce Development Council, Social Care Institute for Excellence, BASW and the National Skills Academy for Social Care)

 All of this is in addition to the reforms to the Integrated Children’s System which the Task Force has already proposed and the Government has accepted. Over the next few months, as local authorities implement the changes they should significantly reduce the bureaucracy social workers experience on the front line.

Social worker supply
6.9 We do not have a system for analysing or forecasting the overall demand for and supply of social workers in England. There is a lack of reliable ‘real time’ data on the characteristics of the workforce and trends within it (e.g. vacancy rates). Equally, there is no agreed model for estimating and influencing the number of social workers needed in local areas.
6.10 As a result, workforce planning at local level and national levels, and the planning and resourcing of education and training, are severely hamstrung. This situation is not tenable in the long term.

Workforce Planning has to be a key element and it will be helpful to have some joined up thinking with the current systems for workforce planning which include:  the Skills for Care National Minimum Data Set, the CWDC One Childrens Workforce Tool, LeARNS and Adass InLAWS.

The Task Force have recommended that the public description of social work originally developed for the interim report should be adopted, finalised and used by the national college to improve the public understanding of social work.

The £58 million Social Work Transformation Fund has included:
• sponsoring 200 university places from September
• starting a new recruitment campaign specifically targeting social workers who may have left the profession to give the current workforce a boost
• rolling out the successful Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSW) pilots to all new children and families’ social workers joining statutory and voluntary services from this September
• funding a practice-based Masters in social work to start in early 2011 so that all social workers can continue to develop further their knowledge, skills and expertise
• introducing a new Advanced Social Work Professional Status programme to create senior practice-focused roles to keep excellent and experienced social workers in children’s services
• coaching and development for frontline social worker managers to boost leadership and management skills.

Ed Balls has stated that this will involve tough choices and one of the big questions is how we can get better results from the money that has already been invested in improving social work.  There are risks and challenges – social work needs innovation and creative thinking but will employers focus on saving money and potentially missing out on investing in the workforce. I think that there needs to be greater transparency and accountability about how the £58m Social Work Transformation Fund will be evaluated. As with so many of the initiatives funded in the past few years there is sometimes a lack of clarity about outputs, outcomes and the real impact upon the delivery of front line services.

Task Force chair, Moira Gibb, will continue her work by setting up a Social Work Reform Board and an implementation plan will be published in early 2010.

It has to be acknowledged there are some actions that will not cost a lot of money but will require a change in “mind set”. I was particularly struck by the Task Force statement that employers must act now to ensure that they are listening to their staff and putting in place the support that they need. However, the issue of how the recommendations will be resourced has yet to be addressed. The article on the Community Care website highlights the concerns of Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) and Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass). “reform will not be “quick, cheap or easy” and the new responsibilities for employers must be matched by cash”. ADCS and Adass have warned that funding the Social Work Task Force’s reforms will not be possible from current budgets.  access the article here

The full report and government response can be downloaded here

Shirley Ayres Consulting are committed to the promotion of integrated working in care services through workforce development and effective communications.

Tags: advanced social work practice, be inspired, cwdc, gscc, improving social work practice, Social Work, social work recruitment and retention, social work task force, workforce engagement

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The formal launch of the final report of the Social Work Task Force will take place on Tuesday 1 December 2009 at Central Hall, Westminster.  This event will be the first opportunity to hear the contents of this report. Registration is required by Thursday 26 November.
This report will set out in detail the recommendations to Government for a programme of comprehensive reform of the social work system in England. Delegates at this event will be the first to hear the contents of the report, as well as a presentation by Moira Gibb, Chair of the Social Work Task Force, and to hear the Government’s response. Members of the Task Force will explore the contents of the report and answer questions. Register here

Indications about the final recommendations:
• The profession needs a stronger, more coherent voice
• A new organisation to support social work which could take the form of a National College for Social Work (interesting to contemplate the future roles of the GSCC, Skills for Care, Children’s Workforce Development Council, Social Care Institute for Excellence and the National Skills Academy for Social Care)
• Different progression routes and career pathways for social work – (management should be one of a number of routes)
• Development of the Advanced Professional Social Worker role
• The importance of high quality CPD (and presumably implications for the current GSCC PRTL)
• A post-qualifying framework which is linked to career progression 
• Support for social workers in improving their basic skills, where required (how basic?)
• Reforms to include guidance on supervision and caseloads
• Recommendations about the ICS and the need for development of IT systems which support social workers as well as providing management information
• A pre-qualifying year and a license to practice
• Closer collaboration between employers and educators (since these partnerships already exist at qualifying and post-qualifying level it will be interesting to see how the recommendations will promote more effective joint working).

Social Work Task Force Website

Tags: advanced social work practice, cwdc, DCSF, education, gscc, ICS, Leadership and Management, Learning and Development, post qualifying awards, professional practice, scie, skills for care, Social Work, social work skills

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Where do the post qualifying awards for social work fit within the new CWDC and Skills for Care education and training frameworks?

“We will never ensure quality training, support and supervision for social workers without the active commitment of employers. The pressures that many social work teams are under won’t ease unless there is real investment by employers in developing and supporting their workforce.” Rosie Varley Chair GSCC in a speech at the GSCC Annual Conference 2009

If you are one of the thousands of PQ award holders you may be as puzzled as I am about the current low profile of the post qualifying awards. Admittedly there has been only a limited amount of research about the impact upon practice of completing a post qualifying award in social work. However, the findings consistently affirm the value of the awards in developing advanced practitioner skills and knowledge. High quality social work requires high levels of professional expertise – this has been known for many years. The real challenge is how we equip social workers with the skills and knowledge to consistently deliver best practice in social work.. We certainly need more research to identify where best practice is happening and whether practitioners with a post qualifying award are making a difference.

It is worth reading “Supporting and Promoting Advanced Social Work” published by the Institute of Psychiatry/Kings College London available here . This publication provides a number of case studies from former students and employers about the benefits of completing an Advanced Award in Social Work. The MSc in Mental Health Social Work with Children and Adults teaches practitioners innovative skills in mental health social work that are informed by research. Students not only refresh their knowledge and learn and practise new skills – they are also taught to critically appraise relevant empirical research studies and undertake their own original research. Past students have gone on to influence the development of policy and practice in their agencies, been promoted to leadership positions and offered advanced supervision to less experienced colleagues.

The Interim Report of the Social Work Task Force (SWTF) states that “current arrangements for education, training and career progression are not producing – or retaining – enough social workers suited to the full demands of frontline practice”. Research is required to evidence the links between PQ attainment and the recruitment and retention of social workers. “What support is available for my continuing professional development?” is certainly one of the questions that I would be asking a future employer. More information about the work of the Social Work Task force can be obtained here.

Sadly the challenges facing access to Post Qualifying (PQ) education and training have not radically changed over the last ten years. Funding, capacity issues and the lack of a national performance indicator are big disincentives for employers to invest in staff undertaking post qualifying awards in social work. The not for profit sector, with even less access to funding, are struggling to support staff wanting to undertake PQ. This is further complicated by the number of agency social workers employed by local authorities. There is no consistency in the access they have to continuing professional development opportunities.

Recognition or incentives vary considerably amongst employers because PQ is not systemically linked to re-registration, pay structures or workforce development. It is not clear why the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) did not link the post qualifying awards to the emerging career framework or the Newly Qualified Social Work (NQSW) scheme. I hope that the increased focus on the importance of the Advanced Social Work Practitioner role will provide the necessary impetus for the cultural shift required.

The SWTF Interim Report criticises the current PQ framework for not meeting employers and social workers’ needs for specialisation. Amongst the gaps identified are therapeutic work, emergency duty work and operating in dangerous family environments. A brief look through the London PQ Programmes Directory highlights the diversity of courses available which range from the MSc in Inter-professional Practice through to the Post Graduate Diploma Applied Systemic Theory.

This suggests a problem with the structure of the regional partnerships between employers and universities rather than an unwillingness of the universities to respond to employer demands. The criticism does not seem to take account of the innovative new courses which have been developed by employer and university partnerships including modules on Protecting Vulnerable Children and Personalisation. There is also the reality that universities have to make a business case for developing new programmes – if the demand is there undoubtedly new programmes can be developed. There are costs involved and the numbers may be so small in one region that it may not be financially viable. The growth of eLearning modules increasingly offered by a number of universities may fill the gap. Read about the Research methods and critical appraisal for social workers e-learning short course here

A number of universities have integrated the NQSW outcomes to the post qualifying framework. Arguably, the CWDC and Skills for Care could have demonstrated their commitment to the post qualifying awards by including them in the original brief for developing the NQSW rather than left as an afterthought.

Useful information about PQ including “Making Sense of the Post Qualifying Awards – a brief Guide for London Employers” can be obtained here.

The Social Work Task Force believes that “to be successful the post-qualifying training framework needs to be linked much more explicitly to career structures, progression and Post Registration Training and Learning (PRTL) requirements for registration with the GSCC. Its success will be dependent not only on the standards and quality of the training and materials, but also on the shared engagement of employers and professionals: both sides must make the commitment of time and resources that will be necessary”.

I believe that it is equally important to value and learn from the experiences of the thousands of social workers who have already completed a post qualifying or advanced award in social work.

My top ten suggestions for promoting the post qualifying awards

 A research study to be commissioned to examine the following areas. A quantitative study to determine the number of social workers undertaking, or who have completed, a post qualifying award. A qualitative study to explore the benefits and challenges for employers and social workers of the post qualifying framework. An employer’s study to identify how the achievement of an award is linked to pay scales, career progression and the workforce development strategy.

 The development of an online resource to enable social workers who have completed an original research project as part of their Advanced Award to share their findings.  Maybe this could be hosted by SCIE with a regular feature on Social Care TV? 

 A national communications strategy to promote awareness of the benefits of undertaking a PQ Award. The Social Work Development Partnership to encourage all of the regions to provide a rolling programme of PQ Information Seminars.

 Producing a monthly eLetter which regularly updates all stakeholders about PQ Developments. This could be incorporated into the GSCC Social Work Connections eLetter.

 Making the links between the post qualifying framework and the different initiatives developed by Skills for Care and CWDC to strengthen the recruitment, retention and continuing professional development of social workers. 

 An online survey to be undertaken to determine current levels of awareness and registrations for PQ awards in local authorities, the health service and the private and voluntary sector.

 Social workers who have completed a post qualifying award to be encouraged to become PQ Champions. There is an interesting article about this in the June 2009 London PQ Bulletin

 Information about the range of post qualifying courses to be made more widely available through the development of a National Directory of Post Qualifying Courses  updated annually. The names of universities offering Approved PQ Courses are listed on the GSCC website.  More detailed information about London courses can be downloaded here London PQ Programmes Directory

 A survey to establish what support is being provided by Recruitment Agencies for temporary staff who wish to undertake post qualifying studies. Maybe the Association of Social Work Employment Businesses (ASWEB) could undertake this survey?

And finally an Annual Conference to update employers, practice teachers, front line social workers and people who use services about PQ developments, to celebrate PQ achievements and to promote best practice. You can read about the very successful  conference “Professional Leadership – The Challenge for Advanced Practitioners” which was reported in the April 2008 London PQ Bulletin.

Millions of pounds have been invested in the post qualifying framework over the past fifteen years. Thousands of social workers have invested their time and money in completing a post qualifying award. I hope that the Social Work Task Force will ensure that this investment is embedded into future social work practice.

Tags: advanced social work practice, cwdc, gscc, institute of psychiatry, post qualifying awards, professional practice, scie, skills for care, Social Work, social work task force

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 Advanced practitioners in social work are research-literate, reflective and professional leaders in their field. They are able to draw on a range of empirical, theoretical and professional sources of knowledge and take the lead on social work policy and practice innovations.

Run by Dr Martin Webber this two-day course will provide participants with hands-on experience of the making of the advanced practitioner in social work. The first day will provide an overview of the research methods that provide evidence for social work practice and will equip participants with some basic critical appraisal skills. The second day will give detailed consideration to the definition of an advanced practitioner and will include a case consultation group focusing on enhancing social work practice skills and knowledge. Participants are encouraged to bring a case example with them to discuss within this group.
 
Places are very limited and registration will close on 21st August 2009.
 
For further information on  this and all courses please see the website
http://www.iop.kcl.ac.uk/departments/?locator=4&context=1239
or email the administrator: imh@iop.kcl.ac.uk

Supporting and Promoting Advanced Social Work: a guide for employers and practitioners published by the Institute of Psychiatry is available to read here http://www.iop.kcl.ac.uk/sites/mhsw/?id=168

Tags: advanced social work practice, institute of psychiatry, mental health, post qualifyng training, research, Social Work

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It is with regret and great sadness that the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) has announced the death of its Chairman, Michael Leadbetter.

Michael worked as Chairman for CWDC from 2007 and was a leading figure in the children and young people’s workforce, particularly in social work, driving reform at grass-roots level.

He was previously Director of Social Services in Tameside in Greater Manchester, and Essex, Greater London for 17 years. He was also President of The Association of Directors of Social Services 2002-03.

I knew Michael personally and he was an inspiration to me. He was always supportive and his wisdom and wise counsel will be sorely missed.

His final paper the CWDC response to the Social Work Taskforce, will be reviewed on the website next week.

Tags: best practice, challenging the status quo, maverick, michael leadbetter, radical, social work and social care

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If you are preparing a presentation and really want to make sure that your message is communicated effectively you will welcome the advice provided by this article.
 
There are 15 top tips to help you prepare a presentation that people will listen too and remember.
 
You can avoid the most common mistakes - too much text in small print is a distraction and no one will be able to read it.
 
One of my favourite quotes “Don’t put any more information on the slide than you would print on the front of a T-shirt.”
 
Keep the font size generous, keep text towards the top of your slides and do not just read the text from the slides.
 
Practice your speech in advance – find some willing listeners to give you feedback and ensure that you do not run over the allocated time.

The training zone website is definitely worth a look and it is a really useful resource for training, learning and development
 
http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=196898

Tags: 15 top tips, common mistakes, effective powerpoint presentations, training zone

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Alongside every other social worker in England, I received a joint letter from Ed Balls and Alan Johnson this morning echoing their support for the profession in the wake of Lord Laming’s report. In particular, I welcome the introduction of the Advanced Social Work Professional status and the encouragement for social workers to train towards a Masters level qualification. I believe that these initiatives will help to develop professional leaders who will help to drive up standards within social work and protect vulnerable children and adults within our society. However, in my role as programme leader of an advanced level post qualifying (PQ) programme, I am concerned about some considerable obstacles to the achievement of these objectives.

Firstly, the funding of post-qualifying (PQ) education urgently needs reviewing. Under the revised PQ framework employers are responsible for funding their practitioners to undertake PQ awards. However, as there is no performance indicator linked to PQ, there is no ring-fenced budget for practitioners to undertake these awards. Very few employers currently fund social workers to undertake advanced level awards. Most of the practitioners on our programme currently self-fund and there are only minimal bursaries to support them. Ironically, self-employed independent social workers are more able to undertake advanced level PQ awards as they have access to a Skills for Care bursary and can fit their work around their study.

Secondly, employers are frequently reluctant to offer study leave for their practitioners to undertake advanced level PQ awards. Study leave is considered a luxury and rare commodity for advanced level PQ awards. None of our students have caseload relief and are expected to do their usual job in four days per week instead of five. In the worst cases, practitioners take annual leave or go part-time to have sufficient time to complete our programme. Employers need to be provided with appropriate support to release their staff for advanced level PQ training.

Thirdly, the withdrawal of funding for equivalent or lower qualifications (ELQ) by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has diminished the viability of advanced level PQ programmes in Higher Education Institutions (HEI). Students of advanced level PQ programmes at Masters level have frequently picked up another post-graduate qualification since qualifying as a social worker. Even if this is not a full Masters degree, it means that HEFCE will not provide the HEI with any funding for that place. The ELQ rules do not apply to graduate level PQ study or post-graduate qualifying programmes in social work. An exemption to the ELQ rules for post-graduate PQ programmes is required to stop this discrimination against advanced practitioners in social work.

Finally, there is a lack of a career structure for advanced social work practitioners in many local authorities. Some have adopted the Consultant Social Worker role and others have created Advanced Practitioner posts. However, there will need to be significant changes within local authority career structures to accommodate the Advanced Social Work Professional Status. Local authorities will need inducements to create these incentive structures to retain their most experienced staff.”

Tags: advanced social work practice, funding and support, the challenge for employers

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The General Social Care Council has called for a system where all social workers receive a specialist post-qualifying award early in their career to ensure that the learning from their degree is consolidated in practice. Recommendations include:

• the development of national standards for post-qualifying training in safeguarding for adults and children;

• simplification of the funding arrangements to Higher Educational Institutions, and the linking of funding to quality standards;

• the development of a workforce model to ensure the right number of social workers are being trained in the right regions; and

• further research into the declining number of  men entering social work, and the poor progression rates amongst some black and minority ethnic students

• a new forensic social work award

Rosie Varley, Chair of the GSCC, said: “Tragedies such as the death of Baby P and other recent cases remind us how immensely challenging the role of a social worker is. We need to attract the best people into the profession, with a diverse workforce that reflects the society we live in.

As well as attracting the best people, our social workers need to have the very best training right throughout their careers. That is why we are reviewing whether we have the right powers to robustly inspect social work degree courses. We also believe there needs to be the creation of national standards for on the job safeguarding training and stronger requirements for employers to commit to good quality on-going training for social workers.”

There is a useful article which includes an interview with Mike Wardle Chief Executive GSCC  in Community Care

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/02/11/110686/gscc-to-link-post-qualifying-training-with-re-registration.html

Tags: compulsory training, gscc, more support for social workers, post qualifying awards, social work is complex and challenging

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