Be Inspired! Shirley Ayres Consulting

By Lauren Higgs and Ross Watson Children & Young People Now 7th January 2010

Field forces are to bear the brunt of cutbacks at the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), CYP Now has learned. Last month’s Pre-Budget Report earmarked savings of £350m between 2011 and 2013 to be made by the DCSF. CYP Now understands that at least £200m of this will come from a radical scaling back of field forces, which aim to support services to improve and cost in the region of £500m every year. The remaining cash will be saved by streamlining various pilots and programmes.

It is thought some contracts for support, which are coming to an end, will be cut, and others will be trimmed. Read the full article at Children and Young People Now

Is it a paradox that the budget cuts now present a real opportunity for the DCSF to demonstrate the benefits of integrated working? Find out who the field forces are in this article from Children and Young People Now

Tags: budget cuts, cwdc, DCSF, field forces, workforce development

Related Posts:

• Introducing ChiMat – an invaluable resource for children’s services
• Launch of the Final Report of the Social Work Task Force
• How long must black bin liners symbolise how we treat children and young people in care?
• The GSCC launches Grow Your Own Social Workers: a Toolkit
• Home alone: your guide to keeping your child safe and other parenting resources

This brief free guide provides practical advice on issues relating to leaving children at home including how to choose a suitable babysitter or childminder. This is one of a series of parenting leaflets published by the NSPCC. Preparing for a new birth, dealing with stress, comforting a crying baby, and managing difficult behaviour without smacking are some of the topics covered in the advice leaflets. Each leaflet contains useful tips on common parenting problems and gives contact details of organisations that can help.

Download the NSPCC Guide here . Here at Shirley Ayres Consulting we are very aware of the diverse parenting resources published by a number of organisations. These include the Tavistock Clinic Understanding Your Child series (highly recommended) through to the National Academy for Parenting Practitioners.

We have established a new category on our website called Parenting Resources to enable you to access these resources easily in one place. Find out more about Shirley Ayres Consulting

Recommend your top parenting websites, guides, toolkits and events info@shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk

Tags: be inspired, cwdc, home, looking after children, NSPCC, Social Work, supporting parents, Tavistock Clinic

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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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• 50,000 social workers join the Advanced Social Work Practice Network on LinkedIn in 2010

“Attention has become the scarce resource of the information economy” Wired Magazine

One of my favourite sayings because it is a reality that there is so much information available on the internet that it can become overwhelming. Every organisation I am connected with now sends out an e-Letter. Improving access to, and use of, knowledge and information has been identified as a priority for improving care services. But identifying the resources which will add value to your knowledge and skills is a major challenge.

The national Child and Maternal Health Observatory (ChiMat) provides information and intelligence to improve decision-making for high quality, cost effective services. It supports policy makers, commissioners, managers, regulators, and other health stakeholders working on children’s, young people’s and maternal health. One of the key roles for ChiMat is to act as a signposting organisation for relevant work in the areas of children, young people’s and maternal health and to identify and support potential synergies in national work between government departments and other agencies.

The ChiMat Knowledge Update is one e-Bulletin that I always read. This free online resource provides a snapshot of current issues, news, research, policy and practice across the wide area of children and young people’s services. It is an excellent example of joined up thinking in health and social care. 

Sign up for the weekly ChiMat Knowledge Update here

Recent Knowledge Updates have included information about:

National Indicators datasets
Access to information about national indicators which range from National Indicator 58 – Emotional Behaviour of Looked After Children through to National Indicator 62 – The percentage of children looked after at 31 March with three or more placements subsequently adopted in that placement. Access the ChiMat Data Atlas here

In the News
Community Care: BASW brands integrated children’s system a failure
The British Association of Social Workers has branded the implementation of the computerised integrated children’s system (ICS), which records details of children receiving social care, a “systematic failure”. Access the article here

CWDC: Dawn Primarolo launches Young People’s Workforce Reform Programme
An important chapter for the young people’s workforce, and those it serves, begins today, as Children and Young People’s Minister, Dawn Primarolo launches the Young People’s Workforce Reform Programme. Access more information here

Supporting social care for families and children: An introduction to SCIE’s resources
A new booklet presenting SCIE’s range of resources for families and children’s social care. Access here

BASW and ADCS call for no-blame approach in SCRs
Social workers and directors of children’s services have called for serious case reviews to use a no-blame “systems approach” as developed by the Social Care Institute for Excellence. Access here

Hidden Children –separated children at risk
Professionals ‘missing opportunities’ to help hidden children exploited for sex and forced labour. Children and young people trafficked into the UK, or exploited after their arrival, are struggling to get help from authorities responsible for their welfare, according to new research from The Children’s Society. Access more information here  
 
Guides and Practice
Commercial and Procurement Skills for Commissioners of Children’s Services
This page links to a set of guidance documents designed to help commissioners understand and apply commercial and procurement skills in their work. The documents cover the key principles of procurement, an overview of both strategic procurement and the contracting process, an overview of resource mapping and a basic jigsaw tool designed to help commissioners understand the key principles of change management.  Access here 

Policy and Reports
Community engagement key to Enfield’s JSNA strategy
The London Borough of Enfield has teamed up with the local primary care trust (PCT), NHS Enfield. They have placed community engagement at the heart of their joint strategic needs assessment (JSNA). This cas study gives an account of this process and includes key learnings for other councils. Access here

Meeting the specific needs of children with disabilities
The Centre for Excellence and Outcomes presents the latest guidance on the importance of ‘differentiated’ services for disabled children. Access here  

Research
Exploring family environment characteristics and multiple abuse experiences among homeless youth
A qualitative study of homeless youth to examine how they describe past instances of abuse, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and to explore family characteristics in their home environment. Identifies themes relating to the home environment, such as home instability, abandonment and substance abuse; also identifies themes around abuse, including intrafamilial abuse, rejection and carer abuse.
Access here

Consultations
Safeguarding Targets and Indicators
The National Safeguarding Delivery Unit (part of the Department for Children, Schools and Families) has launched a consultation on Safeguarding Targets and Indicators. Deadline for responses is 8 December 2009. Access here

Events and Training
Five Years On: What’s Changed for Children and Young People?
London, 8 December 2009
Participation Works and 11 Million are holding a one-day conference to review the changes that have taken place since the Children Act 2004. The conference will identify what has worked well and what still needs to be done to ensure that the views and opinions of children and young people help to shape and influence policy and practice. This is a unique opportunity to find out what works in participation and help you to meet the duty to listen to and involve children and young people and to champion their interests. Access more information here

Shirley Ayres Consulting are committed to development through communication in the care sector. With extensive experience in knowledge management and communications we believe that a skilled and knowledgeable workforce, up-to-date with the latest legislation, policy and best practice, enables staff to make the most effective use of their time. This promotes the best outcomes for children, young people, their families and carers.

Tags: advanced social work practice, apho.org.uk, ChiMat, cwdc, DCSF, health and social care, health and well being, integrated working, knowledge management, research, scie, Social Work

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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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Qualifications are changing. For employers this will have a direct impact on the workforce in the future, influencing how staff are attracted, supported and developed throughout their working lives.

The Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) are hosting a series of free events to introduce the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and how this will benefit employers. These events will also be updating participants on the important developments around the new Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce.

Who should attend?
Employers and local authorities who work in the children and young people’s workforce

Conference objectives
provide a greater understanding of the QCF principles and structure
give more information on how changes in the qualifications framework will affect providers and learners
demonstrate how the QCF links to the Integrated Qualifications Framework (IQF)
demonstrate the accumulation of transferrable credits for learners
provide further information on the importance of the Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce

Three events are being held

Birmingham 5th November 2009
Leeds 20th November 2009
London  26th November 2009

Click here http://www.cwdcevents.org.uk/qcf/index.html for more information and to register for this event.

Tags: cwdc, Learning and Development, workforce engagement

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 The remodelling social work delivery project was established by the Children’s Workforce Development Council www.cwdcouncil.org.uk earlier this year. There are 11 pilot sites across England involved in the project and there are a number of different delivery options being explored. The Department for Children, Schools and Families wished to encourage innovation through the active engagement of the private and not for profit sectors in establishing new approaches to working with the most vulnerable children and their families.

The CWDC project runs until March 2011 with 11 local authorities from across the country developing a number of different delivery options. Each pilot will explore ways for social workers to look at new ways of organizing their working practices,  organize their staff teams more effectively; and look at how they can provide more ‘front line’ contact with children and young people.

Click here www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/social-work/remodelling for more information about the pilot projects

Interestingly a number of local authorities have decided to proceed with exploring this option outside of the pilot scheme.

The remodelling social work project forms one element of a broader programme of work supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and CWDC. This programme of work has been designed to improve the outcomes and experiences of children and young people in contact with social care and particularly with social workers. The overall programme will address three priority areas of quality of initial training, skills and qualifications; workforce capacity and remodelling; and recruitment and retention.

Social work models being developed in the delivery pilots

A number of developments and themes are being explored in the CWDC pilot projects.

Structures

o Creating a single entry point for children and families to receive integrated services across a broad range of needs.

o Improving the interface between children’s centres and social work services, forging closer links between universal and statutory services to ensure early intervention

o Addressing the difficulties in delivering children’s social care within a large rural community,

o Making more effective use of IT and mobile technology

o Developing models of multi-disciplinary working, by locating social workers in multi-disciplinary teams working with children in need.

o Physically locating social workers in schools, health centres, children’s centres

o Closer working between social workers and residential child care workers

o Creating practices which allow social workers to spend more time in direct contact with the children themselves and bringing a “whole” team approach to all work.

Models of Intervention

o Improving the speed and quality of assessment and decision-making about placing young people into care, avoiding placement in care where possible. If remaining in care is appropriate, ensuring that effective planning is in place to promote permanency and placement stability.

o Using social work models of practice such as BHLP and solution-focused interventions. (Interestingly CBT is not mentioned).

o Expanding the use of Family Group Conferences with children already in care.

o Multi-agency family support panels to consider children’s needs through the Common Assessment Framework and implement coordinated plans to meet those needs. Working across services through Youth Inclusion Support Panels,

Recruitment and Retention

o Reviewing and improving recruitment and induction practices. (This could be linked with the Newly Qualified Social  Workers pilots)

Creating social work consultant roles, which will have a responsibility for supporting social workers undertaking court proceedings, (especially those in their first year of practice or undertaking court proceedings for the first time).

o Developing new career pathways for practitioners

o Training in brief therapy social work interventions

o Improving skills and knowledge in assessment and risk management

Perceptions of Social Work

o Improving the communities understanding of the role of social workers

o improving both the visibility of social care, and access to it by the public,

Is this the start of a new era for social work? This is a very exciting development and we will keep you updated .

Tags: a different role for social workers, cwdc, recruitment and retention, remodelling social work project, social work practice

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 Round Two for Practitioner-Led Research 2008-09 - Integrated Working

Following the conclusion of the assessment process for Practitioner Led Research p (PLR) this year, the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) are able to offer practitioners the opportunity to take part in a second round of applications. This chance has arisen due to too few applications from research teams who fall within CWDC’s footprint. 

The closing date for the second round is Wednesday 3 September

If you are interested in applying to take part in PLR please contact Lucy Emsley (Research Assistant) on 0113 3907789 or lucy.emsley@cwdcouncil.org.uk for further information about PLR

If you would like to register for an application pack please contact tenders@cwdcouncil.org.uk

Tags: cwdc, plr, practitioners, research, Social Work

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New arrangements for the Children’s Workforce Development Council and Skills for Care Social Work Development Partnership have been announced

But will the money allocated be enough to make a real difference to practice learning opportunities and the continuing professional development needs of social workers? The Department of Health (DH) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) are providing funding of £5.5m (subject to final confirmation) for the Social Work Development Partnership. The aim is to improve the quality of social work services to both children and adults. It will support the implementation of key workforce strategies, especially the DCSF’s Building Brighter Futures: Next Steps which includes the development of the Advanced Practitioner role, and the forthcoming DH strategy for the adult social care workforce.

There is an interesting comparison to be made between the £5.5 million allocated for the new Social Work Development Partnership and the £6 million the Government is spending on an advertising campaign to help us understand the level of alcohol in alcoholic drinks. I wonder which expenditure will have the most impact in terms of quality outcomes? How will the £5.5 million be allocated?

According to the GSCC website there are 86,549 registered social workers and 16,086 registered students on the Social Care Register. These staff are employed in hundreds of increasingly diverse settings. £4.2 million will be spread across nine regions and divided 50:50 between children’s and adults social work. £250,000 will be available to support practice learning and social worker development in national

A growing body of research confirms the importance of professional practice learning opportunities and post qualifying studies to enable social workers to deliver high quality care services. It is argued that employers have a responsibility to support the continuing professional development of their staff but the withdrawal of ring fenced funding for training in local authorities is already having an impact. I hope that the Partnership is sufficiently well funded to take account of, and respond to, the changing social work landscape. This includes an increasing number of temporary agency staff, independent social workers and professional services being delivered by the third sector.

The new partnership arrangements to support social work learning and development started in April 2008. At the heart of the changes lies continued collaborative working between higher education institutions and employers in the public, private and third sector. To meet demand, funding will be channelled directly and flexibly to local and national employers to develop the quantity and quality of placements in both the statutory and non-statutory care sectors. The dual focus on continuing professional development is intended to ensure that there are enough people who can supervise and assess others, as well as develop their own specialist knowledge and skills for the diverse settings in which social work is practised.

The publication of more detailed information about the Partnership, the delivery of the key aims for 2008/9 and how the money is to be accessed will be worthy of further scrutiny.

Tags: cwdc, new partnership pq regional leads, pq funding, skills for care

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