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 official launch of the College of Social Work took place today at Community Care Live. Moira Gibb welcomed the new College as “An opportunity for social work to gain the authoritative and influential professional voice it deserves”

Social workers and people who use social work services are today being encouraged to shape The College of Social Work by taking part in a UK-wide consultation. You can join the online consultation on the College website. Events are also being organised in several regions in England. A total of 22 consultation sessions will be held; twelve events for social work practitioners and managers and ten for users of social work services and carers.

The College of Social Work will start functioning in the coming months; at present the College Development Group is ensuring that those vital contributions are being captured and given to the Interim Board of the College once it is established. The Development Group is overseeing the consultation, which starts today and runs until October.

The College Development Group Chair, Allan Bowman, stated that

“We’ve been looking forward to today because it’s when The College’s work can really begin. We need the input of social workers, people who use social work services and their carers. Their views will shape the way the College is run. We encourage everyone with views to come forward, either at the large number of events organised so that people can discuss their views, or they can go online and help shape their College.”

Some of the issues that can be discussed in the consultation include:

• Membership
• Purpose,  functions and activities
• Working with employers, regulators, and unions
• Continuing professional development

Through these consultation activities it is hoped that a shared understanding of the purpose and key objectives of the College will be developed, built on the direct contribution of social workers and the people who use social work services. The consultation process will also ensure that the design and plans for the College will meet needs of the profession now and in the future.

Welcoming the College Moira Gibb, Chair of the Social Work Reform Board said:

“A College of Social Work is an opportunity for social work to gain the authoritative and influential professional voice it deserves. It is important that from the outset the College speaks for the breadth of the profession and represents the views of all social workers. This consultation is a major opportunity for the whole sector to set the direction and control the future of the College. I urge all social workers, and those engaged with social work, to take this chance to help shape the future of our profession.”

The College is clear that it wants to have the input of everyone involved from across the UK and that it will cover all aspects of social work.

The College of Social Work website

Tags: advanced social work practice, college of social work, Leadership and Management, professional practice, research, scie, Social Work, social work is complex and challenging

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The Advanced Social Work Practice Network (ASWPN) is a group for social work practitioners, academics, employers and partner organisations who wish to support the development of professional leadership in social work. Members of the network share good practice and research, enhance opportunities for the continuing professional development of advanced practitioners and discuss topical issues which impact upon the delivery of quality social work services.

ASWPN aims to:
• Facilitate employers to become learning organisations which recognise the value of advanced practice for promoting excellence in social work.
• Encourage employers to support Continuing Professional Development opportunities at advanced level
• Engage employers and other stakeholders in the training needs of their advanced social work practitioners and the development of advanced level PQ programmes
• Advocate for improved funding structures for Post Qualifying (PQ) education in general, and the higher level awards in particular, to support the professional development of advanced practitioners
• Support the development of advanced practice positions such as Consultant Social Workers, particularly in the new Children’s Trusts and health and social care partnerships.
• Develop the research capacity of advanced social work practitioners through partnerships with the Social Care Institute for Excellence, Research in Practice and Making Research Count to embed research and advanced practice in social work
• Promote the recommendations of the Social Work Task Force, the children and adults workforce development agenda, the Social Work Reform Board. and innovative policy initiatives including Every Child Matters and Transforming Adult Social Care.

Join ASWPN to share information about advanced social work policy initiatives, reports, practice guidance, practitioner research and interesting events. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments about the policies, research and practice which are really making a difference to the promotion of excellence in social work practice.

If you are new to LinkedIn the following post will be helpful – Is social work ready for the social media revolution? How to become LinkedIn

If you work with children and young people in care you may also like to join this group on LinkedIn

Tags: advanced social work practice, Leadership and Management, Learning and Development, linkedin, post qualifying awards, research, Social Work

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New research into the role and contribution of international workers in the adult social care workforce has highlighted many critical issues for recruitment and retention. Carolyn Barber writes about a recent seminar hosted by the Kings College Social Care Workforce Research Unit which showcased emerging findings from a two year national study commissioned by the Department of Health in England.

Within this broad and diverse service sector, the research made some useful distinctions about different groups of international social care recruits.  The GSCC data on the register of social workers identifies over 7,000 (8.8%) as non-UK qualified social workers. Over half of these trained in Australia, South Africa, the US or India.

Within the wider social care workforce, data is much less clear. The research analysed information from the National Minimum Data Set (NMDS ) on just over 5,000 who had their previous jobs abroad and used as a proxy of recently arrived international employees in the sector.  Of this group, workers were most likely to be employed in the private care sector; they were more likely to be male, hold higher levels of qualification, and less likely to hold managerial roles, than other workers.

In-depth interviews with employers, human resource managers and other stakeholders showed that the primary driver for social care employers is not surprisingly staff shortages, and the difficulties experienced in recruiting suitable staff from the local community. And the research indicates that employers get a pretty good deal from international recruits. Perceived attributes are ‘hard working’, ‘highly motivated’ and ‘accepting of pay and conditions’, as well as higher levels of skills, experience and qualifications.  Interestingly these latter advantages were not particularly identified by employers, although apparent from the dataset and the interviewees themselves.  This suggests there’s a more subtle issue at work here – the way in which international care workers are all too often invisible within social care industry discourse.

There is a further distinction made in the research between those international workers recruited from abroad by agencies and employers, and those already living in England looking for work in social care or other jobs through the usual channels.

Nearly 100 international workers were interviewed in depth as part of the research. Motivations to work in social care in England varied inevitably, and suggested patterns according to country of origin.  For those coming from EU countries, the desire to improve language skills figured highly. For Filipino care workers the financial motive was significant. Overarching themes across all nationalities were a positive view of the UK, and a sense of altruism or caring for others as strong drivers.  However there were many disappointing experiences along the way. Most striking was the sense of shock expressed by many international workers, especially social workers, about the poor image of social care in England, and the lack of status as reflected by the workload and pay levels. There were frustrations about the limited training and qualification opportunities, and experiences of feeling deskilled – for example working as care assistants when they were nurses in their home country.  The issue of qualification recognition was raised by many social workers who sometimes said they had a lengthy process to endure to achieve GSCC registration in England.

There were also widespread accounts of bullying, often linked to racism and skin colour. The attitudes and prejudices of service users themselves were highlighted here, with many international workers remaining stoical and accepting in the face of personal abuse.  This raises issues for social care staff and managers generally about how to challenge and work with such behaviour so as to support and encourage an increasingly diverse workforce.

The seminar also featured more in depth discussions from other research studies looking at the experiences of specific groups of international workers: rural domiciliary carers in Cumbria; social workers from Zimbabwe; migrant care workers in Sweden; a local authority induction programme designed as part of an international recruitment drive.  The detailed observations from these speakers illustrated some of the complexities of the broader themes identified in the Social Care Workforce Research Unit study, and highlighted the potential of further research to inform future developments in workforce planning and good employment practices.

The nature of the research design meant that it was not realistic to test out some of the anecdotal concerns commonly circulating about international workers in social care. Issues around potential exploitation by international recruitment agencies, illegal employment, immigration status, and the likely impact of the changes in border controls on the social care workforce, all help create a climate of fear for some and political controversy. However the Unit’s research outcomes provide a meaningful context within which more measured and constructive investigation can take place in the future. 

Useful references:

International Social Care Workers in England: Profile, Motivations, Experiences and Expectations (forthcoming) by Shereen Hussein, Martin Stevens and Jill Manthorpe, Social Care Workforce Research Unit, King’s College, London

Supporting the Recruitment of International Social Workers in the UK: a guide for employers (April 2008), by Keith Brown, Natalie Bates and Steven Keen with contributions from Kathryn Kelly and Douglas Machindaza, Bournemouth University

Social Care Code of Recruitment for International Recruitment – www.sccir.org.uk

The Experiences of International Social Care Workers in the UK: findings from an Online Survey (2009) by Shereen Hussein, Jill Manthorpe and Martin Stevens Access the research 

About the author – Carolyn Barber, BSc (Hons), CQSW, is an independent consultant specialising in research, team development and management skills.  Carolyn has over 25 years experience in social care as practitioner, trainer, researcher and manager, working across public, voluntary and independent sectors. For more information, go to www.wayfinderassociates.co.uk .

Tags: adult social care, international workers in social care, recruitment agencies, recruitment and retention, research, social care, Social Work

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“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 new regulations for Direct Payments came into force on the 9th of November 2009. To coincide with this change, Cheryl Lewis and Marcia White, on behalf of the Department of Health Personalisation team, have thoroughly overhauled the Direct Payments Solution set. It can now be located in the Personalisation toolkit under the topic heading Direct Payments. Click here

The Direct Payments Solution Set is an online resource aimed at sharing what works through examples and resources produced by people with experience. It will help others promote and provide direct payments, both where personal budgets are available and where they have yet to be introduced.  The Solution Set will be updated regularly.

In conjunction with the Direct Payments Solution Set, the Direct Payments Uptake Group DP is a private group to enable members of all regional Direct Payments groups to share a single message space. Click here to join the DP Solution Set Yahoo Group

Did you know about the DH Care Networks? This very useful online resource provides information around integration and whole system reform, housing with care, assistive technology and partnership working. Click here for more information

Shirley Ayres Consulting, in conjunction with Cheryl Lewis, have developed a Direct Payments Training programme for managers and staff to explore how Direct Payments support Personalisation, Self Directed Support, Individual Budgets and Personal Budgets. For more information contact info@shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk

Tags: cheryl lewis, Department of Health, DH Care Networks, Direct Payments, personalisation, Putting People First, research, Resource Allocation System, Self Directed Support, shirley ayres consulting, Social Work

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The Social Workers’ Educational Trust invites applications from qualified and experienced social workers planning to undertake a study/research project in the following areas:

S.W.E.T. RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP
£1,500 for an investigation into inter-professional or multi-agency practice 

ANNE CUMMINS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
£1,500 for a study/research project on health related social work.

Applicants should complete the Trust’s scholarship application form, and include a proposal of not more than 500 words, setting out the aims, estimated costs, time-scale and intended outcomes/benefits of the research project

Application forms can be obtained from

The Hon. Secretary,
Social Workers’ Educational Trust
BASW, 16 Kent Street, Birmingham B5 6RD

downloaded here SWET Research Scholarship Application Form 2010

or from http://www.socialworkerseducationaltrust.org

The completed form with proposal must reach the above address by the 17th May 2010

Tags: research, Social Work, social workers educational trust

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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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 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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What is the greatest challenge confronting managers and leaders in the care sector? Possibly it is finding the time to attend management and leadership training at one of the numerous actual and “virtual” leadership academies established in recent years. 

Are the huge resources now being devoted to leadership and management training really making a difference to the quality of services being delivered? So many organisations are now involved in management and leadership training it would be difficult to calculate the total expenditure to date. But a crucial question remains – what quality indicators are in place to ensure that the rate of return justifies the current investment? How do we distinguish excellence from mediocrity, is there a relationship between star ratings and leadership, are leadership and management really the same?    

Paradoxically it is the law of unintended consequences which becomes apparent when there is a lack of focus and joined up thinking across the care sector especially within the critical area of leadership.   

Leaders and managers have a vital role in improving services especially in the critical area of developing and supporting staff to deliver a world class care service. But do we really need quite so many leadership academies, leadership programmes, new projects and initiatives?  Apart from the obvious cost and resource implications I believe that we now need to invest in qualitative research which demonstrates whether this investment is really making an impact on the front line. What makes an effective manager? Do effective managers attract and retain more highly qualified staff? Is the quality of management reflected in the experiences of people who use services?

There are a large number of different types of management and leadership programmes both accredited and non accredited, provided in-house or externally. Many programmes have identified outcomes which lead to nationally recognized awards such as DMS, MBA, MPA, RMA, and PQAASW. Some programmes seem more concerned with inputs (number of lectures delivered) and outputs (how many people attended). How is the aim of becoming a more effective manager translated into practice? With the growth in e-Learning and blended learning the plethora of toolkits and audits freely available is it too controversial to suggest that existing managers should already be able to evidence their competence in the key areas of management and leadership?

However, with everyone from SCIE, ID&EA, the Kings Fund, Open University, ADCS, CWDC, and Skills for Care offering or developing management programmes and Action Learning Sets there is the potential for considerable confusion for employers or students. How can employers identify the most appropriate and cost effective training available? Government targets and public expectations require managers to have a sophisticated set of skills and knowledge which will deliver quality services across an increasingly complex landscape which includes personalisation and direct payments.

In September we will be publishing an independent (and brief) guide to help you make sense of what is available in the area of leadership and management development. Keep in touch by signing up for our free monthly eLetter. In the meantime if you have any questions, comments or contributions please contact us.

You may also wish to refer to our jargon busters section for further explanations of acronyms etc and navigating the social care landscape to understand the different roles and purpose of the organizations listed above.

Tags: care sector, development, dms, education, effective critical area, leadership, leadership academies, management, mba, mpa, pqaasw, research, toolkits, training

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