Memorandum submitted by Professor John
Carpenter, University of Bristol
SUMMARY
— It will be helpful to review social work
education in comparison to other professions, especially medicine.—
Specialisation on degree courses is already taking place.—
A fast track for social science graduates is not justified by
evidence.
— Relevant research on the outcomes of
interagency training for social workers and on the Newly Qualified
Social Worker Pilot Programme will soon be available.
PERSONAL BACKGROUND
1. I have been Professor of Social Work
at Bristol University since 2005, having previously held the inaugural
Chair at Durham University (1997-2005). As well as being a Registered
Social Worker with the GSCC, I am also a Chartered Psychologist
and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.
I have a particular research interest in the outcomes of education
and training for social workers and also for other professionals
involved in safeguarding children.
2. I welcome the Committee's interest in learning
from models adopted by other professions. The comparisons with
medicine and psychology should be particularly instructive. Like
social work, these professions expect that practitioners have
a high level of specialist skills and knowledge for work with
children and families. Like social work, this is based on a firm
generic, foundation level of education: eg medical students have
to learn the basics of all branches of medicine. Only later do
they specialise. Following substantial further training and closely
supervised experience they qualify to practice as a GP or paediatrician.
3. Social work education differs from medical
education in many respects. Aspects that doctors would find especially
surprising about social work include:
3.1 the fact that the practice learning may take
place in settings which do not employ qualified social workers
and that their work is supervised by members of another profession;
3.2 the expectation that following the award
of a basic level of qualification, practitioners assume full responsibility
for children and families who have multiple and complex problems
including poverty, mental illness, addiction to drugs and alcohol
and violence;
3.3 the lack of clear, compulsory and properly
funded post registration specialist education and training leading
to career posts;
3.4 the fact that senior members of the profession
are not expected or required to teach new entrants;
3.5 the lack of recognition accorded to those
social work practitioners who do teach. There is no longer a qualification
in practice education in social work. Many of those who do "take
a student on placement" do so only two or three times and
so do not build experience, and
3.6 the fact that many university teachers of
social work have so little engagement with practice, or research
on practice.
I regard all these as deficiencies in our current
arrangements.
SPECIALISATION
4. Because of the nature of practice learning
on the degree course, most social work students already begin
to specialise by the time they take their final ("Level 3")
placement. If they plan to find a job in children and families
social work, they will do their very best to obtain a placement
in such a setting. If the university-based teaching permits them
to choose from a range of options, they will naturally chose those
concerning children and families instead of health and social
work. They will write an analytical case study about their practice
in the child and family social work agency. If they have to do
an undergraduate or Master's dissertation they will select a pertinent
topic. On the MSc in Social Work at Bristol, we are happy for
the students to specialise in this way. But we do require them
to take core courses in adult mental illness, not just because
the GSCC requires it, but because we know that children's social
workers will regularly encounter adult mental illness. Conversely,
we require those students certain to go into adult social care
to takes courses in child and adolescent mental health. In addition
we have a series of final year workshops in which students who
already see themselves as specialising consider how to work together
across the adult social care/children and families service divide.
In other words, a degree of specialisation is already happening.
I am firmly opposed to a separate degree.
ENTRY ROUTES
5. I was very pleased that social work became
a graduate profession and relieved that the postgraduate route
was maintained. I have only taught postgraduates at Durham and
Bristol. These programmes undoubtedly recruit very able students
and most, but not all, produce very good or excellent work. Applicants
are clear that they relish the opportunity to study for a Master's
degree and the great majority achieve one. The remainder are able
to leave with a postgraduate diploma which is recognised by the
GSCC for registration.
6. I carried out detailed research at Durham
which showed that the topic of first degree (social science vs.
arts and sciences) did not make any statistically significant
difference to the students' final outcomes or marks. I do not
see a case for "fast tracking" social science graduates.
They all have much to learn, the intellectual demands are high
and the two year timetable is very tight indeed—more so
now that there are 200 days of practice learning.
7. Following the publicity about the new
degree, applications to postgraduate courses increased and Bristol
at least has been more choosy, increasing our entry requirements.
However, the numbers of students aged over 30 has reduced and
few of them are men. Our admissions tutor explains that, although
she still receives many enquiries from people over 30 wanting
to make a career change, most are put off for financial reasons.
The CWDC graduate scheme is a help but most programmes are already
full by the time it is announced; so while the funding has helped
to support excellent students who had a place already, it has
not so far been very effective in bringing in new people.
8. Training in child protection. Earlier
this year I completed a substantial study of the organisation,
outcomes and costs of interagency training for safeguarding children
which was funded by DCSF and DH. Such training is of course very
important for child and family social workers. The evidence for
good outcomes is strong, but the system is vulnerable. The research
report has been peer reviewed, but not yet revised in the light
of those reviews. I hope that it will be possible to disseminate
the findings very soon.
NEWLY QUALIFIED
SOCIAL WORKERS
9. I am part of a team evaluating the NQSW
Pilot Programme for CWDC. I and colleagues have recently completed
a baseline survey of over 450 NQSWs (response rate 80%), collecting
data on their perceived self-confidence, role clarity, job satisfaction
and stress. I consider the results encouraging. The baseline report
has been reviewed and again I hope that it will be possible to
disseminate findings very soon.
May 2009
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