Memorandum submitted by the Association
of Colleges (AoC)
INTRODUCTION
The Association of Colleges represents and promotes
the interests of Further Education Colleges and their students.
Colleges provide a rich mix of academic and vocational
education. As autonomous institutions they have the freedom to
innovate and respond flexibly to the needs of individuals, business
and communities.
The following key facts illustrate Colleges' contribution
to education and training in England:
— Colleges have three million students.
— 737,000 of these students are aged 16
to 18 which compares to 471,000 in schools.
— Half of all entrants to higher education
come from Colleges.
— Colleges teach over 60,000 students from
outside the UK.
— Colleges provide half of all vocational
qualifications.
Colleges are centres of excellence and quality—84%
of employers training through a College are satisfied with the
service provided and 97% of colleges inspected in 2007-08 were
judged satisfactory or better by Ofsted for the quality of their
provision.
For more information on Colleges please see
www.aoc.co.uk
TRAINING OF
CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES SOCIAL
WORKERS
AoC welcomes the opportunity to submit evidence
to this inquiry. Our submission includes, in Appendix 1, a specific
response from New College Durham which provides a BA Hons. in
Social Work and, in Appendix 2, the number of social work "learning
aims" in Colleges.[25]
ENTRY ROUTES
TO THE
PROFESSION
1. Colleges provide a major route for students
to a degree in social work.
Table 1
UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCES TO LEVEL 5 SOCIAL
WORK FOR 2008 ENTRY
|
| Level 5 Social Work | Acceptances from FE College or HE Institute
| Total
acceptances
| % from FE
College or HE
Institute
|
|
| Degree | 3,926
| 7,395 | 53%
|
| HND | 17 |
148 | 11%
|
| Foundation degree | 352
| 1,005 | 35%
|
| Other | 403
| 1,626 | 25%
|
| Total | 4,698
| 10,174 | 46%
|
|
| Source: UCAS | |
| |
2. A number of Colleges also provide degree level social work
courses themselves. See Table 2 below shows that there were 1,022
students in nine colleges studying:
— BA in Social Work and Welfare Studies.
— BSc (Hons) in Social Work.
Table 2
|
| College | BA (Hons) in
Professional
Studies
(Social Work)
| BA (Hons)
in Social
Work
| BA in
Social
Work and
Welfare
Studies
| BSc
(Hons) in
Social
Work
| Total |
|
| Havering College of Further and Higher Education
| 0 | 286
| 0 | 0
| 286 |
| Liverpool Community College | 0
| 149 | 0
| 0 | 149
|
| Ruskin College | 0
| 127 | 0
| 0 | 127
|
| Stockport College of Further and Higher Education
| 122 | 0
| 0 | 0
| 122 |
| New College, Durham | 0
| 114 | 0
| 0 | 114
|
| North East Worcestershire College | 0
| 87 | 0
| 0 | 87
|
| Bradford College | 0
| 83 | 0
| 0 | 83
|
| Wiltshire College | 0
| 0 | 0
| 46 | 46
|
| Kendal College | 0
| 0 | 8
| 0 | 8
|
| Total | 122 |
846 | 8
| 46 | 1,022
|
|
| Source: LSC ILR (f05) 2007-08
|
3. The numbers doing a social work degree are included
in over 2,000 social work "learning aims" delivered
in Colleges. See Appendix 2.[26]
4. Access for young people to social work has potential
to be further strengthened by the Level 2 Diplomas, in particular
the Society, Health & Development Diploma (a phase one diploma
that is currently being taught) and Public Services Diploma (a
phase three diploma due to begin in 2010). In addition we feel
there is a need for an apprenticeship pathway to be developed
in this area.
5. We see as a potential source of social workers, those
people already working in sector with Level 2 and level 3 qualifications.
There is a need for flexible provision which takes into account
differing personal circumstances.
6. The majority of people working in the sector at this
level are not well paid and so cannot afford to stop working in
order to continue their learning. They are also not eligible for
student loans if they take courses on a part-time basis. AoC believes
that access for mature entrants and re-entrants would be greatly
improved if financial support was made available to part-time
students to pay HE tuition fees, cover childcare arrangements
and transport costs.
7. The work of the Children's Workforce Development Council
in early years provision, which supports practitioners financially
to gain higher level qualifications, is a good model for professionalising
the workforce.
8. Employers may also be reluctant to release staff to
train. Supplements to employers to release staff to develop and
support work placement particularly in small companies could encourage
more flexibility.
9. Complete and impartial information, advice and guidance
(IAG) about the social work profession within schools is essential
for young people to ensure that they are fully aware of the career
options open to them. Information in schools about social work
can be incomplete and with a gender bias towards females.
10. The image of social work has been badly affected
by negative publicity especially concerning child protection issues.
In addition the profession is not seen as high status, due to
low levels of pay.
11. A potential route into social work could be through
apprenticeships, however schools are not obliged to provide information,
advice and guidance on apprenticeships or vocational courses if
they don't perceive them to be within a student's best interests.
12. AoC believes that the duty on schools to provide
impartial IAG should be strengthened. Colleges firmly believe
that all young people should have a statutory right to be informed
about all their options post-16, not only those which their teachers
view as being in the pupil's interests. In this light we welcome
DCSF's current consultation on careers advice and guidance.
STRUCTURE OF
TRAINING
13. AoC believes that learning on the job is the most
effective way of developing skills and that in addition to the
three-year bachelor's degree/two-year master's degree there should
be a career pathway for people with Level 2 qualifications in
social work.
14. This could include apprenticeship progression to a Foundation
Degree and mapped progression pathways, including the use of bite-sized
education and training, to allow for part-time study and for adult
students to return after a period of child care, illness or if
they become unemployed because of the recession.
15. Foundation degrees have proved particularly effective
in this regard. These can be not only useful preparations for
full degrees, but can also allow graduates to specialise and hone
their skills following a more general degree. In 2005-06 there
were 1,485 entrants to "social work" foundation degrees.
16. Colleges train their teaching staff through in-service
courses. This might be a useful model for social work training
with trainee social workers employed, supported and mentored by
the employer whilst undertaking their graduate level training
through the local College.
17. Colleges have a very successful record of working
with employers and designing provision that is tailored to their
needs.
18. Currently HEFCE is unable to fund modules of higher
education which is delivered in Colleges. This is most unfortunate
as it is this type of provision which enables institutions to
react quickly and decisively to meet the needs of people needing
to reskill as a result of the recession.
19. Job placement schemes to allow professional practitioners
to teach in FE colleges for short periods of time with a designated
brief in this area would strengthen training and ensure that students
gain up to date knowledge.
25
Appendix 2 not printed. Back
26
Not printed. Back
| 
