Memorandum submitted by the General Social
Care Council (GSCC)
INTRODUCTION
ABOUT THE
GENERAL SOCIAL
CARE COUNCIL
(GSCC)
1. The General Social Care Council is the
social care workforce regulator for England. The GSCC is a Non
Departmental Public Body established in October 2001 under the
Care Standards Act 2000. It is sponsored by the Department of
Health (DH) but also works closely with the Department for Children,
Schools and Families (DCSF) in delivering the children's and young
people's care agenda.
2. The GSCC works to improve the quality of social
care services for the benefit of people who use services through
regulation of the workforce and through its contribution to social
work education. It has three main functions:
- it regulates social work education and training.
ENTRY ROUTES
TO THE
PROFESSION
Are entry routes to social work sufficiently flexible
to encourage mature entrants, re-entrants and people considering
a career change?
3. In order to practise as social worker
it is a legal requirement to be registered with the GSCC. The
GSCC, therefore, operates a gateway to the profession and has
been tasked with doing so in order to ensure that quality standards
are consistent across the workforce. It sets the minimum level
entry requirements for practising social workers, including a
requirement to hold a recognised qualification.
4. The vast majority of those registered with
the GSCC have a social work qualification which pre-dates the
introduction of the Social Work Degree. Any previously qualified
social worker who is no longer practising will be required to
register with the GSCC before returning to work. However, it is
not necessary for previously qualified social workers to re-qualify
before registering with the GSCC. The GSCC registers those social
workers who have attained any of the predecessor social work qualifications
dating back to 1971 when the Central Council for Education and
Training in Social Work (CCETSW) started to regulate social work
training.
5. Given the concerns about the retention of
experienced social workers the GSCC welcomes the recent initiatives
announced by the Local Government Association and the DCSF to
encourage experienced social workers to return to the profession.[31]
It will be important for employers to ensure that any returning
social worker is familiar with the significant changes in policy
and practice in children's and families social work.
6. In terms of encouraging people who wish
to change their career to become a social worker, it is possible
for those holding an undergraduate degree or equivalent level
qualification to enter onto the two year social work masters degree.
As with undergraduate students, a bursary is available to assist
with the cost of studying. This provides flexibility for graduates
from other backgrounds who wish to switch to social work and currently
24% of social work students are enrolled on the masters degree
in England.[32]
Within this group of students there is a very low withdrawal and
failure rate.[33]
7. Mature students are also well represented
on the current degree and those over the age of 25 accounted for
61% of the total intake into the social work degree in 2007-08.[34]
8. Employers currently provide a number
of schemes to support those already working in social care to
qualify as social workers. These include providing employment
based routes to a social work qualification, where employers support
students through the payment of fees and/or fund their study time.
In 2006-07 10% of students who registered on the social work degree
entered through an employment based route.[35]
Funding is provided to local authorities by central government
to support these schemes; this allocation is split between adults
and children's social workers although it is not currently ring
fenced.
9. There is some evidence that the number
of people entering the Social Work Degree through flexible study
routes, including those studying part time—which is currently
8% of Social Work students—has declined since the Degree
was introduced.[36]
This is likely to be because of the recent changes to the funding
allocations for social work training to local authorities. The
recent DCSF initiative to fund local authorities to provide 200
social work qualifying training places will, however, help to
improve access to the degree.
10. The GSCC is working closely with the
Children's Workforce Development Council, which is looking at
employment-based routes to achieve the social work degree. It
will be particularly important that new routes deliver the same
standard of academic and practice preparation as the university-based
degree.
STRUCTURE OF
TRAINING
Is a three year bachelor's degree/two year master's
degree the right format and level for initial social work training?
11. Before the introduction of the bachelor
degree the previous professional qualification in social work
was the Diploma in Social Work (DipSW) which was a two year qualification
at sub-degree level. The introduction of a degree level qualification
in 2003-04 was accompanied by the introduction of mandatory professional
registration with the GSCC in 2005 and has substantially improved
the status of the profession. The number of enrolments on the
degree has increased substantially (up 38% over the past decade)
compared to the DipSW.[37]
The degree entry requirements which stipulate numeracy and literacy
standards have also meant that the proportion of people training
to be social workers who have A-levels has also increased.[38]
CONTENT OF
INITIAL TRAINING
Is the generic social work degree fit for the
purpose of training children and families social workers?
The structure and content of the Social Work Degree
12. The current Social Work Degree is not
underpinned by an agreed curriculum. Instead course providers
are asked to demonstrate to the GSCC that their curriculum meets
a set of outcomes and standards which are derived from three main
sources—the Department of Health's requirement for the degree;
the National Occupational Standards, developed by the Sector Skills
Council; and the Quality Assurance Agency Benchmark Statement
for Social Work. Taken together these documents establish, amongst
other things, the entry requirements for students entering onto
the degree, the requirement for all social work students to undertake
200 days of practice learning, as well as the training, learning
and assessment requirements for all courses.
13. The content of the social work degree is,
therefore, the responsibility of a number of different bodies.
The GSCC is responsible for approving social work courses on the
basis that they meet these requirements and it provides a further
function by assessing HEIs' (Higher Education Institution) own
quality assurance systems.
Evidence on performance of the social work degree
14. The Social Work Degree is still relatively
new and it has only recently been possible to gain an understanding
of the impact that it has had on the quality of training received
by social work students and whether it can be considered fit for
purpose.
15. In seeking to establish the efficacy of the
generic degree in terms of training children and families social
workers, it is important for the Committee to understand the government's
original intention. From its inception, it was intended that the
introduction of a degree level generic qualification for social
work would assess students according to the following attributes:[39]
— The ability to manage change and deliver
required outcomes.
— The ability to communicate with users
and carers of all ages and from all sections of the community.
— The practical application of social work
theory.
— The ability to function effectively and
confidently in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency teams.
16. The Department of Health funded an evaluation
of the degree which was undertaken by Kings College, London and
this was published in 2008.[40]
In broad terms the evaluation reported that the degree is delivering
according to the national standards and requirements. Course providers
were found to be producing graduates ready to practice at the
minimum level of competence with a perception from programme staff
of an increase in the academic and practice standards of students
compared to those who took the DipSW. The results of the evaluation
indicate that the degree has produced more analytical and critical
students who have acquired these skills from both the classroom-based
and practice learning elements of the course.[41]
17. The DH evaluation also found that employers
welcomed the fact that the initial training for social workers
was set at degree level. However, the study concluded that that
it was too early to assess whether the needs and expectations
of employers were being met through initial training as the first
cohort of degree qualified social workers had only been in the
workforce for a short time.
18. In 2008, the GSCC published its own
audit of the degree to establish whether social work education
for children's social work was fit for purpose.[42]
The study covered six universities and their employer partners
and found that the teaching of children's social work was being
adequately addressed in the curriculum offered by assessed universities.
However, the study also revealed that the depth of understanding
attained by Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs) was variable
and that most respondents thought that additional training through
a Post Qualifying award was necessary to provide the social worker
with the full skill-set. A key finding of the report was that
some of the concerns about the content and quality of children's
social work teaching were unfounded.
19. In 2007, Bournemouth University published
research which tracked NQSWs over a year.[43]
Eight local authorities and 35 NQSWs participated in the study.
Three-quarters of the NQSWs and their managers felt the degree
had prepared them with the right skills, knowledge and understanding
for their current post. For those who did not feel prepared this
was mainly in the area of assessment, report writing, record keeping,
time and case management. Nearly all the NQSWs questioned felt
that their practice placements during their initial training had
been the element of their course that had prepared them most for
the social work tasks in their first role.
20. The Children's Workforce Development
Council has also conducted a consultation with employers and NQSWs
to ascertain their views of the degree. Around two-thirds of the
291 NQSW respondents had social work degrees and over a third
had two or more practice placements in children's social work
while on the degree. The survey showed that those NQSWs with more
experience of children's social care practice, either before,
during or post qualification, scored themselves as having higher
levels of effectiveness. NQSWs with an undergraduate degree rated
themselves marginally more confident in practice than postgraduates.
21. In the light of this evidence it is
possible to conclude that the Social Work Degree has achieved
its initial objectives in terms of the goals established by Government.
However, the GSCC recognises that there is increasing concern
amongst some employers and NQSWs about whether the degree is equipping
students with the right levels of initial training to meet the
current demands placed on them in the workplace.
22. Whilst it is wrong to expect that any
form of initial training for any profession will equip an individual
with the skills to undertake highly complex tasks from day one,
the GSCC would support a review of the current requirements of
the degree to assess whether they match the current expectations
of government and employers. The GSCC also considers that an agreed
core curriculum for social work training should be developed to
give greater clarity to universities, employers and students about
what will be taught. A common curriculum would provide a clearer
standard against which to judge the performance of Higher Education
Institutions. It would also provide greater assurance to employers
about the types of knowledge and skills attained by Newly Qualified
Social Workers.
Specialisation within the Social Work Degree
23. The original intention behind the degree
was that it should provide all social workers with a generic understanding
of the legal and theoretical approach to social work practice
and that it should encompass aspects of working with both children
and adults. From the perspective of this inquiry such broad level
training is critical for future children's social workers, as
a central component of child neglect and abuse is often family
breakdown or alcohol or drug abuse amongst parents and family
members. Conversely, it is also essential that social workers
in adult services should have a basic understanding of social
work with children and families if they are to contribute to the
outcomes set out in "Every Child Matters".
24. The current degree framework was established
in order to provide opportunities for specialisation at post qualifying
level. However, whilst it is possible for student social workers
to develop a level of specialisation through the settings in which
they undertake their practice placements, there is no requirement
on HEIs to tailor their course structure to cater for those who
wish to work with particular groups of people or in specific settings.
25. While the GSCC supports the continuation
of generic training for all social workers, any review of the
requirements of the social work degree or the development of a
common national curriculum should, therefore, look at providing
greater opportunities for specialisation so that both future adults
and children's social workers can begin to gain the skills and
experience appropriate to their roles earlier in their initial
training.
26. These pathways for specialisation should
be available for those wishing to work specifically with children
and families, as well as those who wish to work in mental health
settings or with older or disabled people. The final year assessment
of student social workers should be linked to their displayed
competencies whilst working with specific groups. This would give
the current degree a greater focus on professional and vocational
training and would provide employers with a better understanding
of the skills, experience and training of NQSWs when they enter
the workplace. It is important, however, that any moves towards
greater specialisation during the degree programme are not seen
as a substitute for providing NQSWs with additional specialist
training and supervision during their first years in work.
QUALITY OF
TRAINING
How effectively does the GSCC regulate the quality
of training?
27. The GSCC currently employs a delegated
model of regulation which gives responsibility for monitoring
quality standards to universities. This approach was agreed with
government when the Social Work Degree was introduced in 2003.
There are two key aspects to our regulatory function in this area:
— initial approval and re-approval of the
degree and;— annual monitoring of the quality assurance
function of HEIs.
28. The GSCC initially approves Higher Education
Institutions to deliver the Social Work Degree. Before granting
programme approval, which relates to individual courses, the GSCC
assesses the proposals against the Department of Health requirements
for the Degree, the National Occupational Standards and the QAA
benchmark statement. Each provider is assessed every five years
to determine whether the course should again be approved by the
GSCC. These approval assessments may involve visits to the university
by GSCC inspectors and by people who use services who are recruited
by the GSCC.
29. This re-approval cycle allows GSCC to
intervene to identify HEIs which are not delivering the degree
to the appropriate standard. In 2007-08 conditions for re-approval
were set in 70% of cases, either requiring action to be taken
before the courses could be re-approved or asking for evidence
of improvements to be provided to the GSCC through annual monitoring.
In most cases, action to address issues of quality was taken promptly
by universities working with the GSCC and re-approval was granted
to all but one HEI. In this particular instance the HEI agreed
to suspend its undergraduate intake for 2008-09. The key concern
here related to the partnership with the local employers and the
inadequacy of practice learning places.
30. Under the annual monitoring programme,
the GSCC examines the HEI's own quality assurance systems to establish
how they are performing. HEIs are required to report annually
to the GSCC to demonstrate that they are continuing to meet the
criteria against which they were approved to deliver the Social
Work degree. These reports also ask for information on the number
of students enrolled on the degree, the sufficiency and quality
of practice learning and the evaluation that they have received
from students. In making judgments on the annual performance of
HEIs the GSCC also takes into account the reports of external
examiners and any concerns raised by stakeholders. Inspections
are only carried out where serious concerns arise that requirements
and standards of education and training are not being met.
31. In 2007-08, 75% of HEIs were judged
by the GSCC to be providing evidence of well-run courses, managing
resources satisfactorily against the criteria and requirements
and providing confidence that the institution's own quality assurance
and monitoring processes are working effectively. Of the remainder,
15% (12) of courses were considered satisfactory in most respects
but there was concern that at least one area of provision needed
attention. A GSCC inspector worked with each of the 12 universities
over 2008-09 to ensure that these areas were addressed. In the
other 10% (nine) of courses an assessment of the annual monitoring
reports led to the conclusion that at least one or more requirement
was not being met in some way. In each case the HEI has been required
to set out a satisfactory action plan to deliver improvements.
This will be monitored and delivered according to agreed timescales.
32. Where concerns are identified the GSCC's
approach is to work collaboratively with the HEI to assist them
in addressing the identified concerns. While the GSCC retains
the right to withdraw approval to provide the degree and we would
take that action where necessary, our approach is designed to
support improvement to meet the required standards to ensure the
impact of quality concerns on existing students is minimized.
33. The GSCC considers that the current
regulatory framework for Social Work Education and Training should
be reviewed in order to ensure that high quality training is delivered
to all social work students. We commenced work on this in March
2008 and provided initial advice to government in November last
year about the changes we could make to strengthen the regulation
of the degree. Before moving forward on these issues it will be
important to learn more about the government's intentions in relation
to Social Work Education following the final report of the Social
Work Taskforce.
34. There are a number of weaknesses with
the current system which we have identified and would like to
address. These are:
— The current arrangements for the delegation
of the assessment of quality to HEIs means that there is little
opportunity to assess fully the extent to which HEIs are preparing
social workers for professional practice;
— The fact that little information about
the assessed quality of a course is provided to prospective students
or to local employers means that there are no "market"
based incentives to drive up quality; and
— the fact that the provision of the Social
Work Degree is assessed against a set of high level output statements
means that the benchmark against which quality is measured is
poorly defined.
35. In addition to recommending to government
that a common curriculum for social work training is developed
we have also considered introducing the following measures:
— introducing targeted and sample visits
to courses to meet the programme management board, lecturers,
students, people who use services and employers involved in the
partnership should take place as agreed. This may include observation
of teaching and visits to placements as necessary;
— introducing mechanisms to gain feedback
from NQSWs and their employers one year into employment on how
their training prepared them for practice; and
— publishing annual monitoring reports
from universities to ensure that students are better informed.
How can the quality, suitability and supply of
practice placements be assured?
36. The DH requirements for the Social Work
Degree state that each student must:
— undertake a minimum of 200 days practice
learning during their course;
— have experience in at least two practice
settings, working with at least two different types of people
who use services and carers;
— have experience of statutory social work
tasks involving legal interventions; and
— be assessed as competent and safe to
practise by a qualified and experienced social worker.[44]
37. Practice placements account for 50%
of student time on the degree and are essential in preparing students
to be ready to enter the workforce. It is the responsibility of
HEIs to ensure that practice learning opportunities are of a good
quality and that there are sufficient numbers of appropriate practice
educators to support and assess students in their placements.
In addition to the GSCC's criteria, rules and requirements, HEIs
must comply with the QAA's best practice guidance on the provision
and monitoring of work-based learning.
38. The GSCC administers DH funding to HEIs
to support practice learning. In 2007-08 this amounted to £20.5
million which was passed on to HEIs. In 2006-07 there were 12,698
practice learning opportunities undertaken by social work students
which indicates the scale of the task in ensuring the right supply
of suitable, high quality placements. The majority of placements
take place in local authorities (48.4%); 24.4% in a voluntary
agency; 5% in a private agency; 3.7% in health and 2.8% in education.
39. The GSCC has received anecdotal evidence
that the availability of statutory placement settings is reducing
and that this is affecting both the quality of placement experience
and students' learning. The DCSF and CWDC are concerned about
both the supply and quality of placement provision, especially
statutory placements, which are seen as an important element in
ensuring students are "fit for practice". Recently concerns
have been raised from the sector that since the removal of a Key
Performance Indicator (KPI), for local authorities which measured
the availability and quality of practice learning it has become
increasingly difficult to find good quality statutory placements.
However, the GSCC has no evidence to establish a correlation between
this KPI being withdrawn and reduced numbers of appropriate placements.
40. In response to these concerns the GSCC
in partnership with SfC/CWDC Partnership Board facilitated three
national workshops with HEIs and employers on statutory placements
in 2008. The key findings from these events were:
— The need for a clearer definition of
what constitutes a "statutory placement";
— The need for the statutory placement
to be a prescribed number of days; and
— A decision to be taken as to whether
the statutory placement should be the final placement.
41. The DH commissioned evaluation of the
SWD presents evidence that 78% of students in the survey rated
their placement as excellent, very good or good. This independent
research is consistent with the GSCC's findings over several years
of annual monitoring of HEIs. However the research also reported
the following negative findings:
— That not all agencies could offer a useful
range of work experience;
— That the quality of assessment was variable;
and
— That some students felt they received
inadequate support and supervision during their placement.
42. The GSCC's annual monitoring of HEIs
in 2006-07 revealed that a large majority of programmes were judged
by universities to be adequate in meeting practice learning quality
standards. However, these judgments of quality are primarily based
on HEIs' own monitoring of their placement provision, taking into
account the views of students. Only 82 placements were reported
by HEIs as not meeting their own quality standards, a remarkably
small number out of the 11,500 placements provided that year.
43. This evidence reveals a need to introduce
consistency in terms of how the quality of placements is assessed.
The GSCC has been involved in developing a national benchmark
tool the Quality Assurance of Practice Learning (QAPL), which
can be used to audit the quality of all placements against a set
of common standards. An electronic audit and evaluation tool has
been piloted and distributed to all HEIs. Depending on how useful
this tool is seen to be, the GSCC will consider requiring HEIs
to use this as a measure when they report on the quality of practice
placements.
44. The availability of practice placements
can also be managed better through the greater use of IT data
management systems. Skills for Care is currently developing a
web-based system (LeaRNS) which will allow HEIs and employers
to plan better the availability of practice placements. It is
intended that this system should be rolled out in September 2009.
45. The most important factor in developing
high quality practice placements is the relationship between HEIs
and employers. The GSCC would, therefore, like to see a formal
requirement introduced for local partnerships to be established
between HEIs and employers to ensure that appropriate and high
quality placements are available for all students.
How can the quality, suitability and take-up of
post-qualifying training be assured?
Post-Qualifying Framework
46. The GSCC is responsible for regulating
the structure of Post Qualifying Courses for Social Workers. This
is known as the "Post-Qualification (PQ) framework".
The PQ framework is the structure through which the GSCC sets
the standards and requirements for post qualification training
for social workers, sets criteria for such courses, endorses those
that meet the GSCC's requirements and regulates HEIs' delivery
of these courses. Inter-Professional Education is a key principle
within the framework and joint courses are likely to take place
between professional groups. This framework consists of three
academic levels:
47. Courses can be in five different areas
of practice. These are:
— Children and young people, their families
and carers;
— Leadership and management;
— Social work in mental health services;
and
— Social work with adults.
48. The process through which the GSCC quality
assures courses under the PQ framework broadly replicates that
for the social work degree, although there are some differences.
49. PQ programmes are required to appoint
at least one external examiner who has a GSCC recognised social
work qualification. Annual monitoring of programmes includes scrutiny
of reports by these external examiners, which universities must
provide to the GSCC together with copies of university responses
and, where appropriate, information on subsequent actions. The
GSCC will publish these reports in summary form.
50. On an annual basis, universities responsible
for approved courses are required to supply copies of any internal
evaluations of course quality. They are also required to monitor
stakeholder views about programme quality and to make the results
of these stakeholder monitoring exercises available to the GSCC
if asked for.
51. All PQ programmes are to be reviewed
on a five-year cycle and reviews will formally confirm re-approval
of programmes. These reviews will involve visits by officers of
the GSCC and/or independent visitors appointed by the GSCC for
this purpose. Reviews will always involve opportunities for stakeholders
to provide their views on the quality and fitness for purpose
of PQ programmes.
52. Courses may be inspected at any time
if there is evidence that indicates that an inspection process
should be triggered. The specific triggers for inspection are
those laid down in the regulations governing the degree in social
work. Inspection visits are to be carried out by a panel consisting
of officers of the GSCC and independent visitors
53. Two hundred and forty-two PQ courses
have been approved at 53 universities under the new framework
since 2007. By far the most popular provision of courses is in
the children and young people specialism, with courses in this
specialism representing 36.8% of the total available. Our most
up to date figures show that 4,747 students have enrolled on the
new PQ courses, with 2,296 (48%) enrolling on the Children, Young
People, their Families and their Carers award. The intake balance
correlates well with the provision of available courses, demonstrating
that universities are reacting well to employer demand in this
area.
54. In terms of ensuring that children and
families social workers have access to PQ training the issue of
resources is key. Available evidence indicates that funds notionally
allocated to local authorities to support training for social
workers is often not spent on the intended purpose but is utilised
to meet other spending pressures.[45]
The GSCC would support any initiative to protect this funding
through ring-fencing training allocations to local authorities.
55. The Government has endorsed the recommendation
made by Lord Laming that a practice-based programme Masters programme
for social workers should be developed for experienced children's
social workers. Given that there is already a work-based route
to both a post-graduate certificate and a master's level qualification
in specialist children and families social work provided by the
new PQ framework, the GSCC considers that the PQ framework should
be the basis for developing this route to master's level qualifications
for all children's social workers.
56. The current PQ award for children covers
a broad range of children's issues. If there is a perceived need
for a further specialist PQ award in safeguarding in its own right
then this could be developed within the PQ framework as it stands.
We will also consider if it is necessary to strengthen this syllabus
to include two new awards on safeguarding either children or both
children and vulnerable adults and on forensic social work.
Post Registration Training and Learning Requirements
(PRTL)
57. A further way in which the take up of
Post Qualifying Training can be assured is through making this
a condition of an individual social worker's registration with
the GSCC. Currently, each registered social worker must undertake
a set amount of Post Registration Training and Learning activities
(PRTL). The requirement is to undertake either 90 hours or 15
days of study, training, courses, seminars, reading, teaching
or other activities which could reasonably be expected to advance
the social worker's professional development, or contribute to
the development of the profession as a whole.
58. Although the GSCC has issued guidance on
this requirement, the GSCC has thus far avoided being prescriptive
with respect to the content of the training and learning activities.
Instead, we have placed the onus on registrants and their employers
to identify relevant and beneficial training and learning.
59. In 2008, the GSCC conducted a review
of these requirements and found that PRTL was generally regarded
as "fit for purpose" by stakeholders, although it was
recommended that the GSCC should work with government to consider
introducing a number of possible changes. Amongst the most significant
of these proposals was that there should be a requirement that
a minimum of 45 of the 90 hours should consist of formal and independently
assessed learning and that registrants should be asked to indicate
how the learning activity they have undertaken has contributed
to their ability to understand and meet the needs of people who
use services. Another proposal for consideration was that every
registrant should be required to complete particular sets of training
activities or areas of study during each three year registration
period; and that Post-Qualifying courses should be compulsory
at certain points in a social worker's career.
60. It is the GSCC's view that no social
worker should be allowed to undertake complex child protection
cases until they have obtained the specialist PQ for social work
with children and families. We are considering whether to introduce
a change to the way we register social workers to make it mandatory
for newly qualified social workers to achieve a specialist-level
post qualifying award in their first years of practice. In the
light of the findings of the Social Work Taskforce we will consider
whether we should consult on potential amendments to the registration
requirements for social workers to achieve this aim.
61. A number of key issues need to be considered
before any changes to the registration requirements for social
workers can be implemented. If more prescriptive training requirements
are introduced it will be necessary for these to be fully costed
in terms of their impact on government, employers and registrants.
Employer support here is crucial as the ability of registrants
to meet any more stringent PRTL requirements will be heavily dependent
on being granted time off to complete training modules.
CODES OF
PRACTICE FOR
EMPLOYERS OF
SOCIAL WORKERS
62. One way in which the responsibilities
of employers can be made clearer is through making the GSCC Code
of Practice for Employers mandatory and enforceable. This Code
requires employers, amongst other things, to "provide training
and development opportunities to enable social care workers to
strengthen and develop their skills and knowledge". However,
the GSCC has no means of enforcing adherence to this code. Thus,
whilst the GSCC has helped to develop and regulates the provision
of high-quality post-qualification training through the PQ framework,
it cannot compel employers to support social workers to undertake
this training.
63. The GSCC, therefore, strongly welcomes the
commitment by the Government to "legislate at the earliest
opportunity to" place the Codes on a statutory footing. GSCC
considers that the number of social workers who undertake some
form of Post Qualifying training award would substantially increase
if the formal responsibility of employers to support training
was made clearer, together with the ring fencing of training funds
to local authorities.
How well are social workers trained to deliver
front-line supervision?
64. One mechanism for providing training
to social workers to deliver improved front-line supervision is
through the PQ framework. Within this the GSCC sets out generic
criteria that all approved courses must meet at each of the three
academic levels—specialist, higher specialist and advanced—no
matter the area of practice the course covers. In addition to
a range of other criteria, in order to satisfy approval requirements
at higher specialist level programmes need to show how they will
enable qualified social workers to:
"Support, mentor, supervise or manage others,
exercising practice, research, management or educational leadership
to enable them to identify and explore issues and improve their
own practice".
65. As the creation of this framework is
a recent innovation (2006), it has not yet been possible to undertake
any assessment of whether these awards are providing a sufficient
level of training in front-line supervision.
66. The Government's commitment to the development
of a national Newly Qualified Social Work programme is a welcome
development that will help to ensure that social workers receive
the support they require in the initial period of their career
after graduation, and which will include guaranteed supervision.
However, it is important that the NQSW programme is not regarded
as an alternative to undertaking courses delivered through the
PQ framework. It is essential that social workers receive both
extra support in the earlier part of their career and ongoing
access to high quality post-graduate training.
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