Joint memorandum submitted by the Department
for Children, Schools and Families and the Department of Health
SUMMARY
— The Department for Children, Schools
and Families and the Department of Health share responsibility
for policy relating to social work. Both departments are committed
to ensuring that social workers receive the support and development
they need to practise at the highest standard.[2]—
DCSF is investing nearly £131 million between 2008-09 and
2010-11 in supporting the children's workforce—this includes
the £73 million announced last year and the £58 million
Social Work Transformation Fund announced on 6 May. This overall
funding pot will be used to support commitments from The Children's
Plan and The Protection of Children in England: Action
Plan.— There are 78,635[3]
registered social workers.who work in various care settings encompassing
services for children, older people, mental health and people
with disabilities. Prior to 2003, the Department of Health (DH)
was responsible for social care policy for both adults' and children's
services. In 2003 responsibility for children and families' social
care transferred to the Department for Children, Schools and Families
(DCSF, formally DfES) as part of the Machinery of Government changes
to bring together policy on children under Every Child Matters.
— Whilst the introduction of the degree
has brought about a number of improvements in the training of
social workers,[4]
Government has recognised that more must be done to prepare social
workers for practice.
— Last year, DCSF and DH officials carried
out a number of joint visits to talk to students, social workers,
employers and academics to get their views on social worker initial
training. Whilst most participants believed that the establishment
of the degree had been a very positive step forward, it was generally
felt that further improvement in the training of social workers
was needed. This work fed into the development of the 2020 Children
and Young Persons' Workforce Strategy and the establishment of
the Social Work Task Force.
— The Task Force has been asked to consider
social work practice and from that make recommendations to Government
not only on the training of social workers but also on other key
issues such as leadership, recruitment, supply and role. In doing
so, they will build on Lord Laming's recent report on the protection
of children in England. The Task Force made its first report on
6 May and will make its final report in the autumn. The Government
will consider radical reforms of the social work education system
if that is what the Task Force recommend.
— In light of this ongoing work, this submission
of evidence to the Select Committee describes the current training
system and intermediate work being undertaken to support the training
and development of social workers.
ENTRY ROUTES
TO THE
PROFESSION
1. One of the aims in introducing the social
work degree and bursary was to encourage higher numbers of people
to train to be social workers. This aim has successfully been
met. The numbers of social work students beginning training have
remained steady since 2006 and represent around a 37% increase
in student numbers compared with five years ago. In 2007-08, 5,221
students were enrolled on the social work degree course. 2,669
students graduated from the degree courses in summer 2007. Whilst
numbers training on courses are high, not all go on to practise
as social workers and a key challenge for the government will
be to increase the number of social work students going on to
practise.
2. Whilst the increase in student numbers is
positive, the serious and complex nature of social work means
that attracting high numbers into training is not enough. The
profession must attract people with the ability to become excellent
social workers. The system already produces many excellent social
workers, however, as a recent analysis of the UCAS points of social
work, teaching and nursing undergraduate students shows, social
work is attracting fewer students with high academic ability than
other similar professions. Effective social workers need not only
good academic ability but also must have a range of other skills,
including interpersonal skills. However this analysis does suggest
that the profession is not currently attracting high academic
performers in the way that similar professions do.
Source: 2020 Children
and Young Persons' Workforce Strategy: the Evidence Base[5]
3. This funding is being used in a number
of ways to support the workforce; one of these is introducing
greater flexibility to social work training, with a particular
emphasis on attracting mature career changers. DCSF has introduced
a Graduate Recruitment Scheme which sponsors graduates with a
minimum of a 2:1 first degree to undertake the social work Masters
route into the profession. A further 200 places on this scheme
for September 2009 were announced on 6 May. In the Children's
Plan, DCSF also committed to a work-based fast track entry route
into children and families' social work and CWDC is currently
developing proposals for how this may be delivered.
4. DCSF is introducing a number of measures
to increase retention in the workforce, and these will also help
make the career a more attractive prospect for potential students.
Last year DCSF asked CWDC to introduce a career framework for
children and families' social workers. CWDC launched the first
stage of this, the Newly Qualified Social Worker status, in September
2008 and later this year will launch further stages of the framework;
Early Professional Development for those in their second and third
years' of practice and Advanced Social Work Professional status
which will offer credible senior frontline roles for experienced
social workers to enable them to stay in frontline practice.
5. In recruiting to the profession, the
public standing of social workers must also be considered. Many
people will never come into contact with a social worker in a
professional capacity and this feeds into a general lack of public
understanding about the role. Misconceptions and stereotypes about
social workers easily take root. The Government wants social work
to be a profession that has the confidence and respect of the
public. To bring this about, a better understanding of the various
and important roles played by social workers in our society must
be fostered. In the Children's Plan, DCSF committed to launching
a social work marketing campaign to attract high calibre recruits
to the profession and to address perceptions of social work as
a career; this will launch later this year.
THE STRUCTURE,
CONTENT AND
QUALITY OF
INITIAL TRAINING
6. The Department for Children, Schools
and Families and the Department of Health work jointly on issues
relating to the social care workforce. Social work training at
both degree and post-qualifying levels continues to be jointly
managed by both departments, working closely with the Department
for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).
7. The Care Standards Act 2000 introduced greater
regulation of the social work profession through the establishment
of the General Social Care Council (GSCC). To practise as a social
worker, professionals must register with the GSCC and in doing
so must demonstrate that they have achieved an appropriate social
work qualification and have appropriate post registration, training
and learning.
8. In 2003, the three-year degree level
qualification in social work replaced the two-year diploma (DipSW)
course as the main entry route into the profession in recognition.
9. In 2008-09, the Government invested £90
million in social work initial training including over £60
million in financial support to social work students undertaking
the social work degree. This is projected to increase to around
£100 million in 2009-10. Funding for degree courses is distributed
to Higher Education Institutions by the Higher Education Funding
Council for England (HEFCE).
10. Under the current bursary system (established
in 2002), social work students are able to apply for a non-income
assessed bursary whilst they train. The NHS Business Services
Authority (NHS BSA) administers the social work bursary and the
total amount of funding given out through the bursary each year
is dependent on the number of eligible students rather than a
pre-defined overall funding pot. Therefore the amount invested
by government in social work bursaries increases or decreases
in line with student numbers.
11. The amount each student receives is
dependant on where they study and whether they are studying full-time
or part-time. For undergraduate students, the amount of the basic
grant is also dependant on whether they are subject to variable
tuition fees. Postgraduate students may also apply for additional
income assessed elements.
The number of bursary applications received
and students funded is set out below:[6]
|
| 2007-08 Academic Year
| 2008-09 Academic Year
|
| Apps Received
| Students Funded |
Apps Received | Students Funded
|
|
| Postgraduate | 2,484
| 2,427 | 2,734
| 2,660 |
| Undergraduate | 9,546
| 9,305 | 10,134
| 9,848 |
| Totals | 12,030
| 11,732 | 12,868
| 12,508 |
|
12. The DH evaluation of the first five years of the
social work degree which was published last year reported a number
of positive improvements brought about by the social work degree,
including an increase in student numbers and in the diversity
of applicants.[7] However
in other areas, the evaluation found that further improvement
was needed.
13. Social worker training is currently generic in nature,
enabling students to learn about social work with both adults'
and children. Whilst it is generally agreed that no course could
ever fully prepare social work students for practice, newly qualified
social workers and their employers, particularly in the children
and families' sector, have raised concerns about whether the degree
goes as far as it could do in preparing students for practice.
Source: A report on consultations with newly qualified
social workers, employers and those
in higher education—Jan 2009, (CWDC 2009)
14. One of the requirements of the degree is that students
must successfully achieve 200 days of assessed practice. The Requirements
for Social Work Training (DH, 2002) in accordance with the Care
Standards Act (DH, 2000) stipulate that in order to achieve the
social work qualification, students must undertake 200 days of
assessed practice in two different settings, one of which should
include a substantial amount of statutory social work.
15. These practice placements are an important aspect
of initial training as they help students start to translate theory
into practice. However concerns have been raised with Government
about the quality and quantity of placements, particularly in
the statutory sector. The Social Work Development Partnership,
established by DH and DCSF in 2008, is responsible for the development
of appropriate, high quality practice education and continuing
professional development opportunities for social workers. The
primary focus on the work to date has been on developing quality
measures for practice placements and developing additional capacity,
particularity in the statutory sector. In addition to developing
learning outcomes and supporting access to programmes for those
who assess and manage practice placements. The Partnership has
also been working on improving workforce data to support effective
workforce modelling and planning so that demand for social work
placements is linked to the supply needs of employers rather than
HEI numbers. A separate submission to the Select Committee will
be made from the Social Work Development Partnership Board.
16. In his recent progress report, Lord Laming noted
the advance in social worker training brought about by the introduction
of the degree. However he reported a number of concerns in relation
to the quality, content and inspection of the degree. In particular
he highlighted issues in relation to the lack of opportunity to
specialise in children's social work during training. It is currently
possible to start as a new children's social worker without any
experience of child protection work because of a lack of statutory
children's social work placements. Lord Laming recommended a number
of reforms to social worker training, including:
— improving the quality and consistency of social work
degrees;
— introducing opportunity for specialising in children's
social work during the degree, and
— underping this with a comprehensive inspection regime.
17. All the recommendations made by Lord Laming in his
progress report have been accepted. The Social Work Task Force
has been asked to consider Lord Laming's recommendations on training
as part of its comprehensive review of social work.
SUPPLY OF
INITIAL TRAINING
18. The GSCC accredits HEIs to deliver the social work
degree and inspects the quality of social work education against
requirements agreed by Government.[8]
In its latest report on Social Work Education in England (published
in February 2009), the GSCC reported that there are 231 approved
social work degree courses delivered by 71 universities and nine
associated higher education institutions.[9]
19. Lord Laming has recommended that the Social Work Task
Force should develop the basis for a national children's social
worker supply strategy that will address recruitment and retention
difficulties. The Government has accepted all of Lord Laming's
recommendations and this will form a critical part of its comprehensive
reform programme to be set out in the autumn.
20. In the immediate term, the Government is already
taking a number of actions to address recruitment and supply challenges
in the workforce, including:
— a national marketing and recruitment campaign to launch
later this year;
— The Return to Social Work Scheme to support former
social workers back into the profession;
— The Graduate Recruitment Scheme to sponsor high quality
graduates to undertake social worker training, and
— recruitment and retention pilots in two regions with
high vacancy and turnover rates.
POST QUALIFYING
TRAINING AND
CAREER PATHS
21. No matter the stage of career, continually seeking
to further knowledge, skills and expertise is a critical function
of being a social worker. Social workers are required to keep
their skills and knowledge up-to-date and evidencing ongoing development
is a requirement for their continued registration with the GSCC.
Registration requirements state that "every social worker
registered with the GSCC shall, within the period of registration,
complete 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".[10]
22. GSCC is also responsible for the Post-Qualifying Framework
for social work and in September 2007 launched the new PQ arrangements;
the revised framework is divided into three specialist levels
(Specialist Social Work, Higher Specialist Social Work and Advanced
Social Work). To support access to training and development by
the children and families' social care workforce access to training
and development, including PQ, Government is inverting £18
million through the Children's Social Care Workforce elements
of the Area Based Grant in each of the financial years between
2008-09 and 2010-11. The Social Work Development Partnership are
also responsible for the development and support of regional employer
led networks to ensure employers are able to access the number
and types of PQ programmes they require.
23. The career framework in development at CWDC for children's
social workers will provide greater focus on training and development
needs and set out expected standard of practice at various career
points. DCSF has also asked CWDC to provide training and support
for frontline and middle social worker managers to particularly
concentrate on management, leadership and supervision skills.
On 12 March, the Secretary of State also announced that over time,
social work should become a Masters-level profession and a practice-focused
Masters for qualified social workers will be piloted from 2011.
24. It is important that social workers at all stages
of their career receive the support and development they need
but the transition between training and practice is an especially
important time in the career of a social worker. The GSCC Code
of Practice for Employers sets out the expectation that social
workers should be properly inducted into the profession.[11]
Where proper and supportive induction does not occur, new social
workers are often left feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed. In
consultations undertaken to help develop its NQSW programme, CWDC
found that one in six of the newly qualified children's social
workers who took part in their online survey felt that their training
needs were rarely or never met. In the same survey, whilst two
thirds of participating newly qualified children's social workers
reported that they wished to carry on in the profession, 10% of
respondents said that they were considering alternative career
options.[12]
25. In order to tackle issues relating to variable induction
of social workers into the profession, Government has introduced
NQSW programmes for the adults' and children's sectors.
26. The pilot NQSW programme for children and families'
social workers, delivered by CWDC, launched in September 2008
and is currently providing support to the first cohort of around
1,000 newly qualified social workers. The main objective of the
programme is to provide a bridge from initial training to confident
and competent practice that is based on a firm foundation of skills
and knowledge. Participating NQSWs receive additional support
and development, and work towards achieving `outcome statements'
which set out clear expectations of the level of practice that
new social workers should be operating at by the end of their
first year. This programme also offers 10% protected time for
training and development purposes as well as regular and effective
supervision.[13]
27. Lord Laming considered the issue of transition from
training to practice in his report. He stated that, "social
workers must have guaranteed support and supervision during their
first year to enable them to develop their skills and their confidence
as a professional in a relatively safe leaning environment whilst
still having exposure to children in complex and difficult circumstances."[14]
DCSF agreed and in response to Lord Laming's report announced
the further roll-out of the Newly Qualified Social Worker pilot
programme to cover all new children's social workers in statutory
and voluntary settings from September 2009.
28. DH recently announced its NQSW programme for adults'
social workers. Skills for Care was commissioned by DH to develop
a Framework for Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSW) in adult
social care, together with key partner organisations. This Framework
is an important part of the transformation agenda, ensuring that
social workers working in adults' services are able to deliver
on Putting People First, creating career pathways and routes
for skills development. The Framework is employer-led and will
have a suite of tools to enable NQSWs to have the firm start they
need in their careers to set the foundations for their professional
careers longer term.[15]
1,149 NQSWs and their supervisors in 116 employers have stated
their intent to be part of the programme.
29. Both NQSW programmes will be fully evaluated in order
to understand their impact and effectiveness.
SOCIAL WORK
TASK FORCE
30. In December 2009, the DCSF published the 2020 Children
and Young Person's Workforce Strategy. This identified social
work as a profession in need of substantial further reform and
led to the establishment of the Social Work Task Force, set up
jointly by the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
and the Secretary of State for Health. The Taskforce has been
asked to conduct a "nuts and bolts" review of the social
work profession and will report back to both Secretaries of State
this autumn.
31. The Taskforce will be looking at a number of issues faced
by the profession, including those which the Children, Schools
and Families Select Committee will be analysing through their
inquiry. The Task Force will be submitting its own paper as part
of the Committee's call for written evidence.
May 2009
2
Key documents which set out the Government's commitment include
The Protection of Children in England: An Action Plan (DCSF May
2009), 2020 Children & Young Person's Workforce Strategy (DCSF
Dec 2008); Working to Put People First: The Strategy for the Adult
Social Care Workforce in England (DH April 2009) and Building
Brighter Futures: Next Steps for the Children's Workforce (April
2008). Back
3
Source: General Social Care Council. Back
4
Source: Evaluation of the Social Work Degree (DH, 2008). Back
5
Available here: http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=DCSF-01054-2008& Back
6
Source: Department of Health statistics. Back
7
Source: Evaluation of the Social Work Degree (DH, 2008). Back
8
Source: Social Work Degree Requirements (DH 2002). Back
9
Source: Report available here:
www.gscc.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B5C9C1BA-B566-4103-8229-FBDB6032ECCF/0/SWEQAR_Assurance_doc_v03.pdf Back
10
Source: General Social Care Council. Back
11
Following Lord Laming's recent report, the Government is working
with GSCC to review the Code of Practice for employers with a
view to putting it on a statutory footing. Back
12
Source: A report on consultations with newly qualified social
workers, employers and those in higher education-January 2009,
(CWDC 2009). Back
13
Further information on the children & families' NQSW pilot
programme can be found here:
http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/nqsw Back
14
The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report
(The Lord Laming, March 2009). Back
15
Further information on the adults' NQSW programme can be found
here:
http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/socialwork/NewlyQualifiedSocialWorker/NewlyQualifiedSocialWorker.aspx Back
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