Training of Children and Families Social Workers - Children, Schools and Families Committee Contents


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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