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Universities UK's Submission
to the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee inquiry into the
training of children and families social workers
Universities UK is the major representative body
for the higher education sector. It has 133 members who are the executive heads
of the universities in the UK,
and it works closely with policy makers and key stakeholders to advance the
interests of universities and higher education.
Introduction
1. Universities UK welcomes the
opportunity to make an input into the Committee's work in this area.
Universities UK
will also be contributing to the work of the Department for Children, Schools
and Families Social Work Task Force via a seminar on 21 May 2009. Any
additional issues identified by Vice-Chancellors at that event will be passed
on to the Committee.
2. Key issues for universities are: content
of initial training, quality, and supply of initial training, which are
outlined in this submission. This submission also covers the issue of social
work research, because Universities UK is concerned that this is not omitted
from the Committee's review. The profession's underpinning knowledge base
must continue to develop, and should be linked with wider perspectives on
research methodologies and experience /expertise.
3. Since social work education has been brought
into the university mainstream, supported by the Higher Education Funding
Council for England (HEFCE) funding, student numbers have increased,
and it appears that the profession has become a more attractive career
option. There are now 71 accredited universities offering social
work degrees. Over 64% of social work students are enrolled as full time
undergraduates.
Content
of initial training
4. This is clearly a matter for universities, in
consultation with employers. It will be important not to interfere
prematurely with the degree structure which has just been embedded - the first
graduates from these programmes entered the workforce in 2005, so
assessment is still at an early stage. The timescales for major changes
to education programmes mean that careful planning is necessary to co-ordinate
with relevant partners, and ensure that the appropriate number and range of
placements is available for students. Planning and managing placements is
one of the most challenging parts of the new degrees, but without
that opportunity, it will not be possible to ensure that students are able to
gain early experience of the sort of tasks they will be asked to undertake when
in employment.
5. While there is clearly a need to develop suitable
knowledge and skill sets for social workers dealing with children and
families, early specialisation may not necessarily provide the versatile
workforce that will be required in the future. Students need to form
an holistic understanding of people, families and communities.
6. The balance of
knowledge, skills, values and experience is likely to vary in programmes, since
they will reflect links with local employers and the types of
placements available. This helps with ensuring the necessary
diversity in education provision across the country.
Quality
7. Universities work closely
with the General Social Care
Council (GSCC) to ensure that programmes meet the necessary requirements,
and the current arrangements, which emphasise the institutions' own quality
assurance and monitoring processes are preferable to some of the more
burdensome mechanisms in other professions. The GSCC has exercised its
functions appropriately, for example by withholding approvals temporarily, in
order for quality benchmarks to be met.
8. UUK has given priority to working with HEFCE and
the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) on arrangements for
quality assurance in England
following the current round of QAA institutional audits. It
has established a Quality Forum which is considering issues
including: greater student involvement e.g. in audit teams, and
sector-wide terms of reference for external examiners. Mechanisms that focus on
addressing any identified problems quickly, at the institutional level, are
essential for both students and their future employers.
Supply
of initial training
9. One of the key issues for universities in assessing the scale and
type of provision to be offered is the availability of placements. As
there is currently no requirement for public agencies to provide placements and
limited funding available for universities to support the administrative
processes around placement provision, consideration should be given to how
employers can be incentivised to offer placements.
Research
10. One of the benefits of moving to a degree
qualification is the opportunity for students to come into contact with
professionals who undertake research, and who can help them develop an
enthusiasm for new ideas and the necessary critical skills to underpin use of
research outcomes. This is an essential aspect of the wider
development of the social work profession, and is a key benefit of the
recent changes in professional education. By being based in
universities, underpinning professional knowledge can continue to develop,
and be linked with research methodologies and developments in related
subject disciplines as well.
For further information, please contact Sarah
Layfield on 020 7419 5413 or email Sarah.Layfield@universitiesuk.ac.uk
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