Principal social workers have rejected the idea of becoming financially independent from the government.
In a poll circulated by the joint chair of the children’s principal social workers’ network, Mandy Nightingale, 73% voted ‘yes’ to maintaining the status quo which sees the Department for Education funding administrative tasks and the annual conference for the network.
Not mature enough
Fellow joint chair, Lee Pardy-McLaughlin said the network was not mature enough to be independent.
“I think the principals social workers’ network is at a big crossroads,” he said. “Where we have made a difference is to local systems, but we haven’t made such a difference on a national level.
National impact
“We need to position ourselves locally, regionally and nationally and show what difference we are making.”
He added financial independence was an aspiration for the future.
Southwark principal social worker, Celia Parker, said the closure of the College of Social Work had been felt acutely by the network. She added it was possible original suggestions the network become self-funding may have been borne of a feeling of vulnerability to closure, as well as desire for independence.
However, she said she did not feel being funded by the DfE had any negative impact on the work of the network.
Accreditation
Nightingale reported a number of steps the new chairs had taken to cement the role of the PSW as a voice for the profession, including being part of a steering group on the development of social work accreditation with the DfE and KPMG.
She stated the aims of the network in the coming year were to engage with national policy and practice changes and share innovation and development opportunities amongst the network.
Assistive technology and dementia: practice tips 
A trauma-informed approach to social work: practice tips 
Find out how to develop your emotional resilience with our free downloadable guide 
Develop your social work career with Community Care’s Careers and Training Guide 
‘Dear Sajid Javid: please end the inappropriate detention of autistic people and those with learning disabilities’
Ofsted calls for power to scrutinise children’s home groups
Seven in eight commissioners paying below ‘minimum rate for home care’
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Instagram
Perhaps this statement, from Mandy Nightingale, regarding moves to “cement the role of the PSW as a voice for the profession, including being part of a steering group on the development of social work accreditation with the DfE and KPMG”, sums up why the PSW want to retain government funding. They are “working” with government, why not get paid for it! Independence must mean little to PSWs.
It would be interesting to know, under what ‘authority’ the PSW has a role “as a voice for the profession”? They have a role as the voice of their niche group, within the profession but they DO NOT, as yet, speak for me, as a professional! Especially, without declaring their position, with regard to the work they are undertaking with DfE and KPMG around accreditation. For the PSW network to become “a voice for the profession”, they need to be much more transparent and independent, share their mission, vision and aims and allow ‘the profession’ to decide whether these accord with ‘the professions” future position.
I’m pleased. As a PSW I work for a local authority. To me, PSW’s champion their workforce and promote change and improvement from within the organisation. It would be foolish to attempt to separate from those we wish to influence. Lee’s comment I think is saying the network is not mature enough. It’s very early days in terms of the group.
If the principal social workwers are not ‘mature’ enough to run a network, then they do not have a future at all I would suggest. How can they be seen as ‘practice leaders’ for example? I think they may have just voted to make themselves redundant. How sad!
No courage, No conviction, sheep to the wolves…