News

Far-reaching changes to the children’s services work force are proposed, including a long-term strategy for attracting more people of ability into children and families social work.

The government is proposing a wholesale review of rewards and incentives, plus a workload survey to find ways to restructure social workers jobs so they have more time for face-to-face work with children and families.

But the proposals go much further, with the prospect of a new integrated professional structure for everyone working with young people.

A new children’s work force unit is to be set up at the Department for Education and Skills plus a new sector skills council for children and young people’s services. There will be common occupational standards to enable people to move between jobs and a modular training and qualifications structure "across the widest possible range of workers in children’s services".

There would be a common core of training for everyone working with children, such as GPs, teachers, police and prison offices as well as those working only with children.

Every Child Matters is open for consultation until 1 December. Alongside the green paper, proposals for changes to the youth justice system were published. These include extending the use of the intensive supervision and surveillance programme.

- See proposals at www.dfes.gov.uk/everychildmatters/