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Adult services may become the poor relation of children’s services in Scotland if the two are split, the new president of the Association of Directors of Social Work warned in her inaugural conference speech, writes Maggie Wood.

Alexis Jay said that the impending split between children’s and adults’ services in England was raising fears that initiatives in training and regulation would be delayed. If Scotland followed the move, the same problems could be created, she said last week, adding that it was important to learn the lessons of structural change elsewhere.

Backing the fundamental review of social work announced by education and young people’s minister Peter Peacock in the wake of the Borders abuse case, Jay said she believed it should and would be a “catalyst for change” (news, page 14, 13 May).

In a meeting with social work directors and chief social work officers at the ADSW conference, Peacock said the review would focus on moving the profession forward, not stigmatising it or blaming it for service failures.

“There are searching questions to ask about the task of social work at this early part of the 21st century, 30 years after social work departments were established,” Peacock said. “We need to recognise the profession’s good work as well as address any deficiencies.”

Peacock is expected to outline his plans for the review to Parliament by the summer.

Jay said that order to attract and retain staff, social work departments should offer continuous professional development, recognised time for reflection, coaching and mentoring, she added.

However, she warned that recruitment should not be a competition between the community care, criminal justice and children’s sectors, or between the statutory and voluntary sectors.