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Social workers could be deterred from undertaking post-qualifying learning if the General Social Care Council goes ahead with its proposed change to the framework, a group of training accreditors has warned, writes Sally Gillen.

Plans to replace the system for post-qualifying, which is staged qualification made up of six requirements with a full award, have been slammed by the England PQ Consortia.

Shirley Ayres, chief officer at the Greater London Post Qualifying Consortium, one of 17 that make up the consortia, said: “The GSCC have consulted on the proposals but they appear not have listened to concerns or taken them on board.”

She added that the flexibility of the current framework, which starts with the PQ1 that takes between six months and a year to complete, suited the diverse workforce.

Chief executive of the GSCC Lynne Berry said: “The GSCC has been through an extensive process of listening to all stakeholders and discussing the framework.  This has helped us develop an approach that has been backed by 70 per cent of respondents.”

A final decision on the framework will be made at a meeting later this month.