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Last year, in a bid to identify what works in terms of making the transition from qualification through induction to compentent social work practitioner, Plymouth and Durham Universities joined forces to investigate what newly qualified social workers know and do on entering their first job, write Helen Donnellan and Gordon Jack.

The results of questionnaires completed by 25 NQSWs, line managers and staff development officers at three statutory agencies in the south-west of England, plus in-depth interviews six- and 12-months into the NQSWs' first year of employment, show initial confidence is higher among NQSWs where final placements are similar to first jobs. However, most NQSWs appear to struggle with the duality of their role: balancing personal involvement with the ability to stand back and make difficult decisions. They also often lack the analytical skills the job requires.

NQSWs need help and support to establish coping mechanisms and an appropriate work-life balance. The recent announcement of a pilot probationary year for social work has resonance here - particularly if developed along similar lines to the formal newly-qualified status and protection enjoyed by new teachers.

Support drawn from a range of sources is important in helping NQSWs to enjoy some measure of job satisfaction while also dealing with oscillating levels of stress and emotional exhaustion. Mentors and professional and social networks, as well as formal and informal peer support, are all highly valued in addition to supervision.

The findings suggest it is not uncommon for NQSWs to face considerable organisational turbulence in their first posts thanks to the prevalence in the sector of workforce remodelling, high volumes and rapid turnovers of workloads, and team vacancies. While service users provoke anxiety in NQSWs, this does not translate into the same feelings of frustration as those produced by an employing organisation's demands.

Against the background of the General Social Care Council's review of the roles and tasks of social work, it is interesting to note that NQSWs still consider their main task to be direct, hands-on work with service users. Anything which takes them away from this results in some level of resentment.

The burden of recording, in particular, is an important issue, and opinions of IT systems are low. While there is recognition that performance indicators are necessary to monitor case progression, NQSWs tend to view prescribed forms and the seven-day report deadlines as unacceptable, bureaucratic constraints on their professional decision-making. As a result, none of those interviewed see their longterm future in local authority employment.

Supervision is flagged up as an area key to learning and support yet still in need of improvement. While managers consider that they make space for new social workers to reflect on their practice, NQSWs feel they either do not or cannot use these opportunities to meet their needs, and often leave supervision sessions feeling dissatisfied and unsupported because they have been too case-focused.

Only a small minority of managers seem to attach importance to the integration of social work theories, methods and values into supervision discussions. This reluctance could, at least in part, be explained by a paucity of up-to-date knowledge about social work training and the post-qualifying framework among frontline managers.

Personal development plans, which are produced at the point of qualification by each graduate social worker, should provide a ready tool both to link national occupational standards with the workplace and to track individual progress and performance against. However, at present they are largely ignored.

The introduction of a standardised induction package geared to the specific needs of NQSWs in their first year in post is identified as a key issue, and clearly resonates with plans to pilot a national 'probationary year' for social workers.

Suggestions for specific elements of any such induction package include a case-free introductory period with opportunities for shadowing and co-working, and a clear focus from day one on continued professional development and preparation for post-qualifying learning. A clear definition of caseload and protection is also key, together with enhanced and more frequent supervision sessions that include time for reflection.

Helen Donnellan is project manager at the School of Applied Psychosocial Studies at the University of Plymouth and Gordon Jack is reader in social work at the School of Applied Social Studies at Durham University.