In Control, the social enterprise promoting self-directed support, has set up a project to help councils support social workers as their roles change under personalisation.

Andrew Tyson, policy and communications manager at In Control, said yesterday that the project would enable authorities to make the transition to the new system of working.

He told a conference in London that councils should reflect on how social workers' roles could change as they moved towards providing self-directed support and equip them with the right skills.

The In Control social work project aims to help councils assess the size of care management resources and look at how these could yet "fairly unscientific", pointing to divided opinion in the sector over whether social workers would be needed by people accessing self-directed support.

Also speaking at the conference organised by In Control, John Waters, research and evaluation lead, cited recent research on the experiences of 18 social workers who helped people with personal budgets in two local authorities areas.

He said it showed that, overall, social workers broadly welcomed the move to self-directed support, although a small number believed it had been detrimental to using their skills and knowledge, allocating resources and staying motivated in the job.

The news came after the British Association of Social Workers warned that social work posts were being frozen in authorities as they implemented personalisation.

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