by Mike Wardle How well does the degree prepare social workers for practice? Two years on since it produced its first graduates, the degree is in the spotlight.
A series of regional visits is being organised by the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families as part of a joint review of the degree, so the publication last week of DH's three-year evaluation is timely.
The degree is still relatively new, but the early evidence suggests that there is much for the sector to be confident about.
The evaluation has shown that the degree has been received positively
across the sector, and that it is meeting government objectives. There
is also room for further development. One of the key debates is whether
within the generic degree there is a need for stronger specialisation
so that graduates feel confident in the workplace. To enable this,
employers and course providers need to strengthen their partnerships to
make quality practice learning opportunities consistently available.
Generic questions
Questions have been raised about the ability of the generic degree to meet the needs of working with children and adults. But we should not lose sight of the value of initial generic learning for all social workers. To understand children and the situations they face, a social worker needs to be educated and trained to understand the adults in their lives: the parents, families, and communities they are part of.
The retention of the generic degree is supported by the DH evaluation, the General Social Care Council's own audit of the degree which is due out in a few weeks, and by social workers themselves. A poll of readers of the GSCC's newsletter has recently shown that there is overwhelming support - 79% - in favour of keeping the generic degree in social work, based on 997 respondents.
Competent workforce
Building a skilled and competent workforce depends on several factors, of which the degree is the foundation. It must, however, be supported by access to quality practice placements; caseload management and supervision by an experienced practitioner; and employer support for a social worker's post-qualifying training and learning, where specialist knowledge can be consolidated.
Equipping social workers with the tools to take on one of the most demanding professions is an ongoing challenge that does not end at the university gates. And all of us - course providers, students, employers, regulator, and government - have a responsibility to work in partnership to meet that challenge.
Mike Wardle is chief executive of the General Social Care Council
Generic questions
Questions have been raised about the ability of the generic degree to meet the needs of working with children and adults. But we should not lose sight of the value of initial generic learning for all social workers. To understand children and the situations they face, a social worker needs to be educated and trained to understand the adults in their lives: the parents, families, and communities they are part of.
The retention of the generic degree is supported by the DH evaluation, the General Social Care Council's own audit of the degree which is due out in a few weeks, and by social workers themselves. A poll of readers of the GSCC's newsletter has recently shown that there is overwhelming support - 79% - in favour of keeping the generic degree in social work, based on 997 respondents.
Competent workforce
Building a skilled and competent workforce depends on several factors, of which the degree is the foundation. It must, however, be supported by access to quality practice placements; caseload management and supervision by an experienced practitioner; and employer support for a social worker's post-qualifying training and learning, where specialist knowledge can be consolidated.
Equipping social workers with the tools to take on one of the most demanding professions is an ongoing challenge that does not end at the university gates. And all of us - course providers, students, employers, regulator, and government - have a responsibility to work in partnership to meet that challenge.
Mike Wardle is chief executive of the General Social Care Council