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When the register of social workers in England transfers to the Health Professions Council (HPC) on 1 August, changes will be made to how your continuing professional development (CPD) is monitored and assessed. Here is a quick summary of what I learned about the new approach to CPD at Community Care Live last week and at the HPC's information event for social workers yesterday:
Two and a half per cent of CPD profiles will be audited by the HPC every two years. The sample is randomly selected, so just because your profile is audited one year, doesn't mean it won't be audited again two years later. Newly qualified social workers will not be included in the sample.
You will not be asked to submit CPD evidence when the register transfers on 1 August. The first audit for social workers will take place in 2014.
Unlike the GSCC, the HPC does not require you to undertake a prescribed number of hours or days of post-registration training and learning (PRTL). Instead, the focus is on outcomes. You will have to demonstrate how your CPD has improved your practice and benefited service users.
As a result, the HPC is quite flexible about what could count as CPD. It could be formal training, attending conferences, mentoring, peer supervision, reading an article on communtiycare.co.uk or Community Care Inform (shameless plug) or doing some internet research. There is a list of suggested activities in appendix one of this guide on the HPC's website, but it's no means exhaustive. Basically, if you can prove it helped your practice, it counts.
You have to show evidence of continuous learning, i.e. CPD spread out over the two years.
If audited, you will have to present a written profile, which consists of a summary of your practice history for the last two years, a statement of how you have met our standards of CPD and evidence to support that. You should choose roughly four or five activities (the ones you learned the most from) to evidence your statement.
In the meantime, you can keep your CPD materials in any way you want; in a box under the bed, online, etc. Keep copies of handouts and notes from events, but I recommend you scribble a few notes on the back to remind yourself of what you learned and how it will benefit your practice/service users. The HPC will not be satisfied with simple proof of attendance.
The first audit in 2014 will assess CPD activities starting from 1 December 2012, but you could theoretically carry some of your current PRTL activities over: for example, you might learn something now that you don't put into place until the end of this year, so it would come under the HPC's time frame.
There is no requirement to refer to the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) in your CPD profile, but it can help you plan your learning. Look at the different capabilities for your level; consider which you can already demonstrate and which you need to develop. What does your employer expect of you, based on your specialism and level of experience?
If you're not currently working as a social worker - you're a family support worker, say - but you wish to maintain your registration with a view to moving into social work in the near future, you can explain that to the HPC and they will take it into account. Again, the message here is that the HPC is flexible.
Community Care will publish detailed guidance over the next couple of months to help you through this change. More details to follow...
Photo by Jeff Blackler/Rex Features
A quick (or should I say vague?) update on the situation with the College of Social Work and British Association of Social Workers (BASW). Those following me on Twitter during Community Care Live this week may have noticed this tweet: "Anne Mercer confirms @BASW_UK and @CollegeofSW will merge to form single college of social work. Further details due later this yr". Mercer made the revelation during a session at CC Live, after a social worker in the audience complained about the plethora of professional bodies and unions claiming to represent the social work profession.
Mercer said: "There have been detailed discussions for some time and there is now an agreement the two will be working to form a new college. There has been agreement about the proposals and values of that organisation, but there is still a lot of work to do to agree the details. We hope later this year there will be more to say on bringing these two organisations together."
I asked the College for more details. Here is the statement they issued in response: "Talks between the College of Social Work and BASW continue and progress has been made. But it is not yet possible provide a timeline as there is a great deal more discussion required. Meanwhile, we urge social workers to join whichever organisation best meets their needs and help to shape the future of any joint enterprise."
So it looks like the merger is going to happen, but they two organisations are holding off on making any formal announcements until it is set in stone. And I can't say I blame them, after so many months of to-ing and fro-ing!
The General Social Care Council has published its report Involving people who use services and their carers in the work of the GSCC 2010-12. Earlier this week, the report's author, David Rowland, told Community Care why service users must be allowed to shape and influence social work regulation.
This is the second in a series of reports ahead of the regulator's closure in July. Find out about the first report, on practice placements, here.
It sounds suspiciously like the assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE), which is due to come into effect for newly qualified social workers in England this September, will not receive any government funding. To be clear, I'm basing this entirely on rumour and reading between the lines, not hard facts (I'm working on obtaining those). You see, some employers are already at the stage of setting up their ASYE programmes - and yet those leading development of the ASYE at a national level haven't heard a whisper from the government about funding. Perhaps I'm a pessimist, but it seems to me that, in this case, no news is bad news.
So what happens if it doesn't receive funding? Well, let's remember the ASYE is not going to be tied to a social worker's registration; it will be up to employers to offer it, if they want to. If it's voluntary and unfunded, will they bother? And if they do bother, what's to prevent it becoming a tokenistic exercise? These were some of the concerns raised at the Community Care Live session on the ASYE yesterday.
The Children's Workforce Development Council's (CWDC) programme for newly qualified children's social workers (the Department for Education has taken over the running of this scheme now that the CWDC has closed) received £5m in its first year and £11m in its second. But even with that money in the coffers, employers struggled to find the capacity to fulfil the programme's supportive aims.
Luckily, however, it sounds like many employers are committed to the ASYE regardless of whether it is funded or not. "I spoke last Friday to around 30 employers, all of whom are intending to take up the ASYE," said Paul Harper, formerly national programme manager at the CWDC, who was speaking at yesterday's CC Live session.
One of those employers, Cornwall Council, has already put together a timetable for implementing the ASYE. "And we're not unusual," said Marion Russell, principal child and family social worker and Cornwall's lead on developing the assessed year. "We see it as a win-win for everybody. We want a whole profession of people who are able to do the job well and to build that you need to start at the very beginning."
"It's an investment," added Harper. "Yes, there are costs in professional development - but those are worthwhile costs."
Alan Fisher is director of care at Supported Fostering Services, a charity and independent fostering provider, and a British Association for Adoption and Fostering trustee. Here, he tells Community Care how it feels to be a manager dealing with the endless stream of changes to social care legislation, procedure and inspections.
One thing we've learned from the Leveson inquiry is that executives and government ministers have editors and advisors to protect them. No such luxury for hard-pressed managers in all sectors of social care. Suspended in the tension between pressures from above for better services with fewer resources and from below by the needs of vulnerable people, there's no escape.
A recent University of East Anglia report analysing the impact of government cuts condemned policy-making as characterised by "paradox, inconsistency and incoherence". The consequences for staff sound depressingly recognisable:
"...innovation and change are encouraged rhetorically, while the experience and confidence that would be needed to deliver these things are eroded by the shedding of experienced staff, and an obsession with governance and protocol."
In my field, social work with children and families, the drivers are not evidence, research or government initiative, but the ill-coordinated reactions of local authorities to two developments: the Peter Connelly (Baby P) case and cuts. The communities in which we work haven't altered, but a risk-averse culture has decisively shifted the threshold for child protection and entering care. The cuts mean fewer services precisely when the issues reaching bombarded teams are becoming more complex and entrenched.
Any strategic approach is undermined by an endless stream of change with no end in sight, including new legislation, procedures and now the Ofsted inspection framework. Departments exist in a state of constant reorganisation. As a result, managers are compelled - against their training and instincts - to be reactive rather than pro-active.
How to manage constant change
In such insidiously unpredictable conditions, how to combat the numbing feelings of powerlessness? The simplest answer is to use your team. Frontline workers are a powerful source of support, protection and quality. Unlike the country as a whole, social care staff really are all in this together.
Identify an initiative and support enthusiasts from within the team to spread the word. This values their experience and, of course, it's cheap. Perhaps something is already available: in fostering, for example, ready-made formats for placement plans and delegating decision-making to carers would be welcomed by all. Many so-called innovations are surprisingly familiar. By doing this, you and your team establish a measure of control and the opportunity to achieve tangible benefit for users.
It's not a complete solution, but in the absence of a corporate approach to change management, managers can ease the pressure and fulfil the supportive and creative role they aspire to.
Alan writes in a personal capacity. Photo by Image Source/Rex Features
Entries are now open for the 2012 Social Worker of the Year Awards. Here, Kelly Hicks, winner of last year's award for adult services, tells Community Care why she favours independent social work practices and how fishing helps her to unwind after a stressful day.Job title/Specialism: Independent community social worker
Place of work: SMART Social Work Practice
What have been your greatest achievements in social work so far?
Maintaining my belief in the profession and remaining committed to the core values of social work, particularly through my work with a community group in Doncaster. I witness first-hand every day the contribution of social work in promoting independence and community empowerment. It was the group who nominated me for the award.
Your greatest challenges?
My greatest challenge has been aligning my employment with my values. Unfortunately I was unable to do this within a statutory setting, but establishing my own organisation has enabled me to realign my head with my heart in social work. I am a strong advocate of independent social work practices and believe that this model of working really does allow social work to return to its roots and once more become a valued and essential community asset.
Describe your most memorable service user or case:
There have been many over the years that raise a smile whenever I think about them. I have people that I have worked with many years ago that still send me an email or a letter every now and then just to let me know how they are doing. I value this connection.
What are your ambitions?
I aim to continue developing community projects that challenge the system to work more creatively and practically with the people they support. I hope that through my work I can support a radical change in the way social work is delivered.
If you could change one thing about your job what would it be?
I wouldn't change a thing. Working independently means that I spend lots of time with the people I support and I have the autonomy to make decisions and work creatively.
What advice would you give to people considering a career in your specialism?
Any social worker considering setting up an independent organisation needs to understand that this is not an easy option, even though it is very rewarding. There are certainly many ups and downs, many challenges and confidence wobbles, so taking care of your own wellbeing is essential. Find a group of allies who are happy to provide a sympathetic ear.
How do you unwind after a stressful day?
My vegetable patch is my pride and joy. I spend lots of time in my garden and love going fishing. I do most of my professional reflection with a fishing rod in my hand.
Like most people, I struggle with having difficult conversations - especially that hot feeling you get when you know you have to bring up something that is likely to upset the other person. Perhaps, as a social worker, you get used to it over time. But if not, here are some tips from a communications expert on how to deal with those conversations you'd rather not have. Photo by WestEnd61/Rex Features
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Joe Anderson has had quite a career: he's been a pub owner, social worker, leader of Liverpool Council - and today he became the first directly-elected mayor of Liverpool. The Labourite won by a pretty comfortable margin, according to media reports: almost 60% of the vote.
Photo by Social Enterprises Network on flickr
This morning the General Social Care Council released a report on employers' views of social work practice placements. Reassuringly, it seems most employers recognise the importance of supporting social work students through their studies (although it's slightly worrying that this was ever in doubt).
Of course, many - if not all - are suffering the impact of the double-dip recession. So even though they receive funding for taking on students, they are struggling to maintain the number of available placements at current levels. All the while, demand is increasing, so there's even more competition for decent placements.
So what does this mean for students, social workers, employers and higher education institutions (HEIs)? Here are some of the report's key messages:
- For students
- For practice educators
From October 2013, all practice educators in England must be registered social workers as part of a new national framework. Employers were concerned that the enhanced requirements were coming at a bad time, when resources are already stretched.
- For HEIs
Some respondents to the GSCC's study found communication from universities was poor, particularly when placements were not being used or in terms of the notice period given before a placement commenced. Last year, the Social Work Reform Board asked employers and HEIs in England to review their partnership working arrangements by early 2012. It produced a set of key principles for effective joint working, which can be found here.
- For employers
The GSCC and the Social Work Reform Board recommend more joint working between HEIs and employers, including using the newly-developed supply and demand model to plan the number of placements needed, which can be found here(requires free registration).
Photo credit: Image Source/Rex Features
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The Social Work blog covers the challenges facing Britain’s 2m-strong social care workforce: everything from pay and working conditions to stress and the latest social work conduct cases. It is written by beat editor Kirsty McGregor |
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