Bid to pull in ‘better’ staff

Far-reaching changes to the children’s services work force
are proposed, including a long-term strategy for attracting more
people of ability into children and families social work.

The government is proposing a wholesale review of rewards and
incentives, plus a workload survey to find ways to restructure
social workers jobs so they have more time for face-to-face work
with children and families.

But the proposals go much further, with the prospect of a new
integrated professional structure for everyone working with young
people.

A new children’s work force unit is to be set up at the
Department for Education and Skills plus a new sector skills
council for children and young people’s services. There will
be common occupational standards to enable people to move between
jobs and a modular training and qualifications structure “across
the widest possible range of workers in children’s
services”.

There would be a common core of training for everyone working
with children, such as GPs, teachers, police and prison offices as
well as those working only with children.

Every Child Matters is open for consultation until 1
December. Alongside the green paper, proposals for changes to the
youth justice system were published. These include extending the
use of the intensive supervision and surveillance programme.

– See proposals at www.dfes.gov.uk/everychildmatters/