GSCC backs new roles and tasks of social workers project

The General Social Care Council has backed a new project to define the roles and tasks of social workers, 16 months after it produced a similar statement on the profession.

In its latest interim report this week, the Social Work Task Force announced that the government had asked a group of leading social care bodies to “develop a clear articulation of roles and tasks social workers should perform, and the skills and knowledge they need, in adults’ and children’s services”.

This would be submitted to the taskforce in September and will build on its new description of social work, which was included in this week’s report and is designed to counter public misunderstanding about the profession.

Previous roles and tasks statement

A statement of the roles and tasks of social work, Social work at its best, was published in March 2008 by a group led by the General Social Care Council, following an 18-month project commissioned by the government.

However, a GSCC spokesperson said: “We agree that there is a need to spell out the implications of the roles and tasks statement for social workers. We know that Social work at its best will be an important building block for the new statement and we will contribute through the [taskforce’s] key partners group to its development.”

Skills for Care and the Children’s Workforce Development Council, which were involved in the GSCC project, will also shape the new statement, as will the Association of Directors of Children’s Services and Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.

Statement welcomed but criticisms over low-key ministerial response

The GSCC’s statement was welcomed by social care leaders however ministers were criticised for not explicitly endorsing the document, for instance through a foreword to the publication.

The Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families said it would use the statement as “source material” for the development of policy.

• What do you think about the taskforce’s proposed description of social work? Have your say on CareSpace.

Related articles

Taskforce issues call for national college of social work

How should we define social work?

‘Moira Gibb: Clarity on social work role is key to improvements’