College sets out expectations of adoption and fostering social workers

The College of Social Work has issued more guidance on what adoption and fostering social workers are expected to know under the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF).

The guidance, which applies to all social workers in England from the newly qualified to those in strategic management, provides further information on what the PCF should mean in practice to adoption and fostering social workers.

“We hope all social workers working in fostering and adoption will use these new statements to hone their professional strengths and identify and address their development needs,” said Anne Mercer, professional advisor at the College of Social Work.

The Additional Statements for Social Workers in Fostering and Adoption document says adoption and fostering social workers should “recognise and manage appropriately the range of values that foster carers and adopters may have”.

It also says they should “take account of the significance of diversity and discrimination in the history of many fostered and adopted children and are able to consider the impact on children of living with families that may be very different from their birth family”.

The 23-page document also urges strategic managers in adoption and fostering to “promote a workforce (including foster carers) that values learning and development”.