Learning from others

The social work profession must develop forms of professional learning that reinforce creative and critical problem-solving approaches to practice.

Critically reflective learning and practice is a cornerstone of social work reform.

1. The Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) highlights knowledge, critical reflection and analysis.

• It sets out consistent expectations of social workers at every stage of their career.
• It provides a backdrop to both initial social work education and continuing professional development.
• It informs the design and implementation of the national career structure.
• It gives social workers a framework around which to plan their  careers and professional development.

The Chief Social Worker is currently developing a Knowledge and Skills statement for social work in adult services. The final statement, to be published in early 2015, will complement the PCF level descriptor in terms of what can be expected of a social worker at the end of their ASYE. A similar process is being undertaken in Children’s services. 

2. The HCPC standards for proficiency state that social workers in England should be able to reflect on and review practice to understand the value of critical reflection on practice and recognise the value of supervision, case reviews and other methods of reflection. They must also adhere to standards for continuing professional development to stay registered with the HCPC.

The College of Social Work encourages social workers to go beyond the basic requirements of their HCPC registration with the intention of raising standards of practice across the profession

3. Re-visioning social work education, infers that “theory-informing-practice “and “practice-informing-theory” are inexorably linked and the outcomes of social work education (pre and post qualification) need to be expressed in a new way which reflects:

• the social worker as a practitioner
• the social worker as a professional
• the social worker as a social scientist.

Employers should facilitate the development of reflective practitioners and autonomous professionals, by locating individual learning and expertise within a wider organisational context. 

According to  The Learning Company: A strategy for sustainable development. 2nd Ed. London; McGraw-Hill (1997) a learning organisation is the term given to a company that facilitates the learning of its members and continuously transforms itself.

• The ASYE provides a platform for employers to embed a culture of learning and reflective practice amongst its social workers at the start of their career. Skills for Care and The College of Social Work are working together with employers across the country to embed a national structure that will support the moderation of the ASYE process. This new structure is due to be fully implemented from April 2015. 
• The development of a CPD framework will support experienced social workers and further embed this culture which is important for personalised risk management.

Learning organisations also need access to current research and support to evaluate their work. Partnerships with higher educational institutions can support in this work. 

Political, social and economic factors have changed the way social care is being delivered, meaning employers of all sizes must re-design their workforce structures and support systems. Principles of Workforce Re-design include seven good practice principles to consider when changing your workforce.

The HCPC requires registered social workers to continue developing their knowledge and skills to retain their capacity to practise safely, effectively and legally within their evolving scope of practice.

The Social Work Reform Board was committed to helping social workers not only meet the basic requirements of HCPC registration but also raise standards across the profession.

A new approach CPD was set out by the Reform Board and passed to TCSW for development. A central theme of the new approach is the recognition that learning can, and does, take place in a range of different ways and circumstances. It is not always associated with a ‘course’ and the development need may be met through a range of different activities.

Skills for Care has worked with employers to interpret and embed these principles within their organisations. Developing social worker’s practice includes core principles to measure the impact of their CPD interventions. Also the CPD case studies include practical tools for employers.

Re-visioning social work education  provides recommendations which are linked to the ASYE and a licence to practice. At the time of writing (November 2014) there has not been a formal response from the Department of Health. 

Activity to address the learning and development needs of the whole adult social care workforce is being led by Skills for Care. This is to specific social work materials being produced by The College of Social Work:

1. CPD curriculum guide on the implementation of the Care Act
2. PCF additional statements: setting out capabilities for implementing the Care Act

Activity to address the learning and development needs of the whole adult social care workforce is being led by Skills for Care. As part of the this activity, The College of Social Work is producing social work specific materials:

1. CPD curriculum guide on the implementation of the Care Act.
2. PCF additional statements: setting out capabilities for implementing the Care Act.

Developing of effective partnerships between employers and HEIs was a key priority for the Social Work Reform Board and they produced some principles for partnership working.

Skills for Care supported the development of local and regional employer – led social work partnerships across England and there are now social work partnerships in all parts of the country. 

Initially the key theme for partnerships was to improve the quality and consistency of qualifying education and training however most partnerships have developed to include all aspects of social work education ,CPD and other aspects sof workforce development and planning

In recent years a priority has been the implementation of the ASYE and the emphasis on local collaboration means that they are well placed to support the process of area and national moderation that is currently being developed by Skills for Care and The College of Social Work on behalf of the Chief Social Worker. 

Skills for Care have been also been encouraging participation from independent sector employers of social workers in social work development activity. The National Forum of independent sector employers of social workers is an interactive network which aims support small employers to link together, For further information and to join the forum please independentsectorforum@skillsforcare.org.uk

The Standards for Employers of social workers in England set out the shared, core expectations of employers to enable social workers in all employment settings to work effectively. These expectations are being incorporated within new self-regulation and improvement frameworks for public services and used by service regulators (Ofsted, CQC).

It’s recommended that all employers providing a social work service should establish a monitoring system that can be used to:

• assess their organisational performance against this framework
• set a process for review
• outline their plans for improvement.

An organisational health check document plus examples showing how it can be used is available. Other resources to support employers are identified within The Standards for Employers of social workers in England.

The whole of the social care system,  including Social Work is changing to achieve the intentions of the Care Act and there is a growing emphasis to share “sector led” knowledge and experience.

The Social Work Task Force (2009), and the Social Work Reform Board embodied this principle by requiring the whole sector to work together. They developed tools and frameworks which were taken forward by sector-led organisations with responsibility for implementing the programme. The Local Government Association, The College of Social Work and Skills for Care are working with these organisations and social work employers to implement SWRB reform, particularly the ASYE.

Skills for Care and partners are supporting the sector with the transformation of the social work workforce in preparation for the implementation of the Care Act in April 2015. This activity is focussing on workforce capacity planning and a learning and development framework.