Transcript BASW

Adult Social Work
Seminars
April 4th 2011
The purpose of the seminar:
The seminars developed as a response to members
concerns about what is happening to adult social work
The seminars aim to share experiences and use the
experiences to influence policy and defend social work
with adults
The British Association of Social Workers
www.basw.co.uk
Introductions
• Joe Godden (England Adult Policy Development)
• Introductions from attendees
Name, job, student, where you work and expectations –
please speak up
• Attendance list – please write e mail clearly
• Permission to share e mails and photos + confidentiality
The British Association of Social Workers
www.basw.co.uk
Format for the seminar
• BASW who we are and update re issues
• Brief overview of the issues for adult social work
• Discussion of key issues in groups
• Feedback on the issues from the groups
• What BASW can do – what do you want action
on?
The British Association of Social Workers
www.basw.co.uk
What is BASW?
• BASW is the largest professional association
representing social work and social workers in the UK
• Help, support and advice
• BASW is independent and does not receive any
Government funding
• Chance to be engaged in a national and international
profession
The British Association of Social Workers
www.basw.co.uk
Support when the going gets tough
BASW’s Advice and Representation Service:
• the only service of it’s kind offering support,
advice and direct representation for members
• the only such service which is provided by
professional social workers for professional
social workers
Picture by CHANGE
• BASW’s professional indemnity insurance covers
individual members against the cost of defending legal
action taken against them
The British Association of Social Workers
www.basw.co.uk
Developments in BASW/CoSW
• Campaigning for social work
• CPD system to interactively record CPD and link
learning to outcomes
• BASW CPD service
• Parliamentary Officer appointed - Cat Smith
• Meetings with Health Professions Council
• Revision of sub committees
• An arm of BASW/CoSW becoming a recognised Trade
Union
• The future of BASW May 26th
The British Association of Social Workers
www.basw.co.uk
Interactive web site
• Join BASW
• Jobs
• News / information
• BASW policies
• myBASW
• Access to Journals
• Consultations
The British Association of Social Workers
www.basw.co.uk
Health and Social Care Bill
• Been making strong representations and looks like have
succeeded in Government amending the Bill to include:
– Chief Social Worker
– and College with statutory powers.
•
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/201011/healthandsocialcare/committees/houseofcommonspublicbillcommitteeonthehealthandsocialcarebill201011.html
• On going meetings with ministers and MPs re
– role and function of SW and protection of function
The British Association of Social Workers
www.basw.co.uk
BASW and the College
of Social Work
• BASW/CoSW was dealt very badly by the Interim Board
• BASW/CoSW believes that there is a once in a life time
opportunity for social workers to “own” their profession
and have a strong, and independent College as other
professions do
• Add your voice to the campaign, stand up for social work
and social work values
The British Association of Social Workers
www.basw.co.uk
Recent activity re The College
A set of shared principles have been agreed for the
college:
– A college that is social worker led
– A college that is strong and effective
– A college that provides a strong, authoritative voice for the
profession
– A college that Is independent
– A college that is accountable
More meetings have been agreed over the coming month
to discuss a process of convergence to build one
college.
Update re College of Social Work 19.4.11
• An announcement is pending between BASW and the Interim Board
which will be called a memorandum of understanding. This
memorandum will say that a new College is being planned, which
will combine the resources of the Interim Board (their resources are
time limited) and BASW. In order to develop the College BASW and
the Interim Board will work together, including an agreement not
take any decisions that are without the agreement of the other.
BASW members will vote at the AGM whether to accept the
proposals, which will see BASW subsumed into the College of
Social Work.
• The new College will invite Trade Unions (note plural) to participate,
but no single Trade Union will have an exclusive deal.
• All BASW members are urged to attend the AGM on May 26th in
Birmingham to vote on this crucial issue
What is happening re SWRB
• The Social Work Reform Board promised a great deal.
BASW/CoSW fully involved. Shift from “must” to “advisory”
• SWRB offers a great opportunity for social work, it is worth looking
at the “One Year On” report: http://www.education.gov.uk/swrb/
– Employer standards –
– Capabilities Framework
– Supervision Framework
– Demand and Supply of Social Workers
– Assessed and Supported Year in Employment
The British Association of Social Workers
www.basw.co.uk
What is happening
adult services?
• Comprehensive Spending
Review / cuts
• Munro report
• Social Work Reform
• GSCC to HPC
• Long term funding of social
care
• Performance management
• Vision Adult Social Care
• Personalisation - role of social
work?
• The “Big Society”
• Health and Social Care Bill
• Mental Health Strategy
• Integration / disaggregation
• Law commission review of
adult social care law
The British Association of Social Workers
www.basw.co.uk
Key issues for you
• In groups identify the top
three issues for you re adult services – 5
minutes (so don’t analyse) – appoint a
spokesperson
• Select the top issue and further discussion in
groups
30 mins.
• Feedback to the meeting
The British Association of Social Workers
www.basw.co.uk
Key issues you have
raised:
Resources that social workers have at their disposal – reductions in
quantity with increased demand. This posing issues of social workers
having continually lower expectations of service users regarding
services – this not easy.
Personalisation agenda of concern, whilst social workers fully
supportive of the principles of personalisation two things are
fundamental:
1. Personal budgets are not for everyone, many service users,
particularly at a time of crisis, do not want to take on the demands
of managing a personal budget
2. There need to be good support systems in place for service users
who opt for personal budgets. These resources include:
• Flexible commissioned services
• Support to manage personal budgets
The British Association of Social Workers
www.basw.co.uk
Key issues ctd.
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Concerns were expressed about the threat to the role of social workers in
multi disciplinary teams and particularly the the importance of professional
support to social workers by social workers. There was also concern about
Community Treatment Orders and the vital role of social workers – as
independent practitioners – to ensure independence in statutory work.
It was acknowledged that adult services teams need a skill mix, but that it is
essential to have qualified social workers to support these teams. Adult
safeguarding, plus all the duties in relation to statutory safeguards for
vulnerable adults is complex work and without the training and experience
there will be many people put at risk.
Concerns were also expressed about the importance of social work in
commissioning and the review of services.
There was discussion about the possibility of adult social work practices as
a model for future social work. There was good debate about this area and
although concerns were expressed there were also views expressed that
this direction could improve services to service users. The early reports of
the Social Work Practice Pilots in Looked After Children’s services were
mentioned.
Other issues
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The move from GSCC to HPC was discussed and the reasons for this – the
main one being that it will be a lot cheaper for social workers to register than
if GSCC was to continue as public subsidies to the GSCC will cease. (If
GSCC registration was to remain it would cost social workers £230 a year.
The registration fee for HPC has not been finalised
The HPC have experience of regulation of 15 professions and have
developed systems to support professionals, such as on line CPD recording
The issue was raised as to why there needs to be a regulator as well as a
college. This is the way that most professions work. The HPC will ensure
minimum standards, the College will drive up professionalism, public image,
ensure quality of training and qualifications etc.
The challenge of social workers coming off degree courses and not finding
work because of the recession was raised. It is hoped that the issue of
supply and demand will be tackled more systematically by the SWRB /
College
Next steps
• It was agreed that there is a great opportunity for social
work to develop and thrive with the SWRB and the
College of Social Work on the horizon. It is also a time of
great challenges and it was agreed that social workers
need to stand together in order to provide good quality
social work.
• A number of participants expressed interest in forming a
network or BASW branch in the Bristol area – Joe
Godden said this would be more than welcomed and
support would be given.
• Joe Godden said he would be more than happy to return
to Bristol in six months or a year to continue the debate.
Thank you
• Please do not hesitate to contact me
[email protected]
• 07917897515
• PS BASW are running a national student and NQSW
conference on June 28th in London
http://www.basw.co.uk/events/ £15 BASW members,
£20 non members.
• There are also lots of other events coming up in the next
few months which are either free or minimum cost. If you
want similar events in the Bristol area I am happy to
discuss