Transcript BASW

Adult Social Work
Seminars
June 29 2011
The purpose of the seminar:
This is the 9th 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
www.basw.co.uk
Introductions
• Joe Godden and Sue
Kent
• Introductions
• Attendance list
• Photos +
confidentiality
Format for the seminar
• BASW who we are + 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?
What is BASW?
• BASW is the largest professional association
representing social work and social workers in the UK
• Help, support and advice and Trade Union arm
• BASW is independent and does not receive any
Government funding
• Chance to be engaged in a national and international
profession
Support when the going gets
tough
BASW’s Advice and Representation Service:
• Support, advice and direct representation
professional social workers
• Professional indemnity insurance
• Trade Union arm
Picture by CHANGE
Developments in BASW
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Campaigning for social work
CPD system to record CPD
BASW fully engaged with the Social Work Reform Board
Parliamentary Officer - Cat Smith
Meetings with Health Professions Council
Engagement with members e.g. reference groups
Campaigning, raising profile of social work
Social work bill
Government consultations
Members want a College of Social Work
Interactive web site
• Join BASW
• Jobs
• News / information
• BASW policies
• myBASW
• Access to Journals
• Consultations
Health and Social Care Bill
• Been making strong representations to amend the Bill to
include:
– Chief Social Worker
– and College with statutory powers.
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• On going meetings with ministers and MPs re
– role and function of SW and protection of function
BASW and the College
of Social Work
• BASW 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
• The Memorandum of Understanding with the Interim
Board and BASW
• On-going debate regarding roles and functions
What is happening re SWRB
• The Social Work Reform Board promised a great deal. BASW fully
involved. But shift from “must” to “advisory” of concern
• SWRB offers a great opportunity for social work
– Employer standards –
– Capabilities Framework
– Supervision Framework
– Demand and Supply of Social Workers
– Assessed and Supported Year in Employment
What is happening in
adult services?
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Cuts
Munro report
GSCC to HPC
Long term funding of
social care
Performance
management
Integration /
disaggregation
Vision Adult Social Care
CQC failures
• Personalisation - role of
social work?
• The “Big Society”
• Health and Social Care
Bill
• Mental Health Strategy
• Law commission review
of adult social care law
• Reduction in numbers of
social workers – statutory
functions only?
Key issues for you
• In groups identify the top
three issues for you re adult services – 10
minutes (so don’t analyse) – appoint a
spokesperson – feedback to group
• Allocation of issues between groups
Discussion 30 mins on issue you allocated
• Feedback to the meeting – 20 mins
• Discussion of another issue – 30 mins
• Feedback to group
Key issues
• 1. What is happening – facts?
• 2. What are your concerns + ve and – ve?
• 3. What suggestions have you to address
concerns?
• 4. How much is fear of change and how
much concern about implications for you
and implications for social work and users
of services?
Key issues raised
by group:
• Personalisation issue of should be a choice Cuts – lack
of knowledge since disappearance of senior practitioners
a concern + reduction of social workers
• Social worker identity, feelings that being diluted
• Bureaucracy
• Future for social work students
• Quality of work decreasing because of demands
therefore affecting service users
Issues continued
• Less time with service users
• Integration with health –issues of social work
identity
• Performance management – added pressure
• Right to have supervision from a qualified social
worker
• Agile working not opposed to it, but need to
assure that support systems in place to enable
all the positive aspects of “peer” supervision to
continue
• IT systems not “fit for purpose” – particularly
when operating health and social care systems
• Positions for newly qualified social workers – not
enough jobs
Your feedback – from group exercises
• Personalisation – underpinning values good but these hijacked by
all paperwork, reducing autonomy of social work, losing our social
work skills – discussed targets, 30% in Warrington. Why are there
targets when Government say wants to reduce meaningless
targets? Social workers forced to ask questions that not appropriate
e.g. asking a 95 year old what they want to achieve in 10 years time!
• Cuts – critical and substantial eligibility criteria in Staffs, moving
away from preventative to reactive – not just cuts to services but to
workforce, reduced social workers – been told need a 30% reduction
of staff – shared strategy that vacant posts won’t be filled – use of
photocopying, access to literature etc. Cuts applying to social
workers within health services – TUPE arrangements will not last for
long. Cuts in services in social care and health e.g. – rehab centre
closing. An erosion of the front line by relabeling and reorganisation
Your feedback
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Future of social work – less student placements available in statutory
environment, although done well in Staffordshire, less time for practice
educators to take on students, not a positive future for students/NQSWs.
Positive that Staffs involved in 80 placements this year, looking at
combining placements with health service.
Recognition of the importance of students for the team and practice
educators. Referred to other agencies picking up areas of social work e.g.
Aspire – looking at widening provisions for students e.g. voluntary/social
enterprises. These can be good opportunities however need to be careful
that students will get access to in depth social work, supported by
experienced social workers
Your feedback
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Integration – positives listed. Communication essential - need to explain
our role to other professionals, for service users should be less
assessments and co-working should work well, social work should be
emphasised to all – charging will be complicated as two agencies involved
Concern that CPD opportunities may be lost loss of CPD and supervisions,
not just safeguarding role.
Identity – values, basic standing – can be social worker in a meeting but not
seen as a social worker nationally, now AMHPs instead of ASW – devaluing
of role, negotiation, relationship work, facilitating etc. all essential parts of
social work.
Need to have on going support systems for social workers in health –
guaranteed supervision from a social worker, access to CPD, senior
management support for social work
Feedback ctd.
• Bureaucracy – tick boxes instead of practice,
deskilling social workers and IT work taking up
an inordinate amount of time – see Munro report
– need same for adult social workers. – Return
to professionalism in decision making needed.
Need to challenge unnecessary targets,
particularly input and output targets as opposed
to genuine outcome targets
• Other issues In spite of all the pressures on
social workers people are proud of being social
workers
Next steps
• What would you like? – what are you going to
do?
• There was not much time to discuss this,
however participants said they welcomed the
opportunity to discuss their views and
experiences
• Joe Godden said that there is discussion about
setting up a Staffordshire BASW forum / branch
and also that BASW happy to raise issues with
Senior Mangers
Thank you
• Please do not hesitate to contact
[email protected]
• Joe’s phone 07917897515
• [email protected]
• Sue’s phone 07917897454