Social Work England has set out its expectations of graduates on joining the profession in England.
It has published 82 statements covering the knowledge, skills and behaviours the regulator believes that newly qualified social workers should possess at the point of registration to enable them to meet its professional standards. Social Work England consulted on the statements in 2022.
They will form part of ‘readiness for professional practice guidance’ that the regulator will issue to higher education institutions (HEI) to inform the content and curriculum of their social work courses.
Education standards review
However, the statements will not be used as part of Social Work England’s regulation of HEIs until it has issued new education and training standards, following a review of its current standards announced last month.
This will be informed by the regulator’s three-year programme of inspecting every course delivering social work in England, which began in 2021.
It will consult on proposed revised standards next spring, with a view to publishing a finalised version, alongside guidance on implementing them, by the end of 2025.
HEIs will then be given at least 12 months to prepare before Social Work England starts employing the new education and standards – along with the readiness for professional practice guidance – in its inspections, and decisions around approval, of courses.
Review will consider impact of hybrid working and technological advances
Social Work England’s executive director of professional practice and external engagement, Sarah Blackmore, said: “We are committed to ensuring that the standards by which we regulate education and training courses, and our guidance for providers, reflect the challenges and opportunities that the social work profession experiences in daily practice.
“The review of the standards is part of that commitment, enabling us to consider shifting dynamics, such as the increase in hybrid working and learning, the embedding of inclusive practice, and the ethical and appropriate use of advances in technology within social work.”
What regulator expects of social work graduates
Knowledge and skills
Knowledge refers to graduates’ understanding of social work legal frameworks, theories and practice models and methods, while skills refer to the practice capabilities they should have acquired, particularly through placements. The knowledge and skills statements are organised under six themes:
- Anti-discriminatory practice:
- Expected knowledge includes understanding the social context in which people live and how multiple and intersecting oppressions and disadvantages affect people, families and communities, as well as the impact of poverty and economic disadvantage, including the cumulative impact of intergenerational poverty on people, families and communities.
- Expected skills include reflecting on one’s own biases and prejudices to ensure that practice is anti-discriminatory, anti-racist and anti-oppressive.
- Working together across organisations and disciplines:
- Expected knowledge includes understanding multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working, recognising the value and purpose of partnership working with other professionals to achieve better outcomes for people, families and communities, as well as the principles, origin and evidence-based value of co-production and how to use and promote it within social work practice.
- Expected skills include working effectively with others, identifying the opportunities and challenges associated with working with others from differing settings, services, teams and professions.
- Building and maintaining relationships:
- Expected knowledge includes understanding how to work in partnership with people while recognising them as experts in their own lives, and how to build professional relationships founded on respect, honesty and integrity.
- Expected skills include supporting people to express their expectations, strengths and limitations and to understand and fully realise their rights, entitlements and responsibilities.
- Safe and professional practice:
- Expected knowledge includes demonstrating legal literacy of relevant legislation, policy and statutory guidance that underpins social work practice and understanding how to recognise organisational wrongdoing and cultures of unsafe practice, while knowing when to whistle blow, raise concerns and seek support.
- Expected skills include demonstrating reflective practice and an ability to think critically about one’s work and managing time and prioritising workload using available resources, seeking support when required.
- Evidence informed practice, learning and reflection:
- Expected knowledge includes understanding how social workers use evidence to critically inform practice, and the strengths and limitations of different forms of evidence.
- Expected skills include critically [using] social work theories, models, methods, approaches and research methodologies in practice.
- Recognising and responding to need, risk and harm:
- Expected knowledge includes understanding signs of harm, exploitation, neglect, abuse, domestic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour, recognising their impact on people, families and communities, along with human development across the life span.
- Expected skills include recognising and identifying need, or signs of likely or actual harm, neglect and abuse and undertaking assessments of need or risk relating to others’ safety.
Behaviours
These relate to the values and professional expectations of social workers. Expectations include:
- Practising in a manner that respects ethnic, religious and cultural diversity and values difference.
- Demonstrating a commitment to learning about the different perspectives and lived experiences of other people.
- Recognising that people have a right to complain or raise concerns, including about conduct or fitness to practise, and proactively supporting people to exercise this right.
- Using professional supervision and support to improve one’s practice and being accountable for one’s practice.
- Demonstrating awareness of bias and prejudice and reflect on the potential impact of this on decision making.
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Credit where it’s due SWE have finally listened to Wayne Reid, but why did it take so long?
Take so long? SWE have been laying out their ‘standards’, including on anti-discriminatory practice from day one. Of course saying and doing are different things and whether SWE, BASW or ‘leaders’ articulate their “commitment to ADP” in polite liberal language or, within social work definitions, raged revolutionary rhetoric, the reality is that actual change is forever in the future. If you want to be an empowering social worker willing to forfeit your own professional privileges, put your career on the line to defy your management to have justice, anti-racism and anti-discrimination embedded into your practice you can be that social worker. You don’t need any ‘leader’ or regulator or independent professional membership organisation to give you permission. Otherwise it’s just more waffle isn’t it?
They also need basic medical knowledge, such as being able to underdstand terminology. Its not great when considering nursing home placements when peoples conditions are not understood; otherwise it becomes a simple tick box exercise and not person centered, care. Listening skills ate also paramount.
Social work practice involves having good knowledge base regular training of all the above if the profession is to improve public trust and perception.
Inorder to provide professional, robust support and plans Social Workers must have support and time to develop skills to work with agencys, technology, different communities and parents if all children and vulnerable service users are to recieve a fair and equal service.
Social work child protection involves court proceedings which may involve public law proceedings( initiated by the local authority following significant concerns for a child )or private law proceedings (when a relationship comes to an end and involves children where there may be contact issues and or possible Safeguarding issues).
Social work pratice requires knowledge of s37 s7 s47 s27 Children Act 1989 proceedings all of which requires other agency’s involvement such as Health,Education,Care Trust to support social workers in carrying out thier dutys when investigating and Safeguarding Children outside of the authorty.(Section 27 requires other authortys to offer support and assistance )
The courts can instruct the local authorty to initiate s37 or s7 reports, the local authorty must comply to the direction of the court.A Family Court Adviser may request the courts to instruct the local authorty to investigate a child’s situation if they belivie and can evidence that a child is at significant harm.
Section 47 of the Children Act 1989 is initiated to decide whether the local authorty needs to take action and what actions. Section 7 of the Children Act 1989 requires the local authorty to investigate whether a child is or may suffer signicant harm.The local authorty can initiate section 37 care proceedings subject to evidence the child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm.
Following it’s investigation the local authorty may request the court grant No Order,Care Order,Supervision Order or Family Assistant Order (Public law Case’s)
Social workers give evidence on a professional basis,the statement belongs to the social worker therefore knowing your case is important,being involved in all discussions is inportant,understanding why and how you have come to the decisions made is important.
Recording your reflection,analysts and outcome of disscussions/meetings which have taken place is important as this will support how you have come to this decision, it will also be helpful as your notes will be part of your evidence and will trigger your thought process.Therefore recordings need to be accurate and up to date to support you,however our notes are also available for everyone to read,therefore how and what you record is inportant.How you present yourself in court is inportant, we are there as professionals who should present formal behaviour at all times,letting your guard down in informal conversations outside of the court room can be used against you in cross -examination.
Safeguarding of children is a fundamental requirement of social work which will require legal intervention (not all intervention will require proceedings).To support social workers regular training should be a must.
Attending court is intimidating for all concerned it is not uncommon for anyone to feel anxious after all it is a court of law, one where inportant diisscussions and decisions will take place.Being prepared, knowing your case as much as possible can be helpful as this may reduce anxiety and self-doubt.During cross examination listen to the questions you are being asked, if the question’s are confusing you can ask for clarification.Cross examination can be intimidating that is what the baristers are trained to do.Therefore be prepared.
This is based on my experiences.
This is on point. Thanks for sharing this.
This sounds good on paper but in reality, the behaviours are not practiced. I am speaking from personal experiences and the experiences of others.
When you speak up you are victimised or you are told that you are not fit for practice.
Who would they believe, a registered sw or a student sw?
Victim, I totally agree with your comments, this applies for social workers.Lets hope standards and accountablity applies to all and not just social workers. Social workers are automatically deemed to be the issue when for example someone’s contract is terminated and or referred to fitness to practice.
All may not be what it appears on the surface and or what someone in a better position may claime.Therefore there should be clear transparency on all levels for all.
Things need to change and taken serviously on all levels and implemented if the profession is to demonstrate to the public and those whom we trained to protect.
We should remember Social Work is a PROFESSIONAL service due to the complexities of the work, and the fact we intervine in children and families emotions and life. Something I belive we have loss sight of.
My comments are based on my experiences and observations.
Let’s hope this union and those who claim to support social workers are more pro-active.This may then improve moral for those social workers who have experince descrimation,unjustified assumptions and prejudements.
The whole system needs to change with all taking responsibility for the professions development going forward.Do we not?
Social workers do not work in isolation!!!
Word of advise.
SELF CARE in this profession is important.Belivie in your strengths and who you are. As with any profession you may face unacceptable behaviour, self doubts, inequality little or no positive reinforcement for the work, commitments you may have made,you may be made to feel/told you do not have the skills and knowledge because of assumptions made. You know your own capabilities.Belivie you are not the only one experiencing these doubts.
We all have the right to express our opinions.We all have the right to respect and dignity regardless of who you are.
Just think how the children we work with may feel.
“Be strong but not rude, be kind but not weak, be humble but not timed, be proud but not arrogant.”
Attending court has a newly qualified social worker can be intimating this is to be expected even for those social workers who have praticed for years .Therefore having good knowledge base of the court process,the Children Act 1989/(dependent on which Act may apply)and the welfare check list,as well as understanding of your case and why decisions were made may support your evidence in court and your anxiety levels.
Social workers can be requested by the court to give thier professional opinion, (this is not the same has an expert witness.)You are being asked for your professional view has a professional who holds case responsibility and can evidence the information/decision making.
Therefore having good understand, training and advise from your legal representative of the court process is a must and may limit surprise.
Everything as a knock on effect.It also takes everyone working together.Does it not?
These are based on my experiences.
Chinelo, apologies for not responding to your comment sooner .Thank you for your feedback.