Adult Social Work Seminars

www.basw.co.uk

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

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 armPicture by CHANGE

Developments in BASW

• 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?

• 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 raisedby 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

• 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

• 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 j.godden@basw.co.uk

• Joe’s phone 07917897515

• s.kent@basw.co.uk

• Sue’s phone 07917897454