Reform of Social Work Education
UNISON Scotland's response to Scottish Executive
Consultation on the Reform of Social Work Education
November 2002
Introduction
UNISON is Scotland's largest trade union representing
over 145,000 members working in the public sector. UNISON Scotland
represents workers from social work services throughout Scotland,
with members employed as social workers, home care workers, residential
care workers, welfare rights workers, and others administrating
and supporting the social work team.
We welcome the opportunity to comment on the
Reform or Social Work Education, particularly given the current
problems in recruitment, retention, job status and pay, along
with the increasing pressures facing social workers in Scotland.
This paper constitutes UNISON Scotland's response
to the consultation document issued by the Scottish Executive
on the Reform of Social Work Education.
Response
The Consultation
First UNISON Scotland wishes to express concern
at the short time scale of the consultation in this important
area of service provision. The period of one month between 7 October
and 8 November has not given our union sufficient time to consult
all of members within the Social Care Sector as we would have
wished. Social workers provide essential services to the most
vulnerable people. We believe that any consultations on changes
to their working practices, conditions, and training should be
open, transparent and allow sufficient time for interested parties
to respond.
Project Group
UNISON Scotland is disappointed that neither
UNISON Scotland nor the STUC were represented on the Project Group
set up under the Action Plan that was charged with taking forward
the reform (Paragraph 1.2). We note that the British Association
of Social Workers was included, and are concerned at the exclusion
of trade unions representing social workers.
Complexity of Social Work Task
UNISON Scotland welcomes the acknowledgement
of the complexity of the social work task, the many demands made
on social workers, and the need for them to apply critical thinking
to their role (Paragraph 2.1). We believe these factors emphasise
the need to re-grade the basic Social Work grades, and develop
an effective recruitment and retention strategy. Our members'
experiences are of staff shortages with problems in recruitment
and retention of staff in Scottish Local Authority Social Work
Departments.
A key concern of UNISON is whether successful
Social Work Honours graduates will actually go into the profession,
unless more is done to address status, pay, conditions and career
development.
Grading of Social Workers
We welcome the intention to compare the training,
development and social work standards framework with other professions
in the public sector (paragraph 2.6). UNISON Scotland believes
that Social Workers have fallen behind other public sector workers
such as teachers, doctors and nurses, in pay, status and career
progression, particularly post-McCrone and following pay review
body awards for other public sector workers.
UNISON's members in social work tell us that
social work shortages, pressures from the range of cases, and
new demands, mean that social workers' workloads are building
up. Pressure is increasing across the care spectrum, with additional
demands on home care workers, residential staff, unqualified social
work assistants, and qualified social workers. We are clear that
job structure, pay and grading of social workers, and other staff
in the sector needs to be seriously reviewed in the light of all
of these demands and pressures.
Social Work Degree Places
UNISON believes that it is essential that we
have the resources and study places available to deliver on the
proposals to reform social work education. Earlier this year Edinburgh
University hinted that they were about to abandon their social
work degree at a time when recruitment for the profession is in
crisis.
We also need a recognition that the average age
of students going into social work studies is higher, and that
inevitably this means students have more commitments, in terms
of family, financial and social responsibilities. This needs to
be taken into account, with adequate funding and support for students
entering into social work training, and with an availability of
student places in accessible areas.
Practice Learning
UNISON Scotland welcomes the debate on the options
for Practice Learning and on how Practice Placements are organised.
We would have preferred more time to consult within our membership
for views on these issues. However, we do feel that it is critical
that Practice Placements are properly resourced and managed by
appropriate trainers. Importantly, Practice Learning should be
done without putting unnecessary burdens on already stretched
operational services.
We believe that Option B outlined in the consultation
has merit to it. Option B specifies a minimum of 200 days supervised
direct practice, with flexibility to allow Higher Education Institutes
to develop additional forms of practice learning.
Models for the Delivery of Practice Learning
Again on the model for delivering Practice Learning
UNISON believes that further debate and consultation is required.
We would tend to support Model 4 as set out in the consultation
as offering a positive way forward for social work training. We
would welcome dedicated Practice Teaching Agencies or Centres
operating from within an agency or University working on a partnership
basis employing staff who teach in the centre and work in the
community. We believe this partnership working could, if adequately
resourced and staffed, work well to ensuring that students receive
high quality training and gain invaluable real life experience
on service delivery.
Continuing Professional Development
UNISON believes that the issue of continuing
Professional Development needs to be addressed. Employers need
to provide resources for post-entry training, and resources to
allow for cover of posts for social workers in training / study
/ practice, particularly in Residential Social Work. UNISON been
campaigning for decades to make Residential Work attractive to
qualified staff, and we believe that this will only be achieved
by improving pay, benefits and working conditions, and resourcing
appropriate training and support in this sector.
Professional Competence
UNISON welcomes the moves to ensure that social
workers are given the skills, training and resources in order
to carryout their role efficiently and effectively. However we
have concerns in the section of the consultation on professional
competence, (in particular, Section 4, D52) that there are proposals
to hound out "bad" social workers. UNISON is against
this type of blame culture, rather we believe that the partnership
approach should ensure that social workers are supported and encouraged
in their roles to ensure that they are working to the highest
standards.
Inter-Agency Working
UNISON Scotland believes that greater emphasis
should be placed in this consultation, and in social work education,
on inter-agency working. Clearly co-operating and working in partnership
with other agencies, such as the NHS, the police, and the voluntary
sector, is integral to the developing role of the social worker.
The Joint Future agenda, where social work and health services
will be working in partnership to deliver seamless services in
the community. With this in mind it is crucial that social workers
have the skills and resources available to them to participate
effectively in joint working initiatives.
For Further Information Please Contact:
Matt Smith, Scottish Secretary
UNISONScotland
UNISON House
14, West Campbell Street,
Glasgow G2 6RX
Tel 0141-332 0006 Fax 0141 342 2835
e-mail
matt.smith@unison.co.uk
