Adult Social Work Seminars

1. 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 Adult Social Work Seminars www.basw.co.uk

2. Introductions • Joe Godden and Sue Kent • Introductions • Attendance list • Photos + confidentiality

3. 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?

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Interactive web site • Join BASW • Jobs • News / information • BASW policies • myBASW • Access to Journals • Consultations

8. Health and Social Care Bill • Been making strong representations to amend the Bill to include: • Chief Social Worker • and College with statutory powers. • On going meetings with ministers and MPs re • role and function of SW and protection of function

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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?

12. 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

13. 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?

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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