Press Release

GSCC response to Social Work Task Force

1 December 2009

Commenting on the report from the Social Work Task Force GSCC chair Rosie Varley said:

"I commend Moira and the Social Work Task Force for producing an excellent report which is thorough, wide-ranging and clear about the scale of reform needed to transform the profession.

"Regulation plays a pivotal role in instilling the high professional standards to which the report rightly aspires, and which service users have a right to expect. I am pleased that a number of our recommendations for achieving this have been taken on board, particularly in relation to social work education and training.

"Strengthening the requirements for post-qualifying training is absolutely critical to ensuring that social workers, like other professions, continue to develop their knowledge and skills as they progress through their careers. I entirely agree with the proposal for a social worker's career to begin with an assessed and supported first year in practice – too often social workers are expected to rise to the most difficult social work challenges without adequate supervision, training and experience.

Regulation is mentioned frequently throughout the report as being a lever to achieve the required reform. We look forward to working with government, other members of the Reform Programme Board and other partners to examine how we can implement these and other necessary changes efficiently and effectively.

"The proposed National College is also a welcome initiative. Social workers suffer from not having an organisation responsible for challenging misconceptions and educating the public about the valuable work they do. A college could fill this gap, enabling the GSCC to focus firmly on our role in protecting the public through ensuring high standards in initial and ongoing training and taking action against the few who fail, safeguarding the public and their confidence in social work."