A report into the quality of social work education and training released today (23 February 2005) by the General Social Care Council confirms social work training continues to benefit from high standards, however highlights five areas of further development.
These five areas of further development relate to: employer participation; diversity and workforce planning, progression rates for black and minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates; service user involvement; and practice teaching and assessment.
Work on several these areas is already in progress and improvement in some areas has already been achieved. The GSCC has used the report’s findings on employer participation and practice teaching assessment in the review of post-qualifying training for social workers, ensuring that the new framework addresses these issues. The GSCC is also working with the Social Care Institute for Excellence and the Race Equality Unit to investigate the progression of black and ethnic minority candidates in social work training.
The annual quality-assurance report on social work education and training for 2003-04 also highlights that course providers continue to meet the high standards set by the GSCC and are committed to maintaining and developing quality in the curriculum, teaching and assessment.
Strong staff commitment was also identified in the report, in terms of both the delivery and management of high quality teaching. Initiatives in e-learning and inter-professional learning were also noted.
A higher than expected number of students enrolled in the last ever set of diploma in social work courses (DipSW), confirming increased interest in social work as a career.
Chair of the GSCC, Rodney Brooke congratulated course providers for their commitment to providing high quality education.
“Social workers need high quality training to equip them with the skills and knowledge for the demands of the workplace. This report shows interest in social work as a career is up and we can be confident in the standards of training. This is excellent news for social workers and the people relying on their professional skills.”
Copies of the GSCC’s Annual quality-assurance report on social work education and training can be downloaded from the What’s New page of the website or by calling 020 7397 5800.
AQAR200304final.pdf