New Ways of Working for Social Workers (NWW4SW)

Aim of the programme

The aim of this programme is to take forward the ‘Continuing Story’, as set out on page 56 of the NWW Final Report of October 2005 – i.e. ‘To raise the profile of the future contribution of social workers to mental health services’ by:

• producing a discussion paper in 2005;
• facilitating a regional debate and feedback;
• holding a joint national conference in 2006; and
• establishing a joint programme of work.

Progress on the ‘Continuing Story’

All four objectives set out in the ‘Continuing Story’ have been met. A discussion paper was produced and distributed in November 2005; regional and local events subsequently took place to help formulate responses; a report on the 103 responses was produced in March 2006; a national conference, comprising 176 delegates, was held in April 2006; and a programme of work was established in May 2006.

Programme of work

Following both the discussion paper and the national conference, four key areas for development emerged around social work identity; social work research; career pathway/progression; and leadership to include education and training. A summary of the progress on each of these elements is set out below. Further details and information are available in the NWW4SW Portfolio of Evidence, located on the Social Perspectives Network (SPN) website at www.spn.org.uk,

Social work identity

On pages 87–91 of the Appendices to the NWW Final Report of October 2005, there is a statement about the traditional expectations, modern aspirations and distinctive contributions of the Mental Health Social Worker and Approved Social Worker (ASW). Essentially, this says that the traditional expectations have been to empower service users and carers through a range of value-based and evidence-based interventions within a social model and understanding of mental distress, emphasising choice, human dignity and worth, equality, respect and social justice, grounded in anti-oppressive practice. A copy of the full statement can be found at www.spn.org.uk, 112 www.newwaysofworking.org.uk,

The NWW4SW consultation process has further raised the identity of social workers as a key issue, particularly in respect of those who are employed or seconded to NHS Trusts. Although they may be part of a particular mental health team, they often feel that they are professionally isolated, that their contribution is not valued, that they are not receiving effective, professional supervision, and that they are under enormous pressure, etc.

The lack of job satisfaction, a feeling of not being valued and of ‘burnout’, was highlighted in research undertaken by Peter Huxley et al. and reported in the Journal of Psychiatry in 2006. A copy of the article can be found at www.spn.org.uk

In an attempt to address this feeling of isolation, an article was placed in Community Care magazine in July 2006 that said: ‘social work brings something distinctive to mental health. Articulating it is more difficult. It is a constellation of values, commitment to social justice and partnership with users and carers. Social workers practised social inclusion before the term had been invented. Above all in mental health, it challenges the traditional medical model which does not fully acknowledge the patient or client as best informed about their needs.’

A copy of both the text that was published and the longer draft submitted for publication can be found at www.spn.org.uk

In addition, the NWW4SW programme has now produced a one-page statement, aimed primarily at NHS staff, that clearly articulates the role and values of a social worker and the unique contribution social workers can make to the delivery of mental health services. A copy of the statement can be found at www.spn.org.uk This will need to be reviewed in the light of the work being led by the General Social Care Council (GSCC) to describe the roles and tasks of social work as part of the Options for Excellence review. 27 DH/DfES (2006): Options for Excellence – Building the Social Care Workforce of the Future.

In terms of social work identity, one of the future challenges is around the proposed introduction of the Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) under the Mental Health Bill. Although the formal designation of the ASW will be replaced, social workers will have a critical influence in ensuring that the practice competence of AMHPs embraces and actively promotes the independent nature of the role.

Social workers are also well placed to function as Responsible Clinicians, particularly given their current experiences in the role of social supervisor. Social workers will need to be proactive in seeking opportunities to train and practise in this new role.

Social work research

Although this element of the NWW4SW programme did not feature in the discussion paper, it emerged strongly at the April 2006 conference. Delegates felt that, unlike other professions, such as doctors, there was neither the expectation that social workers should conduct research nor was there any specific mention of this in job descriptions, so no time was set aside for social workers to undertake research.

In addition, where there is a very clear steer for the NHS to focus on evidence-based practice, underpinned by effective research, there was no parallel in the social care/work field.

• The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) and the NWW sub-group have jointly commissioned a research briefing on the evidence base of mental health social work, which is available at www.scie.org.uk
• In 2006, SCIE carried out a consultation exercise about strengthening social care research. The key findings were that each country in the UK should develop its own structures, supported by a UK-wide co-ordinating body with the role of ensuring that research priorities are complementary and of addressing generic infrastructure issues. Further information can be found at www.spn.org.uk
• Work is taking place to ensure that social work/social care links into the Department of Health strategy Best Research for Best Health and the new National Institute for Health Research.
• SPN/NIMHE/SCIE have published guidance on Values and Methodologies for Social Research in Mental Health that sets out a foundation for social research, ensuring that it fits better with their values, aspirations and concerns. This has been widely disseminated across the social care community and is available from www.spn.org.uk/publications
• In partnership with the NWW for primary care, the NWW4SW sub-group is leading on piloting and evaluating a new role of Individual Peer Supporters. The Peer Supporters are people in recovery who, within the context of the principles of social inclusion, support others who are experiencing mental distress. The report of the outcomes of this project can be found at www.spn.org.uk

Career pathway/progression to include education and training

Unlike some other professions, there is no nationally agreed career progression or pathway for social workers, although the Post-Qualifying (PQ) Framework goes some way to provide a structure. Whether and how social workers move along their pay band depends upon their qualifications, experience and applications for specific posts. Some social workers are regarded as ‘senior social workers’ but there are no agreed criteria for this or specific timescales. The most common form of career progression is for social workers to become ASWs under the Mental Health Act 1983, which attracts a higher status and salary/increments, or to move into a team leader/management role. A move into management is not a bad thing by itself, of course, as NHS Trusts should have a mix of health and social care practitioners at senior level.

Following on from the responses to the discussion paper, a potential career pathway has emerged, specifically: Social Worker; Senior Social Work Practitioner/Professional Lead; Team Manager; Social Care Lead or Locality Manager; and Head of Social Work/Social Work Consultant. (The job titles can vary from locality to locality, but the purpose and duties may be broadly similar.) Social workers would like more flexibility to combine roles, such as joint appointments, that retain a practice element but that also include, for example, lecturing, research and professional development.

Further details, including local Trust contact points, can be found at www.spn.org.uk

For those social workers who are employed by NHS Trusts and are subject to the Agenda for Change process, national profiles exist, showing social workers to be in Band 6; social worker specialists in Band 7; and social work locality/service managers in Band 8. Further details are available at www.nhsemployers.org/pay-conditions/pay-conditions-1993.cfm,

Skills for Care is developing a Career Framework for Social Care to apply across the whole of social care, not just social workers. The current position is described earlier.

Contact: Amanda Hatton at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Mental health is one of the compulsory elements in the three-year social work degree. It is recommended that further work be undertaken by NWW4SW in conjunction with CSIP/SCIE/Department of Health/GSCC to determine what level of knowledge and skills is actually being delivered within the mental health component of the social work degree and how this is being applied in the workplace.

Leadership

It is clear from both the discussion paper and the April 2006 conference that there is a lack of clarity about the leadership expectations and/or requirements of social workers. Leadership needs to be sustained and developed in order to deliver the priority outcomes of social care within mental health services and to support the development of a confident, competent and integrated social care workforce. The following actions have been taken to help with this process:

• The disparate representation and leadership of social work/care has been highlighted: there has been a variety of organisations working in this field, but no single voice or forum. Accordingly, the NWW4SW programme has set up a Social Work and Social Care Forum, whose first meeting was held on 18 January 2007. The aim was to provide an opportunity for the main social care organisations to discuss areas of common interest and for this meeting, to hear about the NWW4SW programme. The key conclusions were that a Forum would be established to include social work and social care that would continue to promote ASW/AMHP values based on effective learning and development as a form of Advanced Practitioner role that would also embrace the proposed new role of Responsible Clinician. In the future, the Forum would discuss the recommendations made by the NWW4SW sub-group thus helping to support this work and it might also help to influence the development of a research capacity in social work where there is little support and funds at present. The draft terms of reference for the forum can be found at www.spn.org.uk
• The GSCC has set out its PQ Framework at three levels – specialist, higher specialist and advanced. This can be found at www.gscc.org.uk With the exception of programmes for managers of registered services offered at specialist level, leadership and management programmes must meet all the requirements for the higher specialist or advanced levels of the PQ Framework. It is recommended that all social workers in a management or leadership role undertake training to meet the requirement of the higher specialist or advanced levels of the PQ Framework.
• The Eastern Development Centre for CSIP co-ordinated a survey of the views of social care leaders working in one-third (25) of the mental health and social care Trusts throughout England. The survey asked two overarching questions:
  
  – What are the main roles and structures within integrated services to support social care and social work?
  
  – What might constitute best practice in relation to delivering social care outcomes, supporting social workers, and bringing the best social care leadership practice and culture to enhanced, integrated services? Having analysed the findings of the survey, it was felt that the following recommendations should be made:
  
  – explicit representation of social care interests in decision-making processes throughout the organisation, up to board level;
  
  – strong, ongoing local authority engagement in mental health issues where the Trust is leading on delivery of social care;
  
  – proper resourcing of the social care management and leadership tasks that are required to deliver integrated social care outcomes and support social work and social care staff;
  
  – enabling social work and social care staff to prepare for, take on and sustain diverse leadership roles throughout trusts;
  
  – enabling social care staff to influence positively the culture and value bases of Trusts;
  
  – ensure excellent ongoing leadership of the technicalities of integration; e.g. HR, IT, finance, performance, learning and development; and
  
  – develop a confident social care workforce that can deliver and promote social care and social inclusion outcomes.
  
  Full details of the survey can be found at www.spn.org.uk and on the Eastern CSIP website at www.eastern.csip.org.uk
  
  
• TOPSS England (Training Organisation for Personal Social Services) produced a leadership and management pack that includes a main strategy report, supported by a number of products including a ‘whole-systems’ model, a set of standards, signposting links, continuing professional development and organisational evaluation. A copy of the pack is available from SCIE.
• SCIE and the National Social Inclusion Programme held a symposium on Social Care Leadership in Mental Health Trusts in March 2007. The key theme focused on improving the ways in which local authorities and Mental Health Trusts link to lead the delivery of socially inclusive outcomes for mental health service users. A full report on the outcomes of the conference can be found at http://www.scie.org.uk

Summary

Social work and social workers are important. Social work makes an important contribution to mental health services and is a crucial component in their development. Social work values, skills and knowledge already encompass the approach set out in current government policy documents. These all emphasise the need for service users to participate actively in their care. Social workers have historically sought to work together with service users and their carers in partnership. More than any other profession, their value base is most closely aligned to this approach.

However, like any other profession, social workers cannot afford to rest on their laurels and stand still. If they do, they will get left behind. In an increasingly rapidly changing world of new demands and pressures, where there is a need for a more flexible and well-trained workforce, it is vital that social workers fully embrace this culture shift and seize fresh opportunities, including NWW. This does not mean they should abandon their highly prized and well-recognised value base – far from it. They should continue to champion both their approach and their cause, but should do so in a positive and outward-looking way.

This report from the NWW4SW sub-group, taken together with the Portfolio of Evidence, clearly sets out the need:

• to maintain and nurture the social work identity to help with recruitment;
• to promote the leadership expectations of social workers;
• to encourage the expectation among both staff and employers that research will form an integral part of future employment arrangements for social workers;
• For employers to put in place a career pathway or progression not only to help raise the profile of the social worker profession, but also to help with retention; and
• to actively embrace new opportunities.