Provider Briefing21 July 2015

West Midlands Social Work Agency Protocol

Jo Davidson

Welcome and Introductions

Steve Stuart

Latest Update

Number of Agency Social Workers in West Midlands

Region.

Number engaged in last quarter

Number completing assignments within quarter

Usage

Slippage

Paula Whitehouse

The Quality Record

What it is...

• Method of improving monitoring• Method of increasing service levels• Efficiencies in recruitment times• Better placements / less turnover

What the process looks like..

Who is involved...

Walsall MBC

ADCS network

LA Leads

AgenciesOther Regions

Social Workers

Example entry

Data Security

• Data sharing protocol (with 14 LAs)• Information sharing agreement (each LA)• Secure email addresses• Individual consent

The shared reference...

• Basic Details• During placement / General Professionalism / Record

keeping / Knowledge / Skills and intervention / Critical reflection

• At the end of placement / Completion of records / Return of Items / Notice Period

• HCPC• Training and Development• Other Comments

Timeline of activity...

• December 2014 – Regional presentation / reference format agreed

• January 2015 – Regional Data Sharing Protocol agreed

• March 2015 – Data provided by LA Leads• April 2015 – Individual requests sent

StatisticsAs at June 2015**

• 565 Agency Social Workers• 410 direct emails sent• 77 responses• 35 agreements

Next steps

• Four vanguard authorities• DCS letters to present placements• Letters for new starters• Ongoing agency engagement• Ongoing employer engagement• “Are you in?”

Teresa Murray / Yvette Waide

Training and Development

The HCPC says..

CPD is the way professionals continue to learn and develop throughout their careers so they keep their skills and knowledge up to date and are able to work safely, legally and effectively.

Social Workers should

• maintain a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of their CPD activities;

• demonstrate that their CPD activities are a mixture of learning activities relevant to current or future practice;

• seek to ensure that their CPD has contributed to the quality of their practice and service delivery;

• seek to ensure that their CPD benefits the service user; and • upon request, present a written profile (which must be their

own work and supported by evidence) explaining how they have met the standards for CPD.

Roles

Social Work Staff Employers

As a registrant, you have always been responsible for making sure you meet the HCPC standards of conduct, performance and ethics.You are now also responsible for making sure that you meet our standards for CPD.

Health and Social Work Professions Order 2001 does not compel employers' to provide CPD for staff

Responsible employers will want to encourage the development of their staff.

The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003

• get 2 references on the work-seeker and give these to the hirer

• make checks that the work-seeker is suitable for the role

Proposals

• SW need to comply with the CPD requirements of HCPC

• LA will provide a basic offer of CPD for Social work staff to include: IT systems and processes, local Safeguarding Level One training

• Good agencies will ensure that agency staff have access to CPD electronically or other means

Knowledge and Skills Statements

Yvette Waide

What are Knowledge and Skills Statements

Cornerstone of national assessment and accreditation system for child and family social workers

Three Levels:- Approved Child and Family Practitioner (ACFP)

Practice Supervisor(PS)Practice Leader(PL)

Who are in each cohort?

ACFP – Qualified Social Workers (QSWs) who work directly with children in need, children in need of protection and children in public care(Children Act 1989)

PS – QSW – primary function responsibility for practice and decision making of ACFPs and develop both individuals and teams within statutory child and family social work service.

PL with day to day operational responsibility across the whole local system for child and family social work practice, and for PS and ACFPs

What Next?

Consultation on PS and PL statement openThe statements are available via the links below:Knowledge and Skills Statement: Practice SupervisorKnowledge and Skills Statement: Practice Leader Comments can be emailed to

Office.ofthechiefsocialworker@education.gsi.gov.uk

General Discussion

Discussion:

1. Feedback on the protocol / cap2. How can you help us get momentum on the

Quality Record?3. What can you offer in the way of Training and

Development?

Next Steps and Conclusion