Key Capabilities in Child Care and Protection

PEPE Conference Edinburgh Wednesday 23rd January 2008

Helen Whincup and Margaret Bruce

University of Dundee

Scottish Context

• New 4 year Honours Degree in Social Work (generic)

• 2 year Post-Graduate (generic)

• Registration with Scottish Social Services Council

• Specialist teams

Scottish Institute for Excellence in Social Work Education (IRRIS)

• A collaboration of all 9 Scottish Universities teaching social work

• Established in 2003 to “ bring about transformational change in the education and training of Scottish social workers”

Child Protection Development and Training Project

• Evaluative audit of teaching and learning in relation to Child Care and Protection

• Develop Key Capabilities in Child Care and Protection

• Establish how these would be embedded.

Relevant Frameworks

• Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF)

• Standards in Social Work Education• Scottish Social Services Council: Codes of

Practice• Children’s Charter and Framework for

Standards

Terminology

• Different practitioners have different definitions of child protection

• Key Capabilities refer to ‘child protection’ in the context of child care and meeting children’s needs, rather than the investigative interviewing process.

The Key Capabilities

• Effective Communication

• Knowledge and Understanding

• Professional Confidence and Competence

• Values and Ethical Practice

Purpose of Key Capabilities

To ensure that all social workers at the point of qualifying:

• are aware of their roles and responsibilities in respect of children and young people.

• are able to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to child care and protection.

Context

• Qualifying social work programmes are generic, Key Capabilities sit within this context.

• Contribution Key Capabilities can make to generic teaching and learning

Practice Learning

Underpinning Key Capabilities:

Whatever practice learning opportunity a student is engaged in they must be able to evidence their knowledge and application of child care and protection, as it is relevant to their setting.

Practice LearningIn addition:

“during one of their assessed practice learning opportunities, students should undertake an assessment of a child or of parenting capacity.

The student may not necessarily be primary case holder rather they might be co-working within or across organisations.”

Practice Learning Opportunities:

• Ethical and Meaningful

• Outcomes for service user, student and organisation

• Creative links within and between teams

Outcome

Every qualified social worker should emerge having undertaken an assessment of a child or parenting capacity.

Status

“Key Capabilities developed by the project must now be embedded in the teaching and learning of social work degree programmes to ensure that a consistent approach is adopted.”

Peter Peacock MSP

13th June 2006

Key Capabilities website

www.iriss.ac.uk/keycapabilities

Includes:

• Examples of embedding• Frequently asked questions• Links to key documents• Information from the SSSC• Information from workshops