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
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