Introduction

Welcome to the March 2012 issue of Social Work Connections

In this issue you can read about the latest news and developments in the social work sector.

With the transfer of the GSCC’s functions to the Health Professions Council (HPC) approaching at the end of July, we update you on the Health and Social Care Bill’s progress through Parliament; potential changes to student registration; and the events we have been running to inform social workers of the changes afoot.

We hear from the Strategic Director of Children’s Services at Bristol City Council on why she let the cameras into her department for the BBC2 three-part series ‘Protecting Our Children’. We also review the social work play Shallow Slumber, the story of a social worker by a social worker, which recently had a three-week stint at a London theatre. 

In this, our penultimate issue, we ask you to vote on the GSCC policy that has had the biggest impact on the social work profession. You can also find out the results on our last poll, which asked whether social workers had ever found themselves at risk of breaching professional boundaries.

Finally, just to let you know, our London office is being relocated and from 23 April will be based in Skipton House, 80 London Road, London SE1 6LH.

We hope you enjoy this issue; with only one remaining we would love to hear your thoughts on it. Let us know by posting a comment on the articles that interest you or share your opinions with other social workers and students by joining our forum, which is exclusively for those registered with the GSCC: www.gscc.org.uk/login.php

Health and Social Care Bill progress
On 19 December, the House of Lords met in committee to discuss the section of the Health and Social Care Bill that closes the GSCC and transfers its regulatory powers to the Health Professions Council (HPC).

Student registration
One of the big differences between the GSCC and the HPC is the issue of student registration. At the GSCC we register students as we believe it is very important to protect the public from poor practice and to instil a sense of professionalism and responsibility in our future social workers.

Graduating this summer?
If you are due to qualify this summer we will be writing to you in April to let you know how to apply to register as a qualified social worker.

Keep your contact details up-to-date
With the transfer on schedule for 31 July it is imperative that we have up-to-date contact details for everyone on the register as the HPC will need this to contact you.

Events: keeping you informed about the changes to social work regulation
Over the last few months we have continued to hold workshops across the country for social workers at their place of work. The purpose of these workshops is to explain the forthcoming changes to regulation, which will see the GSCC’s functions transferred over to the Health Professions Council (HPC) at the end of July, subject to legislation being passed.

Law Commission’s consultation on regulating health and social care professionals
The Law Commissions of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are seeking views on how the regulation of health care professionals in the UK and social workers in England can be made clearer, simpler, more modern and more consistent.

Conduct hearing outcomes
Please note that this information relates to hearings concluded from 26 November 2011 to 23 February 2012

Opening our profession to scrutiny and understanding
Protecting Our Children, BBC2’s powerful three-part social work series, finished on 13 February. The series followed Bristol's child protection teams over the course of a year to see frontline social work first-hand.

A review of the play Shallow Slumber – the story of a social worker by a social worker
Shallow Slumber has come along at a time where the media appears to be actually paying attention to what social workers go through every day in order to help keep vulnerable people safe.

Professional boundaries guidance update
As you may have seen in the last issue of Social Work Connections we have launched a guidance report on the issue of professional boundaries, as well as an online hub of information, including a self-assessment e-tool.

The College of Social Work is launched
The College of Social work opened its doors on 3 January. It was set up as a result of one of the recommendations of the Social Work Task Force report. Its mission is to be the authoritative voice of the profession in England and to help to ensure the highest standards of practice, in the interests of service users and carers.