Social workers must renew their registration every three years. When they do, they must show evidence that they have, during that three years, done at least 15 days or 90 hours of training and learning activity. The purpose of this requirement is for social workers to keep their skills and knowledge up to date so that they can give a high quality service to people who need their support. We call this post-registration training and learning (PRTL) but in many fields it is called continuing professional development (CPD).
We carried out a brief survey of views about our PRTL regime in 2008. Most people said that the regime was ok but that it could be strengthened so that it became a much more effective lever for improving practice. We asked the Social Work Task Force to recommend that the government gives us the green light to consult on two changes.
The first would be to specify topics e.g. safeguarding or personalisation, which must be covered during PRTL. This would be in line with practice in Scotland and we envisage a process of consultation within the sector to identify those learning topics which are essential. The second change we asked the Task Force to back is to ensure that a proportion of learning is formal and assessed. At present all 90 hours could be filled with personal study – we think that there is a case for saying that a substantial part of the 90 hours should be devoted to formal assessed learning. So, for example, anyone doing a PQ course would be likely to meet this requirement.
We are delighted that the Task Force has now recommended that a consultation should begin as soon as possible on strengthening the current arrangements.
This is all very well, if local authorities, charities, etc, made assessed learning readily available for all social workers, but funds do not allow this. In addtion time would need to be made available to social workers to enable them to fit in this assessed learning. This would mean that many social workers could not meet the requrerment for their PRTL, which would be unfair.
Cas Holmes
27 Dec 2009
It is essential that social workers keep up to date with their practice. We have to take responsibility and we cannot expect to be viewed as professionals if we do not demonstrate our professional development. I am an independent social worker and I often work for local authorities. I have found local authorities willing to place me on their training courses and pay for my time to do so. These are often when the course is considered essential such as Safeguarding Adults or Mental Capacity but I have also been able to attend some 'non- essential' courses. It is in their interest to support my development if they wish to use my services now and in the future. There are opportunities to attend courses that are either low cost or free. I recently attended an excellent free course run by the South West Development Centre and have attended lectures at the local university and training by voluntary groups. I think a combination of personal study and formal training (with and without assessment) is important.
Helen Jackson Brown
22 Dec 2009
The suggestion that a substantial part of 90 hours should be 'devoted to a forma assessed learning' gives me great concern. As an Independent Social Worker I would like to know how this can be achieved. Every time I attend a training event I have to pay twice -not only for the course but also in terms of lodt earnings. If iI don't work I don't get paid and the Council really must address this issue and come into the real world. Not all of us work for statutory agencies who will pay for our training!!
Nigel Sharratt
17 Dec 2009
I am a worker in a specialism - adoption. Have worked in this since 1988. I am all for training, but neither of the above mandatory topics fit my role. This lack of resources as you become more experienced has been an issue for the whole team and also for colleagues in 16+ etc etc. I now specialise within the specialism - birth records counselling. Please ensure you do not discriminate against such workers by the type of courses you define as mandatory.
LYNDA
15 Dec 2009
I agree with many of the comments from qualified social workers and those who discuss the funding of such courses. It is quite true that giving up 3 and a half years to do degree course in relative poverty is hard enough as well as paying back student loans to the cost of £18,ooo. To then have to fund extra 1000's of pounds for courses every 3 years. I'm due to qualify in 2011 hopefully and wish to get back into work and start earning again.At 41 years I'll still be paying for this degree / extra courses into my pension years.little surprise very few wish to come into this profession any more. With regards to delivering the course in Social work, all teachers in the U.K are required to hold a P.G.C.E. why not lecturers?
(Personal Development)? Start at the roots, its where its needed most. I think the standards would raise on these courses if so. If a PGCE is not required... then I'll go into lecturing at the end of my course too.If BASW are to open a training school for social workers? will they fund the PQ training? Social works a grey area.
j.
15 Dec 2009
For social workers who have been out of practice for number of years offering training prior to re starting work would allow experienced and mature staff to return to social work. The nursing profession already offer this. This would be a better way to gain experienced staff and retain those who take time out to raise a family or care for relatives.
R West
13 Dec 2009
whilst I agree that the PRTL should have some better structure and assessment in place, it would also be benefical for there to be some funding available or specific free courses that could be accessed through the internet or accessed through local adult colleges or universities. Having losts four and half years of full time paid employment and being a self-funded student, the last thing I could afford is another course that costs £1000's of pounds in order to fulfil the requirements of PRTL to be able to continue to be a RSW.
TRACEY HOBSON
12 Dec 2009
Hi
I can understand the suggested recommendations regarding PRTL but what happens where the required hours have already been completed at the beginning of the PRTL period due to having a career break for the latter period?
Cheers
Sue
Sue Bell
11 Dec 2009
I have resorted to personal study in the absence of quality training being proved by my Local Authority. The next step is for LAs to have to meet certain requirments, not just the individual worker.
Rebecca Linton
10 Dec 2009
I understand the idea that some of the PRTL should be formal assessed learning and can easily see how that can be met by people doing a PQ course. However, not all of us can attend PQ courses due to the challenges of running the service and what would be the formal assessed learning after the PQ course has been completed?
Gwen Roe
10 Dec 2009
I am a registered social worker and I have been working for five years now. I would say with regard to strengthening the PRLT process by including formal learning that, presently, most social workers I know are so busy at work, they do not even have time for the training courses that they should be attending to keep up with their work such as for example protocol training or learning about new legislation. Sometimes, they are in a training session when they are called back to the office because there is either an emergency on a case or there is not enough cover. In theory, it may seem a good idea but, in practice, I believe that including formal learning in the PRTLwill just put an added stress on the already exhausted stressed social workers! Covering areas such as safeguarding and personalisation should already be part of training available at work. Additionally, I know that some local authorities do not believe in sending locums on training as they want to reserve their training budget for their full-time staff.
kathy boyle
10 Dec 2009
I welcome the proposal of suggesting specific topics for PRTL. This would go a long way to ensuring that PRTL is relevant to the demands of current practice. The specific topics should be regularly reviewed on an annual basis and changed as necessary.rnrnRequiring that some PRTL should be formally assessed is also a good idea, and would support the PQ framework. However, the expectation that employers will pay the fees for PQ courses may call into doubt whether the already strained budgets of employers could cope with an substantial increased demand for PQ. Nevertheless, I think this is a way forward.rnrnIt is to be hoped that PQ will be strengthened by the Task Force's recommendations, however stronger links must be established between the different stages of learning from intial training on the degree, the NQSW, and then further development through CPD and PQ. I also think that PQ and CPD must be linked to a career framework, which is one of the most important recommendations of the Task Force Final Report.
Patricia Higham
10 Dec 2009
I am an independant social worker with over 20 years experiance. Much of my post qualification training has been personal study and any training courses I attend have to be paid for myself. I have recently undertaken 7 days formal training at a cost of £1500. As an independant it is difficult to access formal training courses and I find the present flexibility around post-registration training helpful for somebody in my position. I feel strengthening the current arrangements would be disadvantageous to individuals who are independant or who have taken a break to bring up children. It is the current flexibility that has allowed us to maintain our registration.
Sheila Franklin
10 Dec 2009
Formal assessed learning like the PQ sounds like a great idea, however who is going to pay for this training and allow time to complete it as well as doing a full time job? These course cost several thousand pounds in total is the social worker to pay for this themselves out of already limited pay?
This authority is very reluctant to pay for PQ for anybody and for the very small amount of people it does pay for this does not include study time other than the actual days in class. Using leave or evenings and weekends on top of a 37+ hour workinging week to complete essays and study is unfair and does not encourage workers to undertake it.
M Bennett
10 Dec 2009
PRTL - all well and good for those of us who are directly employed, to take part in formal assessed learning, but there is a growing number of locum care managers/social workers whose employing agencies do not provide such avenues of learning, and the local authorities for whom we work also will not allow us to take part in their in-house training. So how does the GSCC propose to accommodate the needs of locums?
Peter Berry
09 Dec 2009
With regard to the formal assessed learning.rnI wonder how GSCC proposes to help people like myself who have taken a few years out of work to bring up young children. I have made enquiries with my local college/university regards PQ but I believe you have to be working. I would definately be at a disadvantage if you brought in formal assessment unless you thought through an option for full time parents. I live in Manchester not London! rnI really do worry about my future prospects of gaining employment and I don't see anything from the GSCC that supports me.
Nicola Richards
09 Dec 2009
