A key part of the programme to reform social work is the plan to set up a College of Social Work. The Social Work Task Force, chaired by Moira Gibb, was convinced that social workers needed a body that could speak out on behalf of the profession and could help to develop a clear description of the values and purpose of social work.
The Government funded the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) to host a development group which has the task of getting the college up and running by April 2012. Maurice Bates and Corinne May-Chahall have been appointed as co-chairs of the college and an interim board should be in place by the end of October. The development group has been consulting on the functions and priorities of the college and although the consultation ends on 10 September the debate about the sort of college that social workers want will continue through the autumn.
GSCC is a strong supporter of the College. As the workforce regulator we believe that a strong college, vociferously representing the views and wishes of social workers, is needed. We would intend to work in close partnership with the college, developing standards of professional performance that will become the benchmark for registration. The College will have a key role in describing best practice and helping its members deliver.
When our contribution to the consultation is signed off we will publish it on out website. In the meantime we urge all registrants to get involved in the debate about this crucial issue.
