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Newsletter of the General Social Care Council

December 2009 Issue 7

With the spotlight still firmly on social work, this edition looks at the recent report of the Social Work Task Force, which recommends wide ranging reforms to strengthen the quality and status of social work. The proposed reforms would have a major impact on the GSCC's approach to the regulation of the profession, and we will continue to keep you informed of the work we will be doing to implement these as plans develop.

We also report on progress made with the transformation of our conduct function, following the failings that came to light earlier in the year. The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence has now completed a review of our conduct work and we detail some of their recommendations.

Rosie Varley, Chair of the GSCC

Social Work Connections now includes a regular section reporting on the outcomes from our conduct hearings to help raise awareness of the professional standards that the GSCC holds social workers to account for.

You can also read about our proposals for strengthening Post Registration Training and Learning (PRTL), what you told us about practice placements and, if you missed our annual conference in October, catch-up on the main news from this successful event which included a lively debate about how to improve the status and voice of the profession.

Along with this issue, you will have received a survey from us about Social Work Connections and you. It would really help us to improve the newsletter and ensure that we are providing you with information that is useful and interesting, if you would spare a few minutes to fill it in.

I hope you enjoy this issue and if you do want to give any feedback about a particular article, use the comments tool at the bottom of each article to share your thoughts with other readers.

Rosie Varley OBE
GSCC Chair

Feature

	GSCC annual conference - social work: a profession to be proud of More than 250 social workers, social work students and employers came together for this year's successful GSCC annual conference. The title, 'Social work: a profession to be proud of', was reflected in the day's speeches, especially in contributions from social workers.

	Annual conference - a delegate's perspective It was great to hear Sara Wells talk about the reality of working as a newly qualified social worker in her new team.

	Practice placements - what you told us Your responses to the poll in our September newsletter identified that the most important concern is the quality of supervision and assessment provided on placement.

	Progress on conduct As some of you may know, the GSCC is currently undertaking a major programme of work to strengthen our approach to conduct, following serious problems with the management of thiswork coming to light earlier in the year.

	Strengthening PRTL 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).

	PRTL case study Marion Layberry is a registered social worker and Managing Director of Safehouses, a small, not-for-profit fostering provider (www.safehouses.org). In a varied career she has been a special needs teacher, a supported housing worker and a foster carer.

News

Image of the Social Work Task Force report

Social Work Task Force report launched

Moira Gibb, flanked by two secretaries of state and a rock star, launched the Social Work Task Force report Building a Safe, Confident Future at a meeting in London on 1 December.

Get the picture with Social Care TV

Social Care TV is a new broadband service for everyone involved in the social care sector.

Image of an Apple Mac monitor with MyGSCC written on it

MyGSCC - the GSCC's electronic registrant service

Social workers and social work students need to maintain their registration with the GSCC in several ways; qualifi ed social workers need to renew their registration every three years, complete post registration training and learning (PRTL), pay their annual registration fee, and promptly advise the GSCC of any changes of circumstance. Social work students are also required to pay their annual fee, and advise GSCC of any changes in their circumstances.

The GSCC launches 'Grow Your Own' Social Workers: a Toolkit

The General Social Care Council (GSCC) recently launched the Grow Your Own (GYO) toolkit, a step-by-step guide to help students, employers and universities get the most out of GYO schemes. GYO schemes are used by local authorities and the voluntary and private sectors to support their employees, or potential employees, to qualify as social workers.

Image of a road sign containing an arrow on a blue circular background - Photo:© Twicepix

Policy update

The external policy environment is constantly changing. As the social care workforce regulator in England, and a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), the GSCC needs to keep on top of relevant policy developments.

Conduct committee

We are often asked why it is that our Conduct Committee can find facts in cases that have been dropped by prosecuting authorities or those where the individual was found not guilty in court.

Newsletter of the General Social Care Council

GSCC London office General Social Care Council Goldings House 2 Hay's Lane London SE1 2HB T 020 7397 5100 F 020 7397 5101	Publishers Published on behalf of the GSCC by: Ten Alps Creative One New Oxford Street London WC1A 1NU T 020 7878 2300 F 020 7379 7155
GSCC registration T 0845 070 0630 T 01788 530266 (minicom) E registration@gscc.org.uk	Edited by the GSCC socialworkconnections@gscc.org.uk
Editorial statement Social Work Connections, the official electronic newsletter of the General Social Care Council, is produced by the editorial team of the GSCC and provides a quarterly round up of news and information for registered professionals working in the field of social care. © 2009 General Social Care Council No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission ISSN 1757-5354 The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the editor or the GSCC.

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www.socialworkconnections.org.uk	December 2009 Issue 7