Social work: making a world of difference

Social Workers around the world will join together to celebrate World Social Work Day on 15 March. This annual event, which is organised by the International Federation of Social Workers, focuses on social work contributions to society and is part of an on-going dialogue about how to address challenging social conditions worldwide. The theme for World Social Work Day 2011 is 'Social Work voices responding to global crises: Together we develop the Agenda!'

To celebrate the life-enhancing job that social workers do, we have asked a few practitioners about what it is that makes social work so special and why they are proud to be part of the profession.

"The test of a humane and civilized society is how we treat people who suffer from poverty and injustice, and from disadvantage and exclusion. Social work is about working with those people, and with the groups and communities in which they live, to help them overcome the challenges that undermine their independence and well-being. It's a hugely valuable job, it needs to be done well, and the people who do it deserve to be valued highly."
Owen Davies – Social worker and Special Policy Advisor to the GSCC’s Executive Management Team.
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The College of Social Work

One of the key recommendations of the Social Work Task Force was to establish a College of Social Work. The reasons for this proposal were essentially to ensure that the profession has a powerful and authentic voice speaking up for social workers and championing the high standards of conduct and practice that they aspire to deliver.

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Poll shows support for regulation of social work students

Your responses to the last Social Work Connections poll indicate that regulation of social work students is regarded as a more effective way of ensuring public protection and confidence, and engendering a sense of professionalism.

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GSCC calls for strategic partnerships between employers and course providers

In January, the GSCC published A Report on Social Work Education in England 2009-10, which identified a number of significant trends in social work education over the last academic year.

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The Reform Board's 'One year on' report

The Social Work Reform Board was established to work for the implementation of the recommendations of the Social Work Task Force. It is chaired by Moira Gibb, who also chaired the Task Force, and the members of the board include all the key national bodies. The GSCC’s chief executive Penny Thompson is on the board and other GSCC staff support the key work-stream groups.

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The role of post-qualifying (PQ) training in proving your fitness to practice

At a time when there is considerable change in the sector, pressure on councils to make significant savings, and social workers under increased strain of work, you may question how anyone would find the time and motivation to undergo further training.

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Penny Thompson interview with Community Care

In January, our chief executive, Penny Thompson, was interviewed for a Community Care Podcast. In the interview she set out the GSCC’s three priorities until the transfer of functions to the HPC.

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