This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Action plan for social workers
18/04/2002
A comprehensive twelve point action plan to tackle the
problems facing the Social Services Workforce was launched
today.
The action plan sets out what needs to be done to
deliver a competent and skilled social services workforce
to support vulnerable adults and children across
Scotland.
Minister for Education and Young People Cathy Jamieson
and Deputy Health and Community Care Minister Hugh Henry
outlined the main points of the plan:
- A commitment to an awareness and recruitment
campaign for all levels of staff into the
profession
- A new honours degree level qualification for social
work, with access for all with relevant skills and
knowledge
- And £3.5 million additional funding for local
authority social services staff training and support
for front-line staff.
Joint Ministerial Meetings (JMM), chaired by Cathy
Jamieson, will oversee two Project Groups reporting to the
JMM. One will deliver professional and vocational education
reforms and the other will focus on workforce and
recruitment issues.
Speaking to Parliament today, Cathy Jamieson said:
"Social services staff deliver vital support for older
people, for children, and for people with disabilities.
They also contribute to better community safety through
work with offenders and in youth justice.
"They do a job that is often difficult and demanding.
Their daily work is often unrecognised or taken for
granted. This is why one of our immediate actions is to
hold a recruitment campaign. It will raise the profile of
the important work done by social services staff and aim to
attract people to what is a rewarding and worthwhile
career. Opportunities exist for people of all ages who have
a range of experience and skills.
"The Action Plan launched today sets out immediate steps
and further action that will be taken in the coming months
to support five key strategic aims. These aims will take us
toward our goal of a competent and skilled social services
workforce that meets the needs of vulnerable adults and
children across Scotland."
The key strategic aims are to:
- Introduce more effective ways of recruiting and
retaining staff
- Set in place a new social work honours degree level
qualification for front line staff, with access for all
with relevant knowledge and skills
- Develop the role of the Scottish Social Services
Council in regulating staff and their training
- Raise investment in learning and support for all
front line staff
- Negotiate the boundaries for the new Sector Skills
Councils with an integrated approach to service
delivery
Ms Jamieson concluded:
"This is a turning point for the social services
workforce. A competent and confident social services
workforce is a key part of delivering our policy goals.
This Action Plan recognises this and points the way to
achieving social services which are fit for the 21
st century."
Deputy Health Minister Hugh Henry said:
"Scotland's population is increasingly getting older. It
is predicted that by the year 2030 there will be half a
million more pensioners and an 80 per cent increase in
those aged 85 and over. We need to ensure that our health
and social services adapt to cope with these new
demands.
"The Social Services Workforce Action Plan will
introduce more effective ways of recruiting and keeping
staff. It will also ensure we have the right number of
trained staff in the right place to meet the needs of
Scotland's ageing population and to help us deliver the
biggest ever investment in older people's services."
The twelve points of the Action Plan are:
- Awareness and career recruitment campaign
- New Joint Ministerial Meetings (JMM) to co-ordinate
social services policy and performance reporting
- Two Project Groups reporting to the JMM. One will
cover workforce recruitment including a new honours
degree level qualification and the other will cover
professional and vocational education reforms
- £3.5 million additional funding for local authority
social services staff training and support for
front-line staff
- New post of Director of Co-ordinating Social
Services Policy and Performance leading a new Division
within the Social Work Services Inspectorate (SWSI) of
the Scottish Executive
- Renewing pump-priming funds for Association of
Directors of Social Work's (ADSW) work in promoting
employer investment in better support for front-line
staff
- Scottish Leadership Foundation to provide social
services chief officers and middle managers with
training in leadership and management
- Economic Study of the Labour Market of Children's
Services in Scotland
- Integrated Human Resources Working Group (Joint
Futures agenda for Health and Community Care) and
Planning Together (Report of the Scottish Integrated
Workforce planning group)
- Return to Learn courses for social care workers in
local authorities
- Improving access arrangements to professional
training
- Develop the role of specific centres
The Joint Ministerial Meetings are chaired by Minister
for Education and Young People, Cathy Jamieson, and
attended by Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care
Hugh Henry, Deputy Minister for Justice Richard Simpson,
Deputy Minister for Social Justice Margaret Curran and
Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Services Peter
Peacock.
| Item | Additional Information | Action and Timescale |
1 | Awareness and career recruitment
campaign. | Broad based approach involving many
agents, emphasis on opportunities for all
ages. | In the next 9 weeks Work with partners Convention of
Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), Careers
Scotland, professional and user bodies, and
SQA (Care Scotland Team). Initial plans
approved by Joint ministerial meeting
(JMM). In the next 9 months Review campaign and lessons learnt.
Ongoing programme initiated. |
2 | New Joint Ministerial Meetings to
co-ordinate social services policy and
performance reporting. | Important to ensure good co-ordination
with social services at the leading edge of
joined-up policies. | In the next 9 weeks Receives progress report on workforce action
plan and approves next steps. In the next 9 months Two meetings held and proposals for improved
performance reporting and policy co-ordination
agreed. |
3 | Two Project Groups, reporting to the
JMM. Workforce and recruitment Professional and vocational education
reforms | Scottish Executive led; membership from
Scottish Social Services Council (the
Council), service users, local authorities,
universities, and professional
associations. To negotiate arrangements and boundaries
for new Sector Skill Councils that can
deliver effectively for Scotland over the
next decade. A new honours degree level qualification
for social workers, with access for care
staff with relevant skills and
fast-tracking of other professionals. This
is necessary to develop a competent and
skilled work force to meet today's complex
demands. A multi-professional approach
needs to be developed. | In the next 9 weeks Membership and workplan agreed by
JMM. In the next 9 months Negotiations on new Sector Skills
Council (SSC) boundaries conducted. In the next 9 weeks Project group including employer and
user members set up. Workplan approved by
JMM. In the next 9 months Consultations on curriculum guidance,
practice learning changes, and handling of
specialisation and probationary
qualifications concluded. Recommendations
agreed by JMM for introducing new degree in
2004. |
4 | New post of Director for Co- ordinating
Social Services Policy and Performance
leading new Division in SWSI. | Strengthening Co- ordination is
necessary to deliver on integrated
services. | In the next 9 weeks Priorities for attention agreed by
JMM. In the next 9 months Review progress and priorities. |
5 | £3.5 million additional funding for
local authority social services staff
training. | Providing for in-service training and
opportunities for career development. | In the next 9 weeks Local authorities decide best use of
funds. In the next 9 months Monitor through Social Work Services
Inspectorate (SWSI) Annual Report visits
2003. |
6 | Renewing pump-priming funds for
Association of Directors of Social Work's
(ADSW) work in promoting employer
investment in better support for front-line
staff. | Improving support for frontline staff is
important in recruiting and retaining
staff. | In the next 9 weeks ADSW action plan prepared. In the next 9 months Agreed action plan implemented and then
monitored through SWSI Annual Report visits
2003 |
7 | Scottish Leadership Foundation to
provide social services chief officers and
middle managers with training in leadership
and management. | Local authorities and voluntary
organisations are undergoing major changes
and this programme is designed to assist
effective management of these. | In the next 9 weeks Analysis of future needs commences. In the next 9 months Programme commences with first 100. |
8 | Economic Study of the Labour Market of
Children's Services in Scotland. | Commissioned April; first report July
2002. Similar cross-cutting analysis for
other areas may follow. | In the next 9 weeks Scoping study underway. In the next 9 months Scoping study complete and next steps
identified. |
9 | Integrated Human Resources Working Group
(Joint Futures agenda for Health and
Community Care) and Planning Together
(Report of the Scottish Integrated
Workforce planning group) | Two initiatives addressing workforce
planning in health and community care and
the NHS respectively. | In the next 9 weeks Integrated Human Resources working group
report published. In the next 9 months Link plans on future action from these
two initiatives and this Action Plan. |
10 | Return to Learn courses for social care
workers in local authorities | Funding for the Workers Educational
Association (WEA) to plan and provide for
courses to encourage and assist social care
staff to return to work. | In the next 9 weeks Meeting and planning underway with WEA
programme co-ordinator. In the next 9 months First programme underway. |
11 | Improve access arrangements to
professional training. | Many people with experience and ability
may hesitate to become social workers or
apply for social services posts because
they didn't have the school or university
qualifications when they were younger, or
don't now. Others may hesitate because they
have other professional qualifications, as
teachers or nurses. | In the next 9 weeks Commence survey. In the next 9 months Set out options and agree way ahead. |
12 | Develop the Role of Specific Centres | For social services the SE has
established a number of specialist centres
e.g. for criminal justice, residential
child care, learning disabilities,
dementia, and mental health. The
cross-disciplinary and multi-agency nature
of these centres should inform
implementation of this Action Plan; and
should be developed in connection with UK
and international developments. | In the next 9 weeks All centres to provide a two page
statement of their best role in 2005, and
how they are preparing for that. In the next 9 months SE to consult on integrated development
programme for specific centres. |