‘You’ve got to be Saint to be a Social Worker’

Dr Hugh McLaughlin

University of Salfordh.mclaughlin@salford.ac.uk

Registration of Student Social Workers

Care Standards Act (2003)Codes of Practice for Social Care Workers– 2 strive to establish

and maintain trust– 5 uphold public trust

and confidence

Employers not mandatorySeen as a good thing

Fitness to Practice Process

Professional misconduct or unsuitabilityAllegation appoint investigatorPanel hearing – 4 members: profession, school, faculty, outside faculty chairRange of outcomes from NFA to removal from programme‘the balance of probabilities’Appeals process

GSCC (2002, 5.8)

Behave in a way, in work or outside work, which would call into question suitability to work in social care services

FTTP Internal Programme Issues

Catherine – doesn’t want to take up placement

Lyla- child-care arrangements

FTTP – External Issues

Mohammed – gross misconduct – social care employer

Jenna- drinking and causing an accident

Other issues

PlagiarismThresholdsLeaving programme to avoid investigationPartner schedule one offender‘Inappropriate relationships’Support from university- chair

ConcernsShrouded in secrecyNo way of ensuring equity between courses –either in terms of equal identification or treatment of similar issuesSome courses too many others too few?Differing degrees of professionalism at different stages of courseSurveillance cultureIs it once and for all

Recommendations

Audit of student social workers FTPPublication of details of numbers, types of students most at risk, issues investigated and outcomesResearch as to issues for FTP and promotion of a professional debate to promote a consensus on how to assessIssue for annual monitoringDebate with other professions