Beyond Reproach? The Impact of

Regulation on Professional Practice and Conduct

Paul Webster – Education and Inspection Manager - GSCC

Ian Johnston - Chief Executive - BASW

SSRG Annual Workshop Joining Up Locally: Partnerships forbetter Practice and Performance

17th April 2007 - Leicester

About BASW

A professional association – not a trade union

37 years old - 11,300 members

Collectively committed to values and principles

Code of ethics since 1973

Campaigned for independent - not self-regulation

Protection of title for qualified social workers

An inclusive register for the social care workforce

Great expectations!!!!

www.gscc.org.uk

• Codes - 2 million copies of the codes for employers and workers distributed and liked by the sector

• Conduct - we have had over 700 individual social workers referred to us; over 50 investigations(10 proceeded with) ; 9 concluded conduct hearings; 6 admonitions; 1 suspension and 2 removals

• Register – The Social Care Register currently has almost 77,000 social workers, and almost 15000 social work students.

Our impact on the care sector since 2002

www.gscc.org.uk

• The GSCC is now looking to open the register to other social care workers after registering social workers. The next phase is:

• All domiciliary care workers and their managers in the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) regulatory framework should be in the next groups to be registered

• It is proposed that the Social Care Register will be opened to this next group of social care workers early 2008

• The task of registering an estimated 200,000 workers will not be easy

Next groups to register

www.gscc.org.uk

• Over 70 universities approved to run degree courses and new ones still applying

• 120 degree courses part time, full time, college or employment based, at undergraduate and post graduate level

• Annual intake of @5500 students

Education and training: qualifying

www.gscc.org.uk

New PQ framework and new standards and requirements published for

Children, young people, families and carers

Leadership and management

Practice education

Social work with adults

Mental health requirements ( including approved social workers and approved mental health professionals)

Post qualifying training

Impact on performance and service delivery

• GSCC primary role is protection of the public; and promoting

• Public confidence in the social care sector; through

• A national transparent system of accountability ; for whistleblowing

• Designed to enhance and build professional reputation, credibility, standing

BUT

Measurement of standards

• How does one measure impact on standards other than registration refusals and conduct outcomes ?

• How does one measure the impact of new training?

• Do the Codes and registration influence attitudes, behaviour and performance?

• How do employers use the Codes for workforce training, development and disciplining?

• What should the relationship be between BASW’s Code of Ethics and the Codes of Practice?

Moral and ethical issues

• The GSCC Code for employees has 41 prescriptions or injunctions

• What constitutes a breach?

• Where does being of ‘good character’ come into this?

• Are there any legitimate boundaries between private and public life?

• How might the employer (and the employer code) be implicated in a worker’s misconduct?

• How can we ensure that decisions are proportionate and fair and that they reflect our values?