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Inter Professional Educationin Social Work Training:

Policy Implications

Graham IxerHead of Social Work Education

General Social Care Council

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Introduction

Inter-Professional Education (IPE)

1) the Mandate

2) the Drivers

3) the Issues

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Training Framework

Generic three year degree

Post-qualifying framework:

- Three different post-graduate levels

- Five areas of specialised training

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Mandate (1)

Approval of courses for the social work degree Rules (GSCC 2002)

Requirements of Social Work Training (DH 2002)

National Occupational Standards (2002)

QAA Subject Benchmark Statements

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Mandate (2)Codes of Practice for Workers in Social Care:‘Recognising and respecting the role and expertise from other agencies and working in partnership with them’ (6.7)

Undertaking relevant training to maintain and improve your knowledge and skills and contributing to the learning and development of others’ (6.8)

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Mandate (3)

Statement of Inter-professional values

Led by GSCC, NMC and GTC

‘To underpin work with children and young people’

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Mandate (4)

PQ Framework

“Inter-professionalism cannot only be promoted by means of shared modules. There is a distinct body of knowledge and skills associated with inter-professional and inter-agency working”

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Mandate (5)

PQ Framework

a) Generic competence

b) Specialist standards

All five awards have explicit specialist IP learning requirements

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Drivers (1)

Integration

Choice, control and personalisation

Ever-changing workforce

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Drivers (2)

Career mobility and enhancement

Delivery agenda and need for partnership and collaboration

Economic Case?

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Drivers (3)Social Work Training• White Paper Care matters: Transforming lives (June

2007)• Newly qualified social work status

• Strengthened social work curriculum on children

• Remodelling workforce

• Roles and Tasks of social work

• Greater child specialisation in training at all levels

• New initial training routes for social workers

• The role of Pedagogy in the curriculum - pilot

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Issues (1)

Generic or specialist?

Language and terminology

Does IPE actually work?

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Issues (2)

IP Values -

“The last thing teachers need is yet another statement of professional values imposed on them.”

“Teachers should be left to get on with the job.”

[source: National Association of Schoolmasters’

Union of Women Teachers]

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Conclusion

Inter-professional competence:

- core requirement

- key element in training professionals

Something that we all know is good yet unclear how and why?

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Conclusion & Future• Inter-professional Leadership• Confidence to take responsibility• The art of Argument and reflective

practice• Research minded practice• Inspirational Students as future

leaders – Passionate not passive action

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More information…

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