SWRB work not under threat from government

The government has given assurances to the Social Work Reform Board (SWRB) that it wants it to continue its work and complement the Munro inquiry into child protection, delegates at the National Children and Adults Services conference were told.

Mark Rogers, the chief executive of Solihull Council who represents SOLACE on the SWRB said the Board had received assurances that its work should be “seen through to its logical conclusions.

“The work should sit alongside Eileen and her growing brief –, the work is complementary,” he said. “I hope it doesn’t come across as a fragmented approach because the clear message is we are working in synergy.”

The SWRB is in its first phase, 2010-2011, with the next phase set to cover 2011 to 2014 and the third encompassing 2014 onwards.

“It is important to give the clear message of the time-line. This needs to be done properly and we need time to deliver,” added Mr Rogers. “There have been false starts in the past and we don’t want that to happen this time.”

He added, however, that by April 2011 standards for the profession, for employers and for social work education would be in place, all in addition to the social worker health check which has already been developed.