BASW’s disappointment at HPC’s refusal to register social work students

BASW has responded to the decision of the Health Professions Council (HPC) to confirm its intention not to register student social workers by expressing its disappointment at a move the Association believes will undermine the protection of the public.

BASW’s chair Fran Fuller said:“We are very disappointed with this decision as this is something that we had repeatedly brought to the HPC’s attention.

“Currently social work students have to register and adhere to the GSCC codes of conduct, which makes them accountable for their actions from the moment they register as social workers and, to some extent, protects the public when students are on a placement working alongside vulnerable people who need services. Universities do, of course, try to address misconduct issues via their own procedures but all too often they are not able to understand the complexities of social work and social work practice, so a clear role for a regulator is firmly apparent.

“Even leaving aside the difficulties of universities policing students on placements, there are other, similarly complicated issues associated with students who are terminated from social work degree programmes – how will it be possible to track these people and ensure they are not able to re-enter social work training? Social work students often work in isolation, alongside service users, which puts them apart from students who belong to other HPC registered professions.

“This is a fact that BASW staff repeatedly brought to the HPC’s attention, emphasising how social work is different to the health related professions it also regulates. I cannot understand the HPC’s rationale for not registering student social workers. BASW has assisted the HPC in getting to know the profession but still has reservations about its understanding of the fact it cannot adopt a one-size-fits-all approach to the professions it is charged with regulating.”