New resource to support substance misuse social workers

The first-ever national document to outline how social workers should respond when working with someone with alcohol and drugs problems has been launched.

Leading social work and health organisations have joined forces with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) to launch the document on the roles and capabilities for social workers when working with people with substance misuse problems.

The publication today of Alcohol and other Drug Use: The Roles and Capabilities of Social Workers, is an attempt to clarify how social workers should respond when working with someone with alcohol or drug problems.

Launching the document, author Sarah Galvani, Professor of Adult Social Care at MMU, said: “Social workers specialising in adult and children’s social work practice are working regularly with people with substance problems, be it alcohol, other drugs or a combination of both. As a profession we’ve not equipped them adequately for this work. They need clarity about what their role and remit is and how their supervisors and managers can support them.”

Funded by Public Health England, the document has been developed with the support and involvement of leading social work, social care and public health organisations as well as a large group of front-line social work professionals.

Bridget Robb, Chief Executive of the British Association of Social Workers, said: “Social workers have the skills and values that equip them to work well with people with substance problems but we need to ensure we are educating and supporting them properly to do so. This document provides clarity on how all social workers can begin to support people at different stages of their substance use.”

The national guidance for managers, policy makers and social workers themselves identifies three key roles and related professional capabilities which comprise recognition that working with substance use is part of their role, supporting people to make changes to their substance use and helping them to maintain those changes.

Annie Hudson, CEO of The College of Social Work (TCSW), added: “This document will reinforce the College’s work to ensure that social work education and training provides social workers with the tools to do their job well. TCSW recognises that substance use is one of the areas that cuts across all areas of social work practice and is often a part of the complex needs of the individuals and families that social workers support.”

The document is available to download here.