Sector welcomes news that Government regulation of social work will be independent

The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) and Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) have welcomed news that Government regulation of social work will be independent.

Ministers had orginally planned to move the job of regulating social work out of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and into an executive agency of central government.

However, the new regulatory plans were revealed at Westminster, when Edward Timpson, Minister for Vulnerable Children and Families, said: “Our plan to drive up the skills and status of the children’s social work profession is central to that endeavour.

“To that end, I am working in partnership with my colleagues in the Department of Health to establish a new, bespoke independent regulator for social work that will set higher standards for social work both in what is expected of professionals in order to practice and in what is expected from universities and others providing initial social work education.”

Acknowledging this major concession on proposals for social work regulation from the Children and Social Work Bill, BASW Chair Guy Shennan (pictured) stated: “Although we need to continue to be vigilant in calling for the regulation of social workers to be properly independent, this is an important step in the right direction. What has been shown here is what social workers can achieve by coming together and campaigning – and a good reason for more social workers to join BASW, to continue to strengthen our voice.

“It was also important that we acted together with our partner organisations, in particular SWU, UNISON, JUCSWEC, the Association of Professors of Social Work and the Social Work Action Network, and I look forward to our relationships continuing to deepen as we face future challenges together.”

BASW CEO Ruth Allen added: “This is a great success for BASW and our partners across the social work sector. We raised profound and well-evidenced concerns about the importance of regulatory independence and I am pleased government appears to have listened. BASW is committed to effective regulation to uphold standards of practice and to promote public trust. This includes getting an effective and strong post qualifying framework and I intend for BASW to take a central role in this for the long term.

“The devil will be in the detail as the new regulatory proposals unfold. We will represent social workers’ views and professional best practice evidence every step of the way.”

Dave Hill, President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, said: “We are pleased that the new regulatory body for social work will be independent; it is important for the profession that decisions on things such as a social workers fitness to practice are made at arm’s length from government.

“It also makes sense that the Department for Education take this forward as it links to the wider social work reform agenda, however, we know that good social work with adults helps children too so close links between the DfE and DoH will be crucial to raising the standing and status of the social work profession as a whole. We support the move to creating a bespoke body that focusses exclusively on the social work profession, a complex reform agenda is already underway and steps must be taken to avoid destabilising or even demoralising this fragile workforce.”