This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Action plan for social workers
18/04/2002
A comprehensive twelve point action plan to tackle the problems facing the Social Services Workforce was launched today.
The action plan sets out what needs to be done to deliver a competent and skilled social services workforce to support vulnerable adults and children across Scotland.
Minister for Education and Young People Cathy Jamieson and Deputy Health and Community Care Minister Hugh Henry outlined the main points of the plan:
- A commitment to an awareness and recruitment campaign for all levels of staff into the profession
- A new honours degree level qualification for social work, with access for all with relevant skills and knowledge
- And £3.5 million additional funding for local authority social services staff training and support for front-line staff.
Joint Ministerial Meetings (JMM), chaired by Cathy Jamieson, will oversee two Project Groups reporting to the JMM. One will deliver professional and vocational education reforms and the other will focus on workforce and recruitment issues.
Speaking to Parliament today, Cathy Jamieson said:
"Social services staff deliver vital support for older people, for children, and for people with disabilities. They also contribute to better community safety through work with offenders and in youth justice.
"They do a job that is often difficult and demanding. Their daily work is often unrecognised or taken for granted. This is why one of our immediate actions is to hold a recruitment campaign. It will raise the profile of the important work done by social services staff and aim to attract people to what is a rewarding and worthwhile career. Opportunities exist for people of all ages who have a range of experience and skills.
"The Action Plan launched today sets out immediate steps and further action that will be taken in the coming months to support five key strategic aims. These aims will take us toward our goal of a competent and skilled social services workforce that meets the needs of vulnerable adults and children across Scotland."
The key strategic aims are to:
- Introduce more effective ways of recruiting and retaining staff
- Set in place a new social work honours degree level qualification for front line staff, with access for all with relevant knowledge and skills
- Develop the role of the Scottish Social Services Council in regulating staff and their training
- Raise investment in learning and support for all front line staff
- Negotiate the boundaries for the new Sector Skills Councils with an integrated approach to service delivery
Ms Jamieson concluded:
"This is a turning point for the social services workforce. A competent and confident social services workforce is a key part of delivering our policy goals. This Action Plan recognises this and points the way to achieving social services which are fit for the 21 st century."
Deputy Health Minister Hugh Henry said:
"Scotland's population is increasingly getting older. It is predicted that by the year 2030 there will be half a million more pensioners and an 80 per cent increase in those aged 85 and over. We need to ensure that our health and social services adapt to cope with these new demands.
"The Social Services Workforce Action Plan will introduce more effective ways of recruiting and keeping staff. It will also ensure we have the right number of trained staff in the right place to meet the needs of Scotland's ageing population and to help us deliver the biggest ever investment in older people's services."
The twelve points of the Action Plan are:
- Awareness and career recruitment campaign
- New Joint Ministerial Meetings (JMM) to co-ordinate social services policy and performance reporting
- Two Project Groups reporting to the JMM. One will cover workforce recruitment including a new honours degree level qualification and the other will cover professional and vocational education reforms
- £3.5 million additional funding for local authority social services staff training and support for front-line staff
- New post of Director of Co-ordinating Social Services Policy and Performance leading a new Division within the Social Work Services Inspectorate (SWSI) of the Scottish Executive
- Renewing pump-priming funds for Association of Directors of Social Work's (ADSW) work in promoting employer investment in better support for front-line staff
- Scottish Leadership Foundation to provide social services chief officers and middle managers with training in leadership and management
- Economic Study of the Labour Market of Children's Services in Scotland
- Integrated Human Resources Working Group (Joint Futures agenda for Health and Community Care) and Planning Together (Report of the Scottish Integrated Workforce planning group)
- Return to Learn courses for social care workers in local authorities
- Improving access arrangements to professional training
- Develop the role of specific centres
The Joint Ministerial Meetings are chaired by Minister for Education and Young People, Cathy Jamieson, and attended by Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care Hugh Henry, Deputy Minister for Justice Richard Simpson, Deputy Minister for Social Justice Margaret Curran and Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Services Peter Peacock.
| Item | Additional Information | Action and Timescale |
1 | Awareness and career recruitment campaign. | Broad based approach involving many agents, emphasis on opportunities for all ages. | In the next 9 weeks Work with partners Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), Careers Scotland, professional and user bodies, and SQA (Care Scotland Team). Initial plans approved by Joint ministerial meeting (JMM). In the next 9 months Review campaign and lessons learnt. Ongoing programme initiated. |
2 | New Joint Ministerial Meetings to co-ordinate social services policy and performance reporting. | Important to ensure good co-ordination with social services at the leading edge of joined-up policies. | In the next 9 weeks Receives progress report on workforce action plan and approves next steps. In the next 9 months Two meetings held and proposals for improved performance reporting and policy co-ordination agreed. |
3 | Two Project Groups, reporting to the JMM. Workforce and recruitment Professional and vocational education reforms | Scottish Executive led; membership from Scottish Social Services Council (the Council), service users, local authorities, universities, and professional associations. To negotiate arrangements and boundaries for new Sector Skill Councils that can deliver effectively for Scotland over the next decade. A new honours degree level qualification for social workers, with access for care staff with relevant skills and fast-tracking of other professionals. This is necessary to develop a competent and skilled work force to meet today's complex demands. A multi-professional approach needs to be developed. | In the next 9 weeks Membership and workplan agreed by JMM. In the next 9 months Negotiations on new Sector Skills Council (SSC) boundaries conducted. In the next 9 weeks Project group including employer and user members set up. Workplan approved by JMM. In the next 9 months Consultations on curriculum guidance, practice learning changes, and handling of specialisation and probationary qualifications concluded. Recommendations agreed by JMM for introducing new degree in 2004. |
4 | New post of Director for Co- ordinating Social Services Policy and Performance leading new Division in SWSI. | Strengthening Co- ordination is necessary to deliver on integrated services. | In the next 9 weeks Priorities for attention agreed by JMM. In the next 9 months Review progress and priorities. |
5 | £3.5 million additional funding for local authority social services staff training. | Providing for in-service training and opportunities for career development. | In the next 9 weeks Local authorities decide best use of funds. In the next 9 months Monitor through Social Work Services Inspectorate (SWSI) Annual Report visits 2003. |
6 | Renewing pump-priming funds for Association of Directors of Social Work's (ADSW) work in promoting employer investment in better support for front-line staff. | Improving support for frontline staff is important in recruiting and retaining staff. | In the next 9 weeks ADSW action plan prepared. In the next 9 months Agreed action plan implemented and then monitored through SWSI Annual Report visits 2003 |
7 | Scottish Leadership Foundation to provide social services chief officers and middle managers with training in leadership and management. | Local authorities and voluntary organisations are undergoing major changes and this programme is designed to assist effective management of these. | In the next 9 weeks Analysis of future needs commences. In the next 9 months Programme commences with first 100. |
8 | Economic Study of the Labour Market of Children's Services in Scotland. | Commissioned April; first report July 2002. Similar cross-cutting analysis for other areas may follow. | In the next 9 weeks Scoping study underway. In the next 9 months Scoping study complete and next steps identified. |
9 | Integrated Human Resources Working Group (Joint Futures agenda for Health and Community Care) and Planning Together (Report of the Scottish Integrated Workforce planning group) | Two initiatives addressing workforce planning in health and community care and the NHS respectively. | In the next 9 weeks Integrated Human Resources working group report published. In the next 9 months Link plans on future action from these two initiatives and this Action Plan. |
10 | Return to Learn courses for social care workers in local authorities | Funding for the Workers Educational Association (WEA) to plan and provide for courses to encourage and assist social care staff to return to work. | In the next 9 weeks Meeting and planning underway with WEA programme co-ordinator. In the next 9 months First programme underway. |
11 | Improve access arrangements to professional training. | Many people with experience and ability may hesitate to become social workers or apply for social services posts because they didn't have the school or university qualifications when they were younger, or don't now. Others may hesitate because they have other professional qualifications, as teachers or nurses. | In the next 9 weeks Commence survey. In the next 9 months Set out options and agree way ahead. |
12 | Develop the Role of Specific Centres | For social services the SE has established a number of specialist centres e.g. for criminal justice, residential child care, learning disabilities, dementia, and mental health. The cross-disciplinary and multi-agency nature of these centres should inform implementation of this Action Plan; and should be developed in connection with UK and international developments. | In the next 9 weeks All centres to provide a two page statement of their best role in 2005, and how they are preparing for that. In the next 9 months SE to consult on integrated development programme for specific centres. |