Social work resources

This statement sets out what a social worker working with adults should know and be able to do by the end of their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE). The statement incorporates the experiences and perspectives of front line social workers, their Managers, organisations and educators.  The statement relates to all Social Workers working with adults who contribute to delivering statutory health and wellbeing outcomes for people and their carers, regardless of the sector in which they are employed and provides a national benchmark for Social Workers, employers and the public.

The practice development educator (PDE) role is for registered Social Workers who support, assess and/or supervise social workers undertaking post qualifying professional development and learning.

This includes the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE), Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities and Approved Mental Health Practitioner (AMHP) programmes.

These Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS) set out requirements for practice educators at two stages, commensurate with the different levels of complexity and responsibility in teaching, assessing and supervising social work degree students.

The Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) is an overarching professional standards framework, developed by the Social Work Reform Board. The PCF:

• Sets out consistent expectations of social workers at every stage in their career
• Provides a backdrop to both initial social work education and continuing professional development after qualification
• Informs the design and implementation of the national career structure
• Gives social workers a framework around which to plan their careers and professional development.

The standards of proficiency (SOPs) set out what a social worker in England should know, understand and be able to do when they complete their social work training so that they can register with the HCPC. They set out clear expectations of a social worker’s knowledge and abilities when they start practising.

Social Work Resources is a project within Daisy Bogg Consultancy Ltd, an associate based organisation established in 2010 providing a range of consultancy, quality improvement, training & development services across health and social care in England & Wales.

The organisation’s central principle is the promotion of social approaches and social work values as a means of maximising the effectiveness of health and social care services.

Community Care have written an article examining possible interventions available to Practitioners in challenging hoarding and self-neglect.

A new guide to help social workers support people who have suffered brain injury or trauma has been co- published by BASW. Called Practice Guidance for Social Workers working with people with an acquired brain injury, it was produced together with the Brain Injury Social Work Group (BISWG).

The guide outlines how to identify brain injury, assessment processes, post assessment support and includes a practice- based case study.

Jackie Burt, Chair of BISWG, said: “Having worked as a social worker in a busy hospital neuro unit for over 20 years, I am very aware of the difficulties facing people with acquired brain injury and those close to them. I am also conscious of the subtleties involved in making an appropriate assessment of the needs of someone who is likely to have led a very different life before their accident or brain hemorrhage or stroke or illness.”

A resource developed by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and is designed to offer you support in your care for people living with motor neurones disease.

After completing all sections you should:

• Have an improved understanding of what MND is, and the red flags for its diagnosis
• Have increased awareness of the symptom management and treatments that are available
• Appreciate the importance of coordination and a multi-disciplinary approach to achieving good care for people living with MND
• Recognise the importance of keeping and sharing accurate records with your colleagues in the multidisciplinary team
• Have explored the importance of advance planning and timely support for changing symptoms
• Have considered the impact of a diagnosis of MND on a person and their family and carers
• Know how to look after yourself as a professional when nursing during this and other challenging cases
• Know where to go for further information

The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) has brought together all its resources on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) together on its website in a new DoLS section. The resources include: guidance on what deprivation of liberty is and how it is authorised; a report on good practice in management and implementation of DoLS; videos discussing the Supreme Court’s 2014 Cheshire West judgment on deprivation of liberty; practice guidance describing the role of IMCAs and paid representatives along with e-learning and useful links.