Social workers in Wales have a chance to develop the sort of professional status they have long craved but they must place a higher onus on professional development, a Welsh Assembly Government minister told a BASW Cymru event.
Addressing the future of Welsh social work at BASW Cymru’s Annual Conference, the deputy minister for Children and Social Services Gwenda Thomas said the white paper, published in 2011, offered opportunities to practitioners that have to be grasped. “Vibrant, flexible and responsive social services – properly integrated with other local services – are essential if we are to build the fabric of our communities and ensure that individuals and families receive the support they need,” she told the event, adding that “We can be a small innovative and agile country.”
But progress in developing the white paper will depend on practitioners, Ms Thomas continued: “It means prioritising your own professional development and ensuring that the codes of practice really do underpin your work. It means embracing the professional status that you have been asking for.”
The white paper, Sustainable Social Services for Wales: A Framework for Action, published last year, aims to refocus government guidance for social work including the provision of more robust accountability frameworks and more integrated services.
The minister was joined at the 23 November conference, introduced by BASW Cymru chair Keith Drury, by the leader of the Care Council for Wales, Rhian Huws-Williams, the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Keith Towler, and Keele University’s Professor Charlotte Williams.
Professor Williams used the occasion to launch the 2nd edition of her book ‘Social Policy for Social Welfare Practice in a Devolved Wales’. The book originally emerged from a BASW initiative in 2004 when, following the establishment of the new degree for social work in Wales, it was deemed essential that students had access to a text that reflected the specific circumstances of Welsh practice. Ms Williams told the conference: “We need to talk about Welsh distinctiveness. Whether in terms of demographics, ideology or particular approaches to social policy making.”
Rhian Huws-Williams addressed the Care Council’s plans for raising the quality of professionalism and developing clear career pathways.
Ms Williams said: “Welsh government expectations are for clearer career pathways both for social work and social care, which will allow high quality practitioners to remain in practice to make a real difference to citizens’ lives. The Sustainable Services framework should contribute to public assurance in high quality outcomes. Part of this is developing new and different engagement arrangements with social workers, and establishing a forum or a partnership model which means that there is more regular and direct connection with registrants. “
BASW Cymru manager Robin Moulster described the event as a resounding success despite the tightening training budgets for staff”.