Making Reregistration meaningful: PQ Pourquoi

1
Making Re-registration meaningful PQ Pourquoi?

• JSWEC Conference Workshop
• 12th July 2007
• Hilary Tompsett, Kingston University

2
The workshop facilitators

• Hilary Tompsett RSWJane Lindsay AASW, RSW
• School of Social Work, Faculty of Health
  Social Care SciencesKingston University St
  Georges, University of London

3
Aims of the Workshop

• To identify the expectations and aspirations of
  participants from the workshop
• To gain an overview of the current context for PQ
  in the 4 countries
• To explore the links and connections between
  PRTL, PQ and CPD - and what these are
• To share how workshop participants are
  approaching re-registration requirements, linking
  PQ and mapping careers
• To consider whether we can develop a model for
  practitioners, social work academics and managers
  - and ourselves.

4
Ground rules for this workshop?

• Do we need them?
• Whats their purpose?
• What will help us ?

5
Coming soon in your area

• PRTL (Post-registration training
  learning)England 40 000 to re-register
  2007-8Wales, Scotland, NI to follow
• PQ (Post Qualification Framework) England - new
  programmes 2006/7 moving to 4 countries and 4
  frameworks
• CPD (Continuing Professional Development)changing
  the culture of social work professionals(cf.
  other professional groups)
• We do not yet have a profession in which cpd is
  taken for granted (Child Protection Adviser,
  Options for Excellence, p 26)

6
Outline of session activities

• Quiz
• Exercises in groups
• Summarizing key learning and action points for
  ourselves

7
Quiz 1

• 1. When was the register for social workers
  introduced? And protected title?

8
Answers

• Register opened April 2003 protected title from
  1st April 2005

9
Protection of title 1/4/2005

• Most initial registrations made between 2004-5
• The renewal process in England has started (759
  renewals in 2006/7)
• Most of initial registrations will be due for
  renewal in 2007/8

10
Quiz 2

• 2. What do you know about PRTL in your country?
• Are there any differences between England, Wales,
  Scotland, and Northern Ireland?

11
Answer

• 2 Guidance is country specific
• Some conditions will be different(See handout)
• BUT Same requirements overall

12
Post-registration training and learning is a
key condition for continued registration.
(GSCC, cf Care Council for Wales)

• GSCC Registration Rules (2003, amended 2005)
  specify the post-registration training and
  learning requirements that all registered social
  workers must meet.The rules state that
• every social worker registered with the GSCC
  shall, within the period of registration,
  complete either 90 hours or 15 days of study,
  training, courses, seminars, reading, teaching or
  other activities which could reasonably be
  expected to advance the social worker's
  professional development, or contribute to the
  development of the profession as a whole
• every social worker registered with the GSCC
  shall keep a record of post-registration training
  and learning undertaken
• failure to meet these conditions may be
  considered misconduct.

13
Scottish Care Council

• (in addition) All newly qualified workers from
  Summer 06 will be required to complete 24 days or
  144 hours within the first 12 months from date of
  registration. Re-registration will be on or
  before the 14 month anniversary

14
Northern Ireland Social Care Council

• (In addition) Newly qualified social workers
  have to apply for registration after completing a
  degree course and before undertaking the assessed
  year in employment. (NISCC Registration Rules -
  Rule 7.) The assessed year in employment is an
  integral part of the Registrants Post
  Registration Training and Learning Requirements
  and will evidence their fitness to practice in
  employment.

15
Quiz 3

• 3. What sort of post-registration training and
  learning activities should social workers
  undertake?

16
Answers

• 3. The (for example) GSCC and Welsh Care Council
  are not specific about the type of activities
  which will meet their requirements. They expect
  social workers to choose training and learning
  activities that
• will benefit their current employment
• will benefit their career progression
• reflect their preferred learning style
• make the most of the learning opportunities
  available to form part of wider professional
  development.

17
This can include Uncertified informal learning
and professional development

• Shadowing
• Researching latest policy and good practice
  developments in their field of practice
• Doing research related to their practice
• Completing a period of secondment
• Identifying and recording learning from appraisal
• Attending training events, meetings and
  conferences where there are identifiable outcomes
• Reading articles or reports etc.

18
or Certified formal learning and professional
development

• PQ education programmes
• Specialist training in house
• ( GSCC/Wales Care Council guidance(contd)
• Studying for a certificated post-qualifying
  award
• You can use those studies as evidence that you
  meet the post-registration training and learning
  requirements
• http//www.gscc.org.uk/Trainingandlearning/Cont
  inuingyourtraining/Post-registrationtraining/

19
Quiz 4

• 4. What are the guiding principles of PRTL?

20
Answers

• 4. The 5 stars of PRTL (Table 3, Care Council
  for Wales)
• PRTL is the registrants responsibility
• PRTL does not need to be a difficult or time
  consuming task
• PRTL should be the outcome of learning and
  development activity that both the registrant and
  their employer recognise
• PRTL will give service users, colleagues and
  other employers confidence that registrants are
  competent to remain on the register
• PRTL is a flexible process to acknowledge
  individual achievement and to help to raise
  standards

21

• 4 (contd)
• PRTL should also be consistent with a
  registrants work role and the aims and
  objectives of their employer
• Registrants and managers should discuss and plan
  how the registrant will meet PRTL requirements

22
Quiz 5

• 5. What does the PQ framework say should be the
  characteristics of PQ programmes?

23
Answer

• 5. The PQ framework creates opportunities for
  training and learning that can be
• Flexible, to allow for individual circumstances
  and aspirations
• A shared responsibility for the manager and the
  practitioner, achieved through a range of routes
  that have equal value and can
• Incorporate individual training needs
• Incorporate and employment based focus and
• Incorporate a policy-based focus
• (GSCC, CCW, NISCC, SSCC, 2005)

24
Exercise 1 in pairs

• What are the similarities and differences between
  the requirements of PRTL and PQ as described?
• What might be other key differences/similarities
  you could identify and why?

25
Differences Similarities?

• Timescales? PRTL must take place within the 3
  years - PQ?
• PRTL must be consistent with the registrants
  work role and the aims and objectives of their
  employer - will PQ be consistent with this?
• Registrants will need to keep a record of
  achievement in a systematic manner (para 37) -
  how will PQ fit/help with this?

26
Exercise 2 in small groupsWhat have you (or
your HEI) done about re-registration/PRTL? What
could you do?

• Collate the different approaches from your group
  as to what you have already done
• Is there anything new you could now think of?
• Make a note for yourself and feedback anything
  you have learned from this

27
Evidence of PRTL?

• GSCC guidance Para 32
• The GSCC may ask registrants to provide evidence
  that they have taken part in training and
  learning in addition to their record of
  Achievement. When renewing registration, the GSCC
  will sample a percentage of registrants and look
  at their evidence for PRTL. It is important all
  registrants completing their PRTL Record of
  Achievement are aware of this
• How might PQ programmes fit with this?

28
GSCC obligation

• Rule 7 (4) states that the Council will only
  grant an application to renew registration where
• It is satisfied that the registrant has
  satisfactorily fulfilled any conditions attached
  to the registrants registration
• It has received satisfactory evidence of an
  applicants
• Good character
• Good conduct
• Physical and mental fitness to perform the whole
  or part of the work of a social worker
  (competence in Scotland)
• (similar for Wales, Scotland N Ireland)
• Would PQ programmes assist with this evidence?

29
Exercise 3 in small groupsHow do your planned
PQ programmes fit with PRTL?

• How do they fit with
• Induction?
• Supervision?
• Appraisal?
• Codes of Practice for employees and
  employers?
• Work-based training?

30
Exercise 4 in groups

• Why is all this important?
• Who is all this for?
• Who should be engaged in this?

31
PRTL Because you should?

• GSCC Codes of Practice (2001) for Social Care
  Workers
• 6 As a social care worker, you must be
  accountable for the quality of your work and take
  responsibility for maintaining and improving your
  knowledge and skills. This includes
• 6.1 Meeting relevant standards of practice and
  working in a lawful, safe and effective way
• 6.2 Maintaining clear and accurate records as
  required by procedures established for your work
• 6.3 Informing your employer or the appropriate
  authority about any personal difficulties that
  might affect your ability to do your job
  competently and safely

32

• 6.4 Seeking assistance from your employer or
  the appropriate authority if you do not feel able
  or adequately prepared to carry out any aspect of
  your work, or you are not sure about how to
  proceed in a work matter
• 6.5 Working openly and co-operatively with
  colleagues and treating them with respect
• 6.6 Recognising that you remain responsible
  for the work that you have delegated to other
  workers
• 6.7 Recognising and respecting the roles and
  expertise of workers from other agencies and
  working in partnership with them and
• 6.8 Undertaking relevant training to maintain
  and improve your knowledge and skills and
  contributing to the learning and development of
  others.

33
Because its essential for professional
development?

• to equip workers to deal with change and support
  career progression (p 19)
• To ensure that all newly qualified and new and
  returning entrants to social care receive
  effective induction, including training,
  mentoring support, workload management and skills
  development (p29)
• To make sure workers will be able to access
  quality teaching and research and to make
  decisions founded on a sound evidence base (p30)
• Options for Excellence (2006)

34
Because it will enhance professional practice
and promote quality?

• CPD is everyones business
• Professional supervision is a requirement for
  safe, sustainable and ethical practice, and an
  integral part of the employers duty of care
  (7.2)
• improving professional leadership, career
  prospects, job satisfaction and
  motivation(and)providing people and families
  using services with access to more experienced
  and expert social work (6.2)
• (Roles Tasks of Social Work (2007) GSCC led
  consultation

35
To developa social work profession with a
strong and highly relevant knowledge, skills and
value base, and a passion for social
justice,which is attracting an increasing number
and diversity of new recruits professionals
working in the most challenging of circumstances,
balancing conflicting needs and views, juggling
resources and making the finest of professional
judgements about risk to both individuals and
society .. working together to raise the
professionalism of the workforce and improve the
competence and quality of social workers'
practice (Brand, 2005, Changing Lives Report
of the Scottish Social Work Review)
36
Because its good for service users and carers?

• Children said
• give social workers the right training and more
  support to improve,
• We want them to be able to advocate effectively
  on a child/young persons behalf.
• We want social workers to Talk about and focus
  on the successes of the service and advantages of
  a fulfilling job

37
Because good employers should be supporting this?

• E.g. GSCC Codes of Practice (2001) Employers
  Code
• 3 As a social care employer, you must provide
  training and development opportunities to enable
  social care workers to strengthen and develop
  their skills and knowledge.
• This includes
• 3.1 Providing induction, training and development
  opportunities to help social care workers do
  their jobs effectively and prepare for new and
  changing roles and responsibilities
• 3.2 Contributing to the provision of social care
  and social work education and training, including
  effective workplace assessment and practice
  learning
• 3.3 Supporting staff in posts subject to
  registration to meet the GSCCs eligibility
  criteria for registration and its requirements
  for continuing professional development and
• 3.4 Responding appropriately to social care
  workers who seek assistance because they do not
  feel able or adequately prepared to carry out any
  aspects of their work.

38
Or because you want to?

• PRTL Proud, Reflective, Thoughtful and Liberated
  by engaging with learning, not Performing Rather
  Than Learning?
• CPD promoting your own Continuing Professional
  Development rather than just seeing the job as
  Constant Pressure and Demand?
• Making time to enjoy reflection, reading and
  planning
• Being proud and articulate about (y)our profession

39
How can we start preparing for PRTL/CPD/PQ?

• Encouraging PQ as a means to PRTL
• Lobbying for PQ to be a requirement for PRTL?
• Making PQ relevant to PRTL?
• Making both relevant to CPD and lifelong
  learning?
• Finding a starting point for people
• Why did you take up social work in the first
  place?
• Making it connect and be relevant to us

40
An Exercise Mapping our careers

• In pairs
• Draw a picture of your career to date
• What are the values that drive you? How have you
  accommodated changing demands and changing
  contexts?
• Discuss with each other the different decisions
  you have taken in the past and what/who has
  influenced you and will influence you in making
  choices in the future?
• Sketch out where you see yourself going (with
  options if there are any)
• What might you need to do to support your
  learning on the way there?

41
Finally, how can we make re-registration
meaningful?

• What advice would you give a social work
  practitioner?
• Would you give different advice to a manageror a
  social work educator?
• What would make a difference to you?

42

• A quality strategy for education and training
  can deliver a workforce that is skilled and
  research informed, utilizing knowledge that draws
  practice and theory together. Above all it has to
  develop definitions of quality which are
  meaningful and not just measurable (Orme 2001 p
  623)

43
Why?

• Do we in social work want to be stumbling
  towards oblivion or discovering new horizons?
  (Dominelli 1996)
• Taking control of our Professional Development
• Promoting Qualityand making PRTL valued and
  achievable

44
References/Resources

• NCB (Sept 2006) Findings from the consultations
  with young people for the Childrens Workforce
  Development Council (CWDC) and the Options for
  Excellence Review
• Scottish Executive (2005) Changing Lives Report
  of the 21st Century Scottish Social Work Review
• DH/DfES (2006) Options for Excellence Building
  the Social Care Workforce of the Future
• ADSS Cymru (2005) Social Work in Wales A
  Profession to Value
• Dominelli L (1996) Deprofessionalizing Social
  Work anti-oppressive practice, competencies and
  post-modernism, British Journal of Social Work,
  Vol 26, Issue 2, pp 153-175
• Orme J (2001) Regulation or Fragmentation?
  Directions for Social Work under New Labour,
  British Journal of Social Work, 31, 611-624
• GSCC (2007) Roles and Tasks of Social Work -
  Consultation
• References

45
References/resources (contd)

• Care Council for Wales Post Registration Training
  and Learning Requirements for Registered Social
  Care Workers
• Northern Ireland Social Care Council Post
  Registration Training and Learning Requirements
  for Registered Social Care Workers Part One -
  Guidance
• Scottish Social Services Council Registration
  Rules (2006B)
• General Social Care Council, (2006) Post
  Registration Training and Learning (PRTL)
  requirements for social worker Advice Guidance
  on good practice and GSCC Registration Rules
  (2003, and amended 2005)