Consultation opens on 2018 refresh of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF)

The first look of BASW’s refresh of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) was welcomed in February 2018 at a launch event in London attended by a range of leading individuals and organisations from across the social work sector. 

Consultation closed

A consultation on the final draft of proposed changes to the ‘fan’ graphic, domains, level descriptors has now closed.

The PCF Refresh

The refresh is an ongoing joint effort across key stakeholders and representative organisations in social work in England. BASW is the custodian of the PCF and is coordinating the work.

The new form sees the PCF Fan – essentially a route map for professional standards and social work career progression – updated to include three new leading principals:

Purpose: Why we do what we do as social workers, our values and ethics, and how we approach our work

Practice: What we do-the specific skills, knowledge, interventions and critical analytic abilities we develop to act and do social work

Impact: How we make a difference. Our ability to bring about change through our practice, through our leadership, through understanding our context and through our overall professionalism

For social workers the new PCF stands alongside the Knowledge Skills and Statements (KSS), which together provide the foundation for social work education and practice in England at qualifying and post-qualifying levels and are shaped to inform recruitment, workforce development, performance appraisal and career progression.

A new PCF with the updated Fan, background information and an overview is available to view here.

A joint statement between BASW CEO Dr Ruth Allen and the two Chief Social Workers for England, Lyn Romeo and Isabelle Trowler, which describes the relationship between the PCF and KSS and how the same principals and guidance interweave between the two is available here.

The launch of the PCF is the end of the beginning stage and therefore we want to hear from you about the changes described in this document, so this refresh can be finalised with direct input from the profession.

BASW would like to thank the following for contribution and leadership input to this review: Skills for Care Skills for Care, Shaping Our Lives, Local Government Association, Principal Social Worker Networks – adults and children, Association of Directors of Adults Social Services, Association of Directors of Children’s Services, Department for Education and Chief Social Worker for Children and Families, Department for Health and Social Care and Chief Social Worker for Adults, Social Workers Union, Joint Universities Council for Social Work Education Committee, Association of Professors of Social Work, BASW Policy, Practice and Education Groups.

What happens next?

After the consultation closes, in conjunction with the Steering Group members and other key stakeholders from across the sector and experts by experience organisations, a final version of the above will be published.  In conjunction, the detailed level descriptors, capabilities statements for each domain and level, and the level progression statements will be reviewed and refreshed in response to the agreed changes made to the higher-level architecture.  The aim will be to make as few changes as possible to existing text to provide continuity while refreshing and improving the language and concepts.

A final ‘plain English’ and expert by experience review on language will be undertaken. If needed, a plain English/easy read version will be produced separately.