Social Work Policy Panel newsletter December 2023

This month

• Notes from December’s meeting – on SDS and Social Work autonomy 
• About the Social Work Policy Panel and: give your feedback!
• Dates for your diary: March meeting

Notes from December’s meeting: SDS and Social Work autonomy

We met on 12th December to hear from Jane Kellock and Donna Murray from the Social Work Scotland Self Directed Support team. If you missed it the presentation is attached to this email.

Prior to the session we asked attendees a series of questions about Social Work and SDS. The themes included:

• A distinction between SDS training and reality.
• Overwhelming bureaucracy.
• Underfunded SDS narrows ‘choice’ but SDS properly resourced could be an effective way to deliver social work with more choice and control.
• Overly marketizes social care.
• Needs more social worker autonomy to meet personal need.

When we asked what a National Social Work Agency needed to do to ensure SDS thrives, you said:

• Support greater autonomy for social workers.
• Better funding packages.
• Eliminate markets.
• National consistency.
• Standardise training.

Jane and Donna addressed some of those issues during the presentation which were explored in a little more detail in the discussion which is summarised below:

• The review of SDS being undertaken is welcomed.
• Finance dominating the system is a significant flaw which prevents needs driven social work being exercised.
• Concerns were expressed about the unpaid time committed to SDS by social workers and carers just to make it work.
• Many were concerned about the impact on social work culture, values and principles of finance driven decisions.
• Option 1 and 2 advice can make social workers feel like gatekeepers to services that should be a right.
• Many who contributed were concerned about a general undermining of the values and principles of social work to meet financial targets, not socio-relational needs.
• The advocacy role embodied in social work is under increasing pressure.

Date for your diary: March meeting

5th March 2024, 12 – 1.00pm. Subject to be confirmed.

We look forward to talking with you soon.

About the Social Work Policy Panel

The panel exists to build bridges between frontline social workers, and the organisations and projects which develop and implement policy and practice for the profession.

It’s jointly run by the Scottish Association of Social Work, the Office of the Chief Social Work Adviser, and Social Work Scotland. 

Any social worker including, student or newly qualified social worker is welcome to join as a one-off on a particular topic of interest, or as a regular – it’s a space for you to ask questions, share your experience and views, talk to colleagues across Scotland, learn about how policy affects day-to-day practice, and develop closer links between the work you do and the future of social work. 

As a social worker, we know you’re busy and facing lots of competing pressures, so taking time out to engage with the wider issues facing social work means a lot, and you might not always find the time. That’s why we want to make the panel as meaningful to you as possible.

What you told us

We asked you what we should be covering in our future sessions and you told us:

• Workforce
• Disparities in role focus (i.e. adults vs Childrens) and rural vs urban 
• Self-Directed Support implementation

You also told us that it was important to ensure that the impact of policy on social work identity is explored in these sessions. We will ensure that we do this in all future sessions.

If there are any topics that you wish to nominate for future session, please let us know through the panel mailbox: SWPP@basw.co.uk 

You also told us that a facilitated conversation after a presentation is your preferred format for the sessions but that there are session where breakout rooms are more effective for you. We will ensure that future sessions are designed with these preferences in mind.

Free coaching service for all social workers and social work students in Scotland 

What is the Social Work Professional Support Service (SWPSS)?

• A FREE and independent peer coaching service by and for social workers
• Has an ambition to have an impact on the culture of practice enabling social workers to be able take care of yourselves
• Facilitated by experienced and trained social work coaches who volunteer their time
• Provides you with a safe and empathetic space to think through any professional and/or personal challenges you may be facing
• Offers a confidential peer to peer listening space
• Supports self-care, wellbeing and empowerment
• Funded by the Scottish Government

The service is geared to provide coaching support whether you are a student, social work practitioner or manager. We have coaches from different fields and the whole range of experiences - choose your own coach and set up a session at a time that suits you.

Social workers have used the service to talk through their career planning and development needs, the impact of the work role on their personal life/health, placements, to gain confidence, to process the experience of being bullied/racially targeted or to manage change/turbulences in the organisations they work for.