Annie Hudson, Chief Executive of the College of Social work looks forward to a lively NCAS session on social work reform .
Social work occupies extremely complex public service territory. That it must change and respond to contemporary challenges, building a confident, credible and capable profession is beyond dispute. What is more contested, however, is how we can best do this.
What are the right reform levers to help deliver excellent social work, whatever the context in which it is practised? These are just some of the issues I am looking forward to discussing at NCAS next Thursday with Isabelle Trowler, Lyn Romeo, Jo Cleary and delegates. It is set to be a lively session!
Notwithstanding very tough times, the building of strong professional leadership to complement managerial and political leadership is crucial. This requires some recasting of what it means to be a social worker and imaginative thinking about how we build social work’s ‘capital’, enabling the profession to be authoritative, skilled and purposeful.
The College of Social Work a key element of the social work reform architecture. With membership now standing at over 15,000, much has been achieved but there is much more to be done to create a professional college that provides social work with a powerful and credible voice and that supports the highest standards.
Thursday’s session on 'Social work reform: progress, opportunities and challenges' will be relevant to everyone involved in social care – whatever their role or agency. Social work has a unique contribution to make to wider change agendas across adult and children’s services and it is vital that there is open and constructive debate about expectations and ambitions for excellent social work.
Further information:
Social work reform: progress, opportunities, challenges:
Thursday 30 October 10.35 – 11.35am
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