What's Changing in Social Work and Social Work Education?

An information pack prepared by the University of Bedfordshire and partner agencies to provide headlines on key developments

Social work and social work education are undergoing change as a suite of reforms recommended by the Social Work Task Force and further developed by the Social Work Reform Board take effect. At the same time the Health and Care professions Council (HCPC) has become the new regulator for social work and a new professional body - The College of Social Work (TCSW) has been established.

The reforms were developed by listening to and working with social workers, social work students, employers, universities, people who use services and carers and researchers over a 2 year period with the aim of improving practice and raising the profile of the profession. They affect all social workers and social work students.

Some people will be more aware of these reforms than others. This pack has been prepared by the University of Bedfordshire in discussion with our partner agencies and provides headlines on key developments together with a number of links so that you can read more detail about those areas which are of particular interest to you.

• The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) – The New Regulator
• The College of Social Work (TCSW) – The Newly Established Professional Body
• The Professional Capabilities Framework - A Framework for All Social Workers to Support Learning, Progression and Development throughout Their Career
• Strengthening Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Employer Standards
• Strengthened Partnership Arrangements between HEIs and Employers
• Changes to Design and Delivery of the Social Work Degree
• Practice Learning and the Role of Practice Educators
• Working with people who Use Services and Carers
• The Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE)
• Next Steps