This standard is about developing a strategic vision and ensuring professional leadership for the social work service. This vision and leadership should provide a strong framework, with a clear understanding about the principles that constitute good social work practice and how those principles function. This overarching framework should encompass all eight of the employer standards.
Empowering the social work service with professional leadership
Employers should:
- ensure the social work service has professional leadership which feeds into organisation wide strategy and planning
- assign responsibility to and support the PSW to understand and manage the organisational responsibility for upholding the employer standards
- ensure that the PSW has the necessary support and infrastructure to promote and develop best practice
- ensure the PSW has means to report concerns or barriers to good social work directly to senior leaders
- promote understanding about the unique and complex role of social work and promote active engagement with partners, politicians, the public, and practitioners across all public services such as schools, the NHS, and the police.
Providing a strong and clear social work framework
Employers should:
- develop, maintain and regularly review a statement setting out the purpose, vision, values and outcomes sought for social work in the organisation
- establish and communicate a clear model for social work practice based on evidence of what works
- ensure the model considers issues such as balancing strengths, needs and uncertainty and how social workers are supported to exercise professional judgement and creativity in line with Social Work England’s professional standards
- ensure the model aligns with other frameworks and guidance across the sector (e.g. DfE and DHSC post qualifying standards, Children's Social Care National Framework, Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) | BASW and Quality assurance in practice learning (QAPL) | BASW)
- ensure the approach is shared with, discussed and understood by partner organisations and by people who use the services
- set clear expectations and guidance for the use of digital tools, such as Developing digital skills and practice and government published: Responsible AI Toolkit - GOV.UK.
Committing to continuous improvement and learning
Employers should:
- ensure that the organisation’s social work framework is regularly reviewed with its workforce and with those who use its service
- Ensure the framework is reflective of the current operating context, including the increase in flexible and hybrid working patterns
- develop and uphold a culture of learning and accountability through high support and high challenge that encourages a safe place for reflection and continual improvement
- put in place a system to gather, collate, analyse and act upon the views of children, families and adults who experience social work intervention so that learning and feedback about impact and outcomes informs continuous development, refinement and improvement of practice and services
- ensure that mechanisms are in place to listen to and respond to the views of the workforce on a regular basis, such as working with recognised trade unions to encourage staff to engage in consultations and address findings jointly
- ensure that systems are in place so that regular performance data (qualitative and quantitative), learning from case audit, peer review and inspection are considered and acted upon.