Options for Excellence
Local Authority
Circular (SPS07_80) ICT Capital Grant for Mobile Technology to Support
Children's Social Workers: 2007-08 (Revised 15 November
2007)
A new version of the capital grant form needs to submitted to
the Department for Children, Schools and Families by 31 July
2007.
Options
for Excellence Final Report: Building the Social Care Workforce of the
Future (October 2006)
Options
for Excellence Leaflet
Background information on why the review was undertaken with a brief
overview of the findings.
Further resources are available below.
The final report of the Options for Excellence review set out a vision of the social care workforce up to 2020. We have drafted an implementation plan for the report's recommendations which is being monitored through the Every Child Matters programme arrangements and steered by a cross-government project board.
Some of the early actions contained in the final report are already underway and will be completed in 2007-08, including the following:
- Code of practice on international recruitment
- Charter for continuing professional development
- Definition of the role of social workers
- Revised recruitment campaign for 2007-08
Options for Excellence also proposed capital investment to support employers in making investments in mobile ICT infrastructure. Parmjit Danda, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, has announced £13 million to support this programme. The money will increase investment in equipment such as laptops and handheld computers for children's social workers.
This investment will help to improve business processes, making workload management more flexible. The aim is to allow social workers to spend more time with vulnerable children. Further guidance on the grant is available in Local Authority Circular (SPS07_80) which is available below.
Further documents
Roles
and Tasks for Social Work in England - Consultation (General
Social Care Council website)
We have commissioned the General Social Care Council to produce a
statement describing the roles and tasks of social work in England.
Children's
Consultation
The National Children's Bureau (NCB) were commissioned to undertake a
literature review and consultation on what children and young people think of
social care worker; specifically social workers and foster carers.
Interim
Findings of the Evaluation of the New Social Work Degree
The findings in this document are based on analysis of very early stage
data and should be understood as 'indicative' only.
The
Quality Framework
The framework sets out the key components for assuring quality and for
promoting good practice, placing workforce competence and knowledge at the
heart of the framework.
The
Economics of Social Care and the Social Care Workforce
This paper examines the demand for social care services and how the
population values social care; why the government becomes involved in the
regulation, supply and direct provision of social care, as well as the case for
investment in the social care workforce.
User
and Carer Consultation
The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) was commissioned to consult
with service users and carers on the key themes addressed within the Options
for Excellence Review.
The
Tasks and Roles of Social Workers
During 2006 the Thomas Coram Research Unit (TCRU) was asked to provide, an
overview of relevant research and data in three main areas: the effective
deployment of social worker time and tasks, improving cross-professional
working, and attitudes to take-up of post-qualifying qualifications.
Social
Work Definition (Background to Consultation document)
As part of the review, the General Social Care Council (GSCC) has been
commissioned to produce an authoritative statement about the purpose, value,
role and contribution of social work in the context of the government's
policies for social care for adults, children and families.
Task group reports
During the review, task groups reported to the Options for Excellence
review board on three key areas. A selection of the summary
reports, presented to the board on 22 March 2006, is available
below:
Task
Group 1 - Quality of Practice
Task Group 1's summary on quality of practice in social work and
social care.
Task
group 2 - Increasing the Supply of Workers
Task Group 2's summary on increasing the supply of qualified social workers
and social care workers.
Task
Group 3 - Role of Social Work and Post-qualification Training
Task Group 3's summary on developing the evidence base around the role
and functions of social work and the provision of post-qualification
training.
This page was last updated on 15 November 2007
