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News
December 2009
Announcement of the Social Workers’ Educational Trust Research Awards in 2010
For 2010, the Trust invites applications from qualified and experienced social workers planning to undertake a study/research project in the following areas:
S.W.E.T. RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP
£1,500 for an investigation into inter-professional or multi-agency practice
ANNE CUMMINS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
£1,500 for a study/research project on health related social work.
Applicants should complete the Trust’s scholarship application form, and include a proposal of not more than 500 words, setting out the aims, estimated costs, time-scale and intended outcomes/benefits of the research project
Application forms can be obtained from
The Hon. Secretary,
Social Workers’ Educational Trust
BASW,
16 Kent Street,
Birmingham
B5 6RD
The completed form with proposal must reach the above address by the 17th May 2010
June/July 2009
Next SWET meeting: 5th October 2009.
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Connecting children’s and adult mental health services: A lifespan perspective - Friday 3rd July 2009
Now in its third year the National Mental Health Social Work CPD conference is being held Friday 3rd July 2009 10.00am – 4.45pm Waterloo Campus, King’s College London, SE1.
Organised by the Institute of Psychiatry (King’s College London) and Making Research Count you will have the opportunity to hear about the latest research and practice and join in the debate about the future direction of mental health social work.
The secondment of adult mental health social workers into NHS trusts and the separation of children and adult social services has increased the gulf between children’s and adults’
practitioners. At a time of increased media attention on the profession, now is an opportune moment to reflect on an enduring strength of social work – its holistic approach to children, adults, families and communities.
Parallel workshops will explore research and practice in the following areas:
Early intervention in psychosis
Approved Mental Health Professional training
Effective social work practice with children & adults
Practitioner research
Stigma and discrimination
Assessments of children
Working with men sexually abused in childhood
Social capital and social work
Learning disabilities and self-harm
User involvement and inter-professional working
International social work
Case consultation - live!
Speakers include:
Prof Jill Manthorpe (Professor of Social Work, King’s College London): Personalisation and mental health services
Prof Michael Sheppard (Professor of Social Work, University of Plymouth): The significance of service user coping to practice
Dr Mike Slade (Reader in Health Services Research, Institute of Psychiatry): Recovery: A challenge for all mental health professionals
The Panel Debate will be charied by David Brindle (The Guardian) and includes:
Julie Jones (Chief Executive, Social Care Institute for Excellence)
Geoff Skinner (Westminster City Council)
James Blewett (Making Research Count)
Further details and the booking information are available from
http://www.iop.kcl.ac.uk/events/?id=737
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February 2009
GSCC calls for compulsory post-qualifying awards.
The General Social Care Council has called for a system where all social workers receive a specialist post-qualifying award early in their career to ensure that the learning from their degree is consolidated in practice.
Recommendations include:
• the development of national standards for post-qualifying training in safeguarding for adults and children;
• simplification of the funding arrangements to Higher Educational Institutions, and the linking of funding to quality standards;
• the development of a workforce model to ensure the right number of social workers are being trained in the right regions; and
• further research into the declining number of men entering social work, and the poor progression rates amongst some black and minority ethnic students
• a new forensic social work award
Rosie Varley, Chair of the GSCC, said: “Tragedies such as the death of Baby P and other recent cases remind us how immensely challenging the role of a social worker is. We need to attract the best people into the profession, with a diverse workforce that reflects the society we live in.
As well as attracting the best people, our social workers need to have the very best training right throughout their careers. That is why we are reviewing whether we have the right powers to robustly inspect social work degree courses. We also believe there needs to be the creation of national standards for on the job safeguarding training and stronger requirements for employers to commit to good quality on-going training for social workers.”
There is a useful article which includes an interview with Mike Wardle Chief Executive GSCC in Community Care
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November 2008
Dates of Next Meetings Last date for grant applications
3rd February 2009 2nd January 2009
9th June 2009 8th May 2009
GRANTS
The number of applications received has remained at a strong level and 40 grants were awarded in the last year. Most applicants were seeking further academic qualifications, now often combined with post-qualifying awards in social work. Three grants were made for Doctorates and twenty-five for Masters in a wide range of relevant areas, with mental health, systemic therapy and professional education and training being the most common topics. In addition, there continues to be a demand for assistance with more specialist areas such as drama therapy, international social work and ethics in social welfare.
Trustees very much value the feedback that we get from those who complete their studies. Well done to you all!
TRUSTEES
We are delighted to announce the appointment of a number of new trustees. The current trustees of the Social Workers Educational Trust are listed below:
Brenda Toward - Chair
Rai Patterson - Vice Chair
Paul Argile - Honorary Treasurer
Shirley Ayres
Terry Cooper
Elizabeth O'Dell
Carolyn Holmes
Catherine Poulter
Julia Porter
Bridget Robb - BASW Representative
Gill Aslett - Honorary Secretary
2008 SCHOLARSHIPS
Two scholarships of £1,5000 each have been awarded this year - the Anne Cummins award for research into health-related social work was given to Juliet Sserunkuma for a study titled "Is closer working with Health or multidisciplinary working enhancing or hindering professional Social Work?"
The SWET scholarship for research into inter-professional work was awarded to Phillippa Kelly, for a study titled "How does policy implementation affect workers and their practice across social service settings in a London borough: a mixed methods survey."
We wish them well in their studies and look forward to publishing a summary of their research findings.
Launch of new e-Learning short course.
Research methods and critical appraisal for social workers
E-learning is a flexible and affordable way to undertake continuing professional development.
The research methods and critical appraisal for social workers course offered by the Institute of Psychiatry uses new technology to teach evidence-based practice skills to practitioners. It is also an accessible introduction to studying for a Masters degree and can fit around work, home and life commitments.
This course develops skills in reading, appraising and disseminating findings from empirical research papers. It equips staff with the skills to become an evidence-based practitioner and to take a lead interpreting research findings for day-to-day practice. This course is taught using e-learning and allows staff to study alongside their full-time employment. The course lasts for 16 weeks and is supported by an e-learning tutor.
This course is the e-learning version of a module of the MSc in Mental Health Social Work with Children & Adults, a programme accredited at the advanced level in the post-qualifying framework by the General Social Care Council. It provides 30 credits at masters level and at higher specialist or advanced level in the post-qualifying framework for social work. Students can progress to the full Masters degree on successful completion of this course.
Whilst the course has been designed for social workers, the learning has a broader application and staff working in allied professional are welcome to apply.
Further information: www.iop.kcl.ac.uk/sites/rmca/?id=155
May 2007
Be Inspired!
The Be Inspired! Conference was a resounding success, according to those who attended. Held on 25th April at the City Conference Centre Moorgate London, this unique conference aimed to inspire, motivate and engage social workers, service users and carers by celebrating the best in social work practice.
It was the first conference:
organised by the Trust
with the theme of inspiring social workers
that explored the common ground between social workers and social enterprise
to showcase practitioner research as a driver for promoting best practice
Following requests, the speakers and workshop presentations are available by
clicking here to download the programme for this exciting event with hyperlinks to each presentation.
Highlights included:
Where does inspiration come from? Shirley Ayres
Transforming society; a new partnership between people who use services and social workers Simon Duffy
Developing the evidence base for social work; the importance of practitioner research Martin Webber
Showcasing practitioner research
1. Dave Pitcher - See the presentation
2. Karin Slack - See the presentation
3. Sally Mendham - See the presentation
4. Shirley Williams - See the presentation
5. Catherine Poulter - See the presentation
What values are important to a social entrepreneur? Jason Pegler
What inspires you in social work? Owen Davies
A society without values has no values David Brindle (chair)
See the staff
October 2006
Be Inspired! Social work literary influences
The account of one of the most series cases of child abuse in America, Oliver Twist and top authors such as George Orwell and John Steinbeck are among the literary works, which influenced many people across the UK to pursue a career in social work.
The summer survey for the Social Workers Educational Trust of 300 social care professionals in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has uncovered a rich and diverse range of literary influences.
Top of the list of fiction was George Orwell's "Down and Out in Paris & London" and "The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist", the 1914 novel by Robert Tresswell about the struggles of a group of plasterers and decorators which captures the flavour of working life and how capitalism operates in the workplace.
Dave Pelzer's account of his childhood abuse by his mother and his survival after being rescued at the age of 12, detailed in his autobiographical account "A Child Called It" was among the most influential non-fiction works to have steered many into considering social work as a career.
Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates, a collection of papers written by Erving Goffman in 1961 about people living in what Goffman referred to as 'total institutions' such as mental hospitals and boarding schools, also decided the career path for most social workers.
The qualitative study is believed to be the first time a social work organisation has captured the diverse range of books, authors and literary characters that have contributed to social work practice.
Entitled "Be Inspired!" the online survey canvassed views from social workers across all four UK countries. Leading figures in social work including Lynne Berry, chief executive of the General Social Care Council; Anthony Douglas chief executive of CAFCASS; Andrea Rowe, chief executive of Skills for Care; Ian Johnston, director of BASW; Neelam Bhardwaja, the first Asian woman director of social services, and social work academic Michael Preston-Shoot were amongst the hundreds of respondents.
For Andrea Rowe, "The Growth of Self Esteem" by Murphy and Moriarty was instrumental in paving the way for a new approach to youth offending. "It gave me the grounding in 'normal' child development and led to me viewing young adult offenders as people with arrested development who needed safe opportunities to develop self esteem through play. Without this I would not have had the confidence to lead the Alternatives to Custody that I did."
Michael Leadbetter drew early inspiration from Freud's "The interpretation of dreams" to help decide upon a social work career. He later went on to become president of the Association of Directors of Social Services. "I was always intrigued by what people did, why, the choices taken, the choices not taken. I had also been 'written off' by various teachers. Having failed the 11 plus badly, I left secondary modern school, without any qualifications - under something of a cloud.
"In contrast to my brother 12 years older who had always been top of the class and had a PhD in chemistry and physics by his mid-20s. What had happened in my childhood that caused this, or was it, simply that I was just not terribly bright! I wanted to find out. Hence I read widely Freud, Oswald Schwartz, Jung, Maslow and latterly the work of Eric Bearn and Transactional Analysis."
SWET Summer Survey - Top Fiction and Non Fiction Books
FICTION
| Book Title |
Author |
| 1. Down & Out in Paris and London |
George Orwell |
| 2. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist |
Robert Tresswell |
| 3. To Kill a Mockingbird |
Harper Lee |
| 4. Skallagrigg |
William Horwood |
| 5. Kate & Emma |
Monica Dickens |
| 6. The Grapes of Wrath |
John Steinbeck |
| 7. I Never Promised You a Rose Garden |
Joanne Greenberg |
| 8. Kes |
Ken Loach |
| 9. Oliver Twist |
Charles Dickens |
| 10. The Colour Purple |
Alice Walker |
| 11. The curious incident of the dog
in the night-time |
Mark Haddon |
| 12. The Golden Notebook |
Doris Lessing |
NON-FICTION
| Book Title |
Author |
| 1. Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation
of Mental Patients and Other Inmates |
Erving Goffman |
| 2. A Child Called It |
Dave Pelzer |
| 3. A child's Journey Through Placement |
Vera Fahlberg |
| 4. Dibs - in search of self |
Virginia Axline |
| 5. Social Work Practice |
Veronica Coulshed |
| 6. The Client Speaks: Working Class
Impressions of Casework |
Noel Timms & John E Mayer |
| 7. The Casework Relationship |
Felix P. Biestek |
| 8. The Skilled Helper: a systematic
approach to helping |
Gerard Egan |
| 9. Zen in the Art of Helping |
David Brandon |
| 10. Bury Me in My Boots |
Sally Trench |
| 11. Understanding Social Work: Preparing
for Practice |
Neil Thompson |
| 12. Games People Play: The Psychology
of Human Relationships |
Eric Berne |
| 13. Rules for Radicals |
Saul Alinksy |
Grants Awarded
In October 15 grants were awarded totalling £5,500. Most of these went to social work practitioners undertaking the post qualifying or advanced awards. Often these were also linked to academic awards such as an MA.
Social Workers Educational Trust 2006- Special Award
The Trustees decided to make a special award of £1000.This award will support the publication and free distribution of a book, which has been written by a social worker about her experiences of abuse in childhood.
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The Social Workers’ Educational Trust. Registered Charity Number 313789
Correspondence should be addressed to:
The Honorary Secretary, Social Workers’ Educational Trust
BASW, 16 Kent Street, Birmingham, B5 6RD
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