Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve the quality of social workers.

The Government is committed to continuing the existing social work reform programme. This includes taking forward work from Professor David Croisdale-Appleby and Professor Sir Martin Narey’s reviews of social work education (published in 2013).

In support of developing the social work profession, the Government is currently in the process of establishing “Teaching Partnerships” which are intended to give employers a much stronger say in what is taught on social work courses. Teaching Partnerships will also ensure social workers have the most up to date skills needed to provide support to the most vulnerable in our society.

Further investment is also being made in the area of support and delivery of social work entry and induction programmes - Frontline, Step Up, Think Ahead and the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment. These programmes are designed to attract the best graduates into social work and giving them access to high quality training.