Today marks another milestone on our journey to improving training, support and the overall quality of social work in this country. Our consultation on the knowledge and skills statement (KSS) for social workers working in adult social care is now open and I’d like to take this opportunity to explain why your contributions are vital.
![Lyn Romeo: "The [consultation] aims to support social workers and employers in ensuring social workers are clear about the range of knowledge and breadth of skills they need to undertake social work role in a statutory adult social care setting."](https://lynromeo.blog.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/70/2014/10/consultation-word-cloud-310x144.jpg)
This builds upon work already undertaken with the sector to map knowledge and skills using the Professional Capabilities Framework. The mapping will be refined and then circulated in light of the consultation feedback.
The core skills and knowledge for all social workers are of course relevant and essential to whatever setting and responsibilities they are undertaking to support and enable people to achieve best outcomes.
It’s my belief this means:
- Solid, well-grounded understanding of human development and relationships,
- communication and engagement skills in building effective relationships with individuals, families and communities,
- problem solving,
- critical thinking,
- assessment and evidence based intervention skills,
and; - working alongside people and their carers to respect diversity and use leadership and advocacy skills to make a difference.
Social workers in adult social care have sustained a focus on our core values of promoting independence, choice and control for the people and carers they work with amidst significant periods of change in the health, social care and local government landscape.
The Care Act and the Mental Capacity Act have been informed by - and engender - social work values and good practice. It is vital we continue to improve the quality of social work and professional practice leadership, particularly in in the context of personalised, integrated, outcome-focused requirements.
I hope all of you working as - or with - social workers take the opportunity to respond to this consultation. Your input and feedback will ensure we get it right for the sector and most importantly, for the people who use our services now and in the future.
The consultation is open now until 12 December 2014.
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