The Professional Capabilities Framework and contemporary debates: Implications for social work education in England

Martyn Higgins

doi:10.1921/jpts.v15i1.1116

Authors

Martyn Higgins South Bank University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1921/jpts.v15i1.1116

Abstract

Abstract: The social work reform agenda sought to transform social work education. The aim was to make qualifying social work education effective at producing social workers fit for practice. A number of reforms have been implemented. These include among others the Professional Capabilities Framework. This framework provides a single set of standards for all social workers from initial qualification to advanced practice. The problem for social work reform and the Professional Capabilities Framework is that elements of the reform remain contested. Despite the implementation of the reforms in 2013 differences continue to exist about the nature and purpose of social work. The key message of this paper is that reconfiguring the Professional Capabilities Framework within Sen’s capabilities or human development approach will provide social work education with a more comprehensive foundation with which to engage effectively with contemporary debates about social work education.

Keywords: professional capabilities framework; Sen; Naussbaum; capabilities approach; human development model

Author Biography

Martyn Higgins, South Bank University

Associate Professor, School of Health and Social Care

References

Althusser, L. (1971) Lenin and philosophy and other essays. London: New Left Books

The Association of Professors of Social Work and the Joint University Council Social Work Education Committee (2014) Response to knowledge and skills for child and family social work consultation. Available at: http://files.site-fusion.co.uk/webfusion107868/file/revisedstatementknowledgeandskillsdocxjointfinal.pdf Accessed: 22/11/14

Babic, B. (2010) The capability approach as a framework for the evaluation of child and youth care, European Journal of Social Work, 13, 3, 409-413

Banks, S. and Gallagher, A. (2009) Ethics in professional life. Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke

Burgess, H., Barcham. C. and Kearney, P. (2014) Response to Taylor and Bogo, ‘Perfect opportunity - perfect storm’, British Journal of Social Work pp. 1-5. doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcu029

The College of Social Work (2012) Assessing practice using the Professional Capabilities Framework. Available at: http://www.tcsw.org.uk/uploadedFiles/TheCollege/Resources/Assessing%20practice%20using%20the%20PCF%20guidance%20Oct12(3).pdf Accessed: 14/11/14

The College of Social Work (2014) A Statement from the Professional Assembly Available at: www.tcsw.org.uk/.../TheCollege/.../EducationReviewStatementJuly2014... Accessed: 22/11/14

Croisdale-Appleby, D. (2014) Re-visioning social work education. An independent review. London: Department of Health

Department for Education (2014) Knowledge and skills for child and family social work. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/338718/140730_Knowledge_and_skills_statement_final_version_AS_RH_Checked.pdf Accessed: 11/11/14

Department of Health (2002) Requirements for social work training. London: Department of Health

Department of Health (2012) Transforming care: A national response to Winterbourne View Hospital: Department of Health Review Final Report. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/213215/final-report.pdf Accessed: 31/10/14

Department of Health (2015) Knowledge and Skills Statement for Social Workers in Adult Services. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/411957/KSS.pdf Accessed: 27/05/15

Dickens, J. and Masson, J. (2014) The courts and child protection social work in England: tail wags dog? British Journal of Social Work, Advance Access published December 9, pp. 1–17 doi:10.1093/bjs

Doel, M., Allmark, P.,Conway,C., Cowburn, M., Flynn, M., Nelson, P. and Tod, A, (2010) Professional boundaries: crossing a line or entering the shadows? British Journal of Social Work, 40, pp. 1866-1889. Advance Access publication October 14, 2009

Eraut, M. (1994) Developing professional knowledge and competence. London: RoutledgeFalmer

Fairclough, N. (2000) New Labour, new language? London: Routledge

Featherstone, B., White, S. and Morris, K. (2014) Re-imagining child protection. Towards humane social work with families. Policy Press: Bristol

Forrester, D., McCambridge, J., Waissbein, C., and Rollnick, S. (2008) How do child and family social workers talk to parents about child welfare concerns? Child Abuse Review, 17, 23-35

Freire, P. (1974) Education for critical consciousness. London: Continuum

Gilbert, N., Parton, N. and Skivens, M. (Eds) (2011) Child protection systems: international trends and orientations. New York: Oxford University Press

Giroux, H., A., (2011) On critical pedagogy. London: Continuum Publishing Group

Gupta, A., Featherstone, B. and White, S. (2014) Reclaiming humanity: from capacities to capabilities in understanding parenting in a adversity, British Journal of Social Work. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcu137 First published online: November 23, 2014

Hadot, P. (1995) Philosophy as a way of life. Oxford: Blackwell

Haringey Local Safeguarding Board (2009) Serious case review: baby Peter. Executive summary. Available at: http://www.haringeylscb.org/executive_summary_peter_final.pdf Accessed: 12/09/12

Higgins, M. (2013) The dilemmas of contemporary social work: a case study of the social work degree. A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of London South Bank University for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. July 2013

Higgins, M. (2015) How has the Professional Capabilities Framework changed social work education and practice in England? British Journal of Social Work, doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcv018

Higgins, M., Goodyer, A. and Whittaker, A. (2015) Can a Munro-inspired approach transform the lives of looked after children in England? Social Work Education. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2014.999658

Horder, W.M. and Kelly, J. (2001) The how and why: competencies and holistic practice, Social Work Education, 20, 6, 689-699

International Federation of Social Workers (2014) Global definition of Social Work. Available at: http://ifsw.org/policies/definition-of-social-work/ Accessed: 27/03/15

Jay, A. (2014) Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham 1997 – 2013. Available at: http://www.rotherham.gov.uk/downloads/file/1407/independent_inquiry_cse_in_rotherham Accessed 31/10/14

Lum G. (2004) On the non-discursive nature of competence, Educational Philosophy and Theory, 36 ,5, 485-496

MacAlister, J. with Crehan, L. and Olsen, A. (2012) Front line: Improving the children’s social work profession. Available at: http://www.nccesb.org.uk/pdfs/publication-frontline-childrens-social-work_Oct2012_9705.pdf Accessed: 20/10/12

McGhee, J. and Waterhouse, L. (2011) Locked out of prevention? The identity of child and family-oriented social work in Scottish post-devolution policy, British Journal of Social Work, 41, pp. 1088–1104 doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcq121 Advance Access publication November 15, 2010

Moriarty, J. and Manthorpe, J. (2013) Shared expectations? Reforming the social work qualifying curriculum in England, Social Work Education, 32,, 7, 841-853

Munro, E. (2011) Review of Child Protection: Final Report. Available at: http://www.education.gov.uk/munroreview/ Accessed 22/07/11

Munro, E. (2012) Progress report: moving towards a child centred service. London: Department for Education

Narey, M. (2014) Making the education of social workers consistently effective. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/278741/Social_worker_education_report.PDF Accessed 01/03/14

National Occupational Standards for Social Work (2002) Available at: http://www.winchester.ac.uk/academicdepartments/Interprofessionalstudies/undergraduate_courses/social_work/Documents/GSCCNationalOccupationalStandardsforSocialWork.pdf Accessed: 16/11/14

Nussbaum, M.,C. (2006) Education and democratic citizenship: capabilities and quality education, Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 7, 3, 385-395

Nussbaum, M., C. (2011) Creating capabilities, the human development approach. London: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press

Orme, J., Macintyre, G., Green Lister, P., Cavanagh, K., Crisp, B., R., Hussein, S., Manthorpe, J., Moriarty, J., Sharpe, E. and Stevens, M. (2009) What (a) difference a degree makes: the evaluation of the new social work degree in England, British Journal of Social Work, 39, 161-178

Otto, H. U. and Ziegler, H. (2006) Capabilities and education, Social Work and Society, 4, 2, 269-287

Pinkerton, J. and Campbell, J. (2013) Editorial, British Journal of Social Work, 43, 5, pp. 827-832

Preston-Shoot, M. (2004) Responding by degrees: surveying the education and practice landscape, Social Work Education, 23, 6, 667-692

Preston-Shoot, M. (2012) The secret curriculum, Ethics and Social Welfare, 6. 2. 18-36

Price, J. (2004) Educating the healthcare professional for capability, in: Kernick, D, (ed) Complexity and healthcare organisation. Oxford: Radcliffe Medical Press

Quality Assurance Agency (2008) Benchmark statement for social work. Available at: http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/socialwork08.pdf Accessed: 27/07/12

Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (2001) The capable practitioner report. Available at: http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/pdfs/the_capable_practitioner.pdf Accessed: 15/11/14

Sen, A. (1993) Capability and well-being, in: Nussbaum, N. and Sen, A. (Eds) The quality of life. New York: Oxford Clarendon Press

Shulman, L. S. (2005). Signature pedagogies in the professions, Daedalus, 134, 3, 52-59

Simpson, G. (2014) Social workers affecting social policy in England, in: Gal, J. and Weiss-Gal, I. (eds) Social workers affecting social policy. Bristol: Policy Press

Social Work Reform Board (2010) Building a safe and confident future: One year on. Detailed proposals from the Social Work Reform Board. Available at: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DFE-00602-2010 Accessed: 18/10/12

Social Work Reform Board (2011) Building a safe and confident future: Improving the quality and consistency of initial qualifying social work education and training. Available at: http://www.collegeofsocialwork.org/uploadedFiles/TheCollege/Practice/Improving%20the%20quality%20and%20consistency%20of%20initial%20qualifying%20social%20work%20education%20and%20training.pdf Accessed 06/12/12

Social Work Task Force (2009) Building a safe, confident future: the final report of the Social Work Task Force. Available at: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/01114-2009DOM-EN.pdf Accessed: 09/06/12

Stephenson, J. (1998) The concept of capability and its importance in higher education, in: Stephenson, J. and Yorke, M. (eds) Capability and quality in higher education. Abingdon: Kogan Press

Taylor, I. and Bogo, M. (2013) Perfect opportunity: perfect storm? Raising the standards of social work education in England, British Journal of Social Work, pp.1-17, doi:10.1093/bjsw/bct077

Tew, J. (2013) Recovery capital: what enables a sustainable recovery from mental health difficulties? European Journal of Social Work, 16, 3, 360-374

Thomas, J., & Holland, S. (2010). Representing children’s identities in core assessments. British Journal of Social Work, 40, 2617-2633

Wayne, J., Bogo, M., & Raskin, M. (2010). Field education as the signature pedagogy of social work education: congruence and disparity, Journal of Social Work Education, 46, 327-339

Wood, D. and Deprez, L, S. (2012) Teaching for human well-being: curricular implications for the capability approach, Journal of Human Development and Capabilities: A Multi-Disciplinary Journal for People-Centered Development, 13, 3, 471-493

Wolff, R., Biesel, K. and Heinitz, S. (2011) Child protection in an age of uncertainty: Germany’s response, in: Gilbert, N., Parton, N. and Skivens, M. (eds) (2011) Child protection systems: international trends and orientations. New York: Oxford University Press

Younghusband E L (1959) Report of the Working Party on Social Workers in the Local Authority Health and Welfare Services. London: HMSO