National Occupational Standards for Social Work
Introduction
The National Occupational Standards for Social Work were developed jointly with Northern Ireland Social Care Council, Scottish Social Services Council and TOPSS England. The consultation exercise in Wales included people who use services, carers, employers, practitioners, government officials, representatives from further and higher education and from professional bodies. The Care Council for Wales agreed the standards in March 2002. The standards were approved by the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in June 2002.
The document contains:
- The Care Council for Wales Codes of Practice for Social Care Workers and Employers.
- A statement of expectations from individuals, families, carers, groups and communities who use services and those who care for them.
- The national occupational standards for social work.
Alongside other uses, the standards in this document will be used to underpin a new social work qualification that is at degree level.
Review of the NOS for Social Work
These NOS are currently being reviewed in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. We would like to involve employers, practitioners, service users, carers, practice assessors and others concerned with the delivery of the degree programme to take part in a series of workshops that will take place across Wales. The workshops will be delivered in two sets, the first will take place in January and the second in March, each set will hold events in North and South Wales.
The initial workshops will focus on reviewing the current suite of NOS for social work considering whether they accurately reflect the role of the social worker, cover areas required and sufficiently define social work tasks. The workshops will also be used to explore the application of NOS during the first two years in practice and their link to the proposed Continuing Professional Education and Learning (CPEL) Framework for Social Workers. In addition, they will aim to establish whether the NOS are specific to social workers or can be used to underpin practice within other roles across health and social care.
If you would like to contribute to the review of the NOS for Social Work complete our online survey or go to the News and Events page for details of the workshops