Researching the Quality of Social Work• Consultation with 112 social workers including on professional governance

arrangements demonstrated that social workers wish to be involved in the quality assurance of their practice

• Survey of 30 London boroughs on quality assurance systems for social work showed a reliance on supervision and audits, especially of safeguarding and MCA decisions

• Review of 105 cases to determine the predictors of social work quality showed that identifying unique well-being outcomes, having a social work plan and use of knowledge and theory predict the quality of practice

Assuring the Quality of Social Work - Proposals

• The quality of social work may reliably be assured by focusing on the three predictors of good social work practice

• They are each of a different order and should each be addressed differently but they interrelate

• Identifying Unique Outcomes is a matter of judgement

• Use of Theory is a matter of professional competence

• Having and Reviewing a Social Work Plan is a matter of administrative process

The Three Predictors of Social Work Quality

Client’s Right To:Identified Unique Well-

Being or Welfare Outcomes

Client’s Right To:Applied Professional Social Work Theory

Client’s Right To: A Social Work Plan

to Achieve the Outcome

Theory Reflected in

Plan

OutcomesReflected in Plan

Theory Informs Outcomes

Client

Administrative

Judicial

Professional

The Three Elements of Social Work Quality Assurance

• Professional engagement• Quality assurance theory since the Hawthorn experiments has focussed

on engaging the workforce to achieve quality• The Bolam principle sets the legal standard of acceptability as that of a

body of opinion, not a second opinion, however senior • A consultation with 112 social workers in five London boroughs found

that social workers want to engage in their own quality assurance

The Three Elements of Social Work Quality Assurance

• Professional leadership• The consultation also found that social workers want to see

professional leadership of social work practice in their boroughs

• Professional oversight• Effective professional oversight and timely performance management is

required as a mainstream quality control activity• Supervision and audit are the principal means of professional oversight

The Three Elements of Social Work Quality Assurance

ProfessionalLeadership

Professional Engagement

ProfessionalOversight

Case ReviewsProtocols

Case SupervisionCase Audits

Professional Governance

System

Practice