Social work not mentioned in Scotland's National Care Service bill

A bill introducing plans to create a National Care Service in Scotland has been criticised by the Scottish Association of Social Work for failing to mention social work.

The National Care Service (Scotland) Bill currently going through the Scottish Parliament represents a major once-in-a-generation reform of social care.

However, Social Work Scotland recently called for a pause in the bill’s progress claiming it does not “address the systematic underfunding of social work and social care”.

And in its submission to a consultation on the bill, SASW has also expressed its concerns at the bill in its current form.

SASW points out: “The role of the social work profession is currently omitted from the bill.

“We would like to see explicit mention in this bill of a social work profession that is based in communities.

“The National Care Service bill must drastically reform social work into a service that proactively supports people, giving social workers autonomy to do the job they trained in and entered the profession to do.

“In its present form, there is no indication in this legislation that a National Care Service will bring about these essential changes.”

SASW said the bill is “unlikely to deliver improved quality and consistency of social work services” and “lacks sufficient detail” to determine if it will meet the ambitions of the Feeley Review into adult social care that prompted it.

The association highlighted findings of Social Work Scotland’s Setting the Bar report published earlier this year which describes a profession in crisis.

Exccessive caseloads and increasing demands on social workers is resulting in a “depleted and demoralised workforce that is only resourced to deal with crisis interventions,” SASW said.

The National Care Service is a chance to tackle this and reform social work into a universal service that is trusted by the public, added SASW.

However, it maintains th bill currently “does not provide the detail required to affirm that it can deliver these necessary elements”.

Members responding to the consultation had concern of a “top-down approach” management approach diluting professional autonomy.

Reservations were also expressed at potential increased powers being transferred to ministers and a lack of local government accountability.

SASW’s national director Alison Bavidge said: “If the role of social work isn’t included in this bill it won’t work, because you won’t get the early intervention and support that comes through social work.

“They are still seeing us as care managers and crisis interventionists. We need to get people to understand that is not the bit that social workers want to do.”