BASW ENGLAND CONFERENCE MAY 2017 THREE CREEPS THREE

BASW ENGLAND CONFERENCE MAY 2017 THREE CREEPS, THREE STEPS, THREE U-TURNS AND A CELEBRATION OF THE COLLABORATION AND COALITION OF THE COMPASSIONATE RAY JONES 1

THE THREE CREEPS 2

THE THREE CREEPS • CREEPING PRIVATISATION WHAT’S GOING ON! • CREEPING POLITICAL CONTROL OMG!! • CREEPING ANTI-PROFESSIONALISM STUFF IT!!! 3

CREEP 1 4

CREEP 1 CREEPING PRIVATISATION 5

THE NARRATIVE • PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONAL BAD – SELF-SERVING – SLUGGISH – STUCK IN THE PAST – SINK HOLE FOR PUBLIC FUNDS • PRIVATE AND PROFIT GOOD – MARKET DRIVES EFFICIENCY – MARKET DRIVES LOWER COSTS – MARKET DRIVES INNOVATION – MARKET DRIVES RESPONSIVENESS 6

OPPORTUNITY OR THREAT? 2006 AND SOCIAL WORK PRACTICES LE GRAND ANTECEDENTS – ACADEMY SCHOOLS – FOUNDATIONS HOSPITALS – INTRODUCED BY LABOUR 7

AND THEN THE UNDER-THE-RADAR UNOPPOSED STEP CHANGES 8

THE TWO 2014 STATUTORY CHILDREN’S SOCIAL WORK REGULATORY CHANGES CHANGE 1 • ANY PROVIDER • AS LONG AS THEY ARE NON-PROFIT OR MAKE THEIR PROFIT THROUGH SETTING UP A NOT-FOR-PROFIT SUBSIDIARY CHANGE 2 • WILL NOT BE REGISTERED, REGULATED OR INSPECTED 9

WHAT THIS MEANS CONTRACTING OUT WITHIN A MARKET PLACE • INTRUSION INTO FAMILIES • SINGLE ASSESSMENTS AND SECTION 47 INVESTIGATIONS • SETTING AND MANAGING CHILD IN NEED AND CHILD PROTECTION PLANS • DECISIONS WHETHER TO INITIATE CARE PROCEEDINGS • DECIDING WHERE AND WITH WHOM CHILDREN LIVE 10

WHAT THIS MEANS CONTRACTING OUT WITHIN A MARKET PLACE • ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH CONTRACT MANAGEMENT • NO TRANSARENCY OR OPENESS • NO LOCAL LEADERSHIP OR COMMUNITY COMMITMENT • COMPETITION NOT COLLABORATION • PRIMACY OF PRICE AND PROFIT • DOWNSKILLING THE WORKFORCE MIX • SELLING ON AND DISTANT OWNERSHIP • AS HAS ALREADY HAPPENED SINCE THE 1990 s FOR ADULT SOCIAL CARE 11

AND ALREADY FOR CHILDREN’S SOCIAL SERVICES • AN INCREASINGLY PRIVATISED CHILDREN’S SOCIAL WORKFORCE • THE INCREASING PREPONDERANCE OF PRIVATE FOSTER CARE AGENCIES AND PRIVATE SECTOR CHILDREN’S RESIDENTIAL CARE • THE MARGINALISATION OF THE CHILDREN’S CHARITIES • SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION? 12

THE ROUTE TO PRIVATISATION THE PROGRESS SO FAR • HOSPITALS AND HEALTH SERVICES • SCHOOLS • PUBLIC AND STATE SECURITY • POLICE • PRISONS • PROBATION AND OFFENDER MANAGEMENT • BENEFITS ASSESSMENTS • HOUSING 13

THE PLAYERS ALREADY GETTING ON THE PITCH [SEPTEMBER AND DECEMBER 2014] • G 4 S • SERCO • VIRGIN CARE • AMEY • MOUCHEL • AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR MANAGEMENT AND MARKET CONSULTANCIES LIKE KPMG AND LAING AND BUISSON 14

CREEP 2 15

CREEP 2 CREEPING POLITICAL CONTROL OF SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL WORKERS 16

2016 CHILDREN AND SOCIAL WORK BILL • WITHDRAWING STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS AND RIGHTS • A GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED SOCIAL WORK REGULATOR • WHO CAN BE SOCIAL WORKERS • WHAT WILL BE WITHIN THEIR EDUCATION • WHO WILL PROVIDE THIS EDUCATION 17

HOW FAR IT HAS TRAVELLED IN FIVE YEARS REMEMBER THE SOCIAL WORK TASK FORCE AND REFORM BOARD? • CHIEF SOCIAL WORKER X • TCSW X • PCF X • SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION X • A PUBLIC AND MEDIA VOICE FOR SOCIAL WORK X 18

CREEP 3 19

CREEP 3 ANTI-PROFESSIONALISM 20

CREEP 3 ANTI-PROFESSIONALISM • NAREY v CROISDALE-APPLEBY • TASK AND TECHNICAL FOCUS RATHER THAN VALUES - INFORMED THINKING - ACTION FOCUS • FAST TRACKED SEPARATIST TRAINING OUTSIDE OF UNIVERSITIES SHAPED BY ACCOUNTANTS AND FUNDED BY HEDGE FUNDS • GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED ACCREDITATION 21

THE IMPACT ALREADY FOR SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL WORKERS • LESS STABLE WORKFORCE • LESS EXPERIENCED WORKFORCE • THE DRIVE TOWARDS A FRAGMENTED PROFESSION • THE UNDERMINING OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION 22

THE THREE CREEPS • CREEPING PRIVATISATION WHAT’S GOING ON! • CREEPING POLITICAL CONTROL OMG!! • CREEPING ANTI-PROFESSIONALISM STUFF IT!!! 23

SO WHAT TO DO? 24

SO WHAT TO DO? THREE STEPS TO CHALLENGE THREE CREEPS 25

SO WHAT TO DO? STEP 1 26

SO WHAT TO DO? STEP 1 BE A CHAMPION FOR SOCIAL WORK 27

WHAT DID SOCIAL WORK EVER DO FOR US?

SO WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT SOCIAL WORK?

WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT SOCIAL WORK 1. HAVING A CONCERN FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE 2. CONFRONTING DISCRIMINATION 3. VALUING PEOPLE NOT REJECTING 4. BUT WITH REALISM NOT IDEALISM 30

WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT SOCIAL WORK 5. SEEING PEOPLE IN CONTEXT 6. WITH A FOCUS ON RELATIONHIPS 7. RECOGNISING AND DEVELOPING PEOPLE’S STRENGTHS AND SKILLS 8. PROBLEM-SOLVING IN PARTNERSHIP 9. ENABLING AND FACILITATING 31

WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT SOCIAL WORK 10. WORKING AT POINTS OF CRISIS AND PSYCHO-SOCIAL TRANSITIONS 11. PROVIDING STRUCTURE AND SPACE WITHIN CHAOTIC EXPERIENCES 12. NOT RUNNING AWAY FROM PAIN 32

WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT SOCIAL WORK 13. CREATING AND HARNESSING RESOURCES 14. PROTECTING AND CONTROLLING WHEN NECESSARY 33

WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT SOCIAL WORK A SPECIAL COMBINATION OF VALUES, COMPETENCIES 34

SO WHAT TO DO? STEP 2 35

SO WHAT TO DO? STEP 2 SETTING A NEW AGENDA 36

SETTING A NEW AGENDA • THE ETHICS OF PUBLIC SERVICE, PROBITY AND INTEGRITY • STABILITY AND CONTINUITY RATHER THAN CHANGE, CHURN AND CHAOS • COMMUNITY-BASED SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL SERVICES • REBALANCE THE FOCUS TO RELATIONSHIPS AND RESOURCES RATHER THAN RISK AND RATIONING • MULTI-PROFESSIONAL INTEGRATED TEAMS AND SERVICES • CHILDREN’S CENTRES AND SURE START • YOUTH OFFENDING TEAMS • ‘TROUBLED FAMILIES SERVICES’ • THE ECONOMIC AS WELL AS THE HUMANE ARGUMENTS 37

SO WHAT TO DO? STEP 3 38

SO WHAT TO DO? STEP 3 A COLLABORATION AND COALITION OF THE COMPASSIONATE 39

NOW IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE 40

IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE THE SUCCESS OF THE COLLABORATION AND COALITION OF THE COMPASSIONATE 41

FOLLOWING THE THREE CREEPS AND THE THREE STEPS THERE ARE THREE U-TURNS 42

THE THREE FORCED GOVERNMENT U-TURNS IN THE CHILDREN AND SOCIAL WORK BILL • THE EXEMPTION CLAUSES • THE DIRECT POLITICAL CONTROL OF THE NEW SOCIAL WORK REGULATOR • PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH (PSHE) AND RELATIONSHIPS AND SEX (RSE) EDUCATION 43

A COLLABORATION AND COALITION OF THE COMPASSIONATE THE SUCCESS OF THE CHILDREN AND SOCIAL WORK BILL CAMPAIGNING • • • BASW AND ITS MEMBERS ARTICLE 39 TOGETHER FOR CHILDREN CONSORTIUM THE LABOUR SOCIAL WORK GROUP KEY PEOPLE • REFLECTING 50 YEARS AGO SEEBOHM AND THE SEEBOHM ACTION GROUP • A STANDING CONFERENCE FOR SOCIAL WORK 44

ROAD BLOCKS AND RE-ROUTING! • MAKE OURSELVES EVEN MORE COLLECTIVELY STRONGER • A COLLABORATION AND COALITION OF THE COMPASSIONATE • PERSONAL – PROFESSIONAL – PRESS – PUBLIC - POLITICIANS 45