Does Aspect support the idea of a National College of Social Work?
We agree that social work needs a coherent voice so that Government and the wider public can be effectively lobbied by a body with real credibility. Unfortunately, with only half the social worker workforce in a union and even fewer in a professional body, this has not happened, as was shown in the period after Baby Peter’s death. Such a body must be independent of Government and must be accountable both to the profession and to the public it serves. That will mean it must be able to speak out when professional accountability and the public interest clashes with Government policy or local spending decisions. So we welcome the recommendation that a National College be established without having any illusions that it is a substitute for real improvements in staffing levels, management culture, and service provision. However, if it is genuinely independent of Government and commands the support of the majority of the profession, it could be an invaluable voice explaining what social worke
