Social work news

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• Balances 

  03-04-2025 14:54 via gov.uk
  
  This section provides information on balances for schools.
  
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• Social work ‘needs push’ to embed anti-discriminatory practice, say post-qualifying standards authors

  16-04-2025 17:10 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.Social work needs to be “pushed further” to embed anti-discriminatory practice within children’s services, say the authors of proposed post-qualifying standards (PQS) for newcomers to the profession.
  Members of the expert writing group that drew up the PQS explained why anti-discriminatory practice was the first of the proposed six standards, in a webinar on the Department
  
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• British schools overseas: accreditation process and support

  16-04-2025 13:55 via gov.uk
  
  How to apply for the voluntary accreditation scheme for British schools overseas (BSO), the accreditation process, removing accreditation and where to find support.
  
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• Government renews funding to help overseas care staff left without work due to exploitation or visa issues

  16-04-2025 13:39 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.The government has renewed funding to help overseas care staff who have lost work and are facing removal from the UK due to “unethical” employment practices or providers not complying with visa rules.
  However, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has reduced the level of the international recruitment fund from £16m in 2024-25 to £12.5m this year, divided be
  
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• ‘Romeo and Juliet’ clause exempts consensual teenage relationships from child abuse reporting in England

  16-04-2025 13:12
  
  Dispensation means teachers not obliged to inform authorities about children’s sexual activity in all instancesTeachers will not have to inform on sexually active teenagers under a new legal duty to report child abuse after a novel “Romeo and Juliet” exemption received cross-party support.A new crime and policing bill obliges professionals in England, including teachers and healthworkers, to report suspicions of child sexual abuse to the police or local authority in an attempt
  
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• Social work around the world: Australia

  16-04-2025 12:03 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  As part of the ‘Social work around the world’ series, this episode features two Australian social workers who have practised in Australia and England.
  Kristin worked in Queensland, Australia, before moving to London 12 years ago. Tina similarly moved to London from Queensland, but then moved back and found herself stuck in Western Australia during the Covid-19 pandemic, and ended up staying there.
  Emigrating is never easy and the challenges Kristin experienced led her to write a blog
  
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• Guidance: The school resource management advisers (SRMA) programme

  16-04-2025 11:14 via gov.uk
  
  Arrange support and tailored advice for schools, academy trusts and local authorities through the SRMA programme.
  
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• Disability benefit reforms will increase social care demand and poverty, say practitioners

  15-04-2025 22:27 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
  Social workers believe the government’s proposed changes to disability benefits will put greater pressure on social care services and increase poverty, a poll has found.
  Under the plans, eligibility for personal independence payment (PIP) – the main disability benefit for working-age people – will be tightened and cuts made to incapacity benefits.
  A government impact
  
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• DWP to overhaul carer’s allowance checks after overpayment scandal

  15-04-2025 16:38
  
  Department previously investigated only 50% of earnings limit alerts, meaning many carers fell into debtUK politics live – latest updatesMinisters have announced an overhaul of the way carer’s allowance overpayments are checked in an attempt to fix the failing system which has left thousands with life-changing debts,fines and criminal records.In a significant policy change, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been ordered to hire extra staff to investigate 100% of the care
  
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• Separate pay spine for nursing

  15-04-2025 15:48 via gov.uk
  
  The government is seeking views on the benefits and challenges of a separate pay spine for nursing staff.
  
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• What makes an effective social work leader?

  15-04-2025 12:27 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Anyone can be a leader in social work. This isn’t a role defined by job title – though it can involve giving direction, it’s also about offerering inspiration, encouraging teamwork and setting an example.
  In two articles for The Social Work Community, social work leader and consultant Clair Graham explores what leadership means in the profession.
  In the first, she examines the different styles of leadership – participative, transformational, delegative, authoritative, tra
  
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• Report the death or serious harm of a child or care leaver

  15-04-2025 11:26 via gov.uk
  
  How local authorities should report incidents to the Department for Education, Ofsted and Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.
  
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• DfE makes huge cut to Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund payments

  14-04-2025 23:20 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.The Department for Education (DfE) has made huge cuts in payments for families to resource therapy through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF).
  Less than two weeks after confirming that the fund would continue – one day after it expired – the DfE has made four significant restrictions to the support each child or family can receive through the ASGSF in 2025
  
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• Guidance: Public health commissioning in the NHS: 2025 to 2026

  14-04-2025 15:24 via gov.uk
  
  Information about NHS England's objectives and funding arrangements as it commissions public health services.
  
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• Decision: Direction: Zafar Iqbal Khan barred from managing independent schools

  14-04-2025 14:37 via gov.uk
  
  A decision from the Secretary of State to direct that Mr Zafar Iqbal Khan should be prohibited from the management of independent schools.
  
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• Dr Camilla Kingdon to chair review of children's hearing services

  14-04-2025 14:04 via gov.uk
  
  Dr Camilla Kingdon has been appointed by the Secretary of State to chair an independent review of children's hearing services.
  
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• Guidance: Kingdon review of children’s hearing services: terms of reference

  14-04-2025 14:03 via gov.uk
  
  Sets out the terms of reference for the independent review of children's hearing services in England.
  
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• What is kinship care?

  14-04-2025 11:20 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  This article presents a few key considerations from Community Care Inform Children’s guide to kinship care, which explains the different types of kinship placement and advises social workers on when to consider a kinship placement option. Inform Children subscribers can access the full guide here.
  This guide was written by Philip Heslop, senior lecturer in social work at Northumbria University.Kinship care refers to arrangements in which children live with relatives or close family friends
  
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• Residential Services Officer

  14-04-2025 10:06 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  https://jobs.communitycare.co.uk/job/1401768093/residential-services-officer/
  
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• Government launches digital social care qualification but providers criticise level of training funding

  13-04-2025 23:05 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  The government has launched a new qualification to enhance social care leaders’ digital skills but has been criticised by a provider body for covering a “tiny fraction” of the sector’s training costs.
  Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting launched the level 5 award in understanding digital leadership in adult social care last week, saying it would help the sector “harness the full potential of cutting-edge technology” to boost care quality and support
  
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• First practice guidance for AI in social work warns of bias and data privacy risks

  11-04-2025 13:43 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  This article is part of our new ‘Future of Social Work‘ series, where we’ll be reporting on innovative practice approaches and technology in social work. Get in contact with us to flag up anything that you think ticks either of those boxes at anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com
  The first practice guidance in England on the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in social work has urged caution, highlighting risks around bias and data privacy.
  The document, produced
  
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• Lady Howarth of Breckland obituary

  10-04-2025 18:40
  
  Social services director, chief executive of Childline and one of the first ‘people’s peers’After her social services career was blighted by fallout from a high-profile child protection scandal, Valerie Howarth nevertheless went on to become a leading authority on children’s welfare and one of the first “people’s peers” created by Tony Blair.As the first chief executive of Childline, Howarth led the confidential counselling service for children and young
  
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• Guidance: DfE funding agreements and contracts: 2025 to 2026

  10-04-2025 14:30 via gov.uk
  
  Grant funding agreements and contracts issued to providers, which are either extensions of the 2024 to 2025 agreements and contracts, or recently procured contracts.
  
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• Guidance: Submit Learner Data known issues

  10-04-2025 13:00 via gov.uk
  
  The regularly updated known issues document gives information on service problems we are aware of.
  
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• Guidance: Check how accurate your ILR data is with FIS

  10-04-2025 13:00 via gov.uk
  
  The Funding Information Service (FIS) is an offline tool for checking your individualised learner record (ILR) data.
  
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• Shaping the national cancer plan

  10-04-2025 12:55 via gov.uk
  
  Call for evidence seeking views from individuals, professionals and organisations to inform the development of the government’s national cancer plan for England.
  
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• National child protection agency to provide oversight of practice in England

  10-04-2025 12:37 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.The government will create a national agency to provide oversight of child protection practice in England, the safeguarding minister has revealed.
  The Child Protection Authority (CPA) will provide “national leadership and learning on child protection and safeguarding”, with work to establish it beginning this year, Jess Phillips told the House of Commons this week.
  Creating a CPA
  
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• Consistent financial reporting (CFR) framework

  10-04-2025 11:04 via gov.uk
  
  A framework to help schools to collect information about their income and expenditure.
  
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• Official Statistics: Adult social care workforce survey: April 2025

  10-04-2025 10:30 via gov.uk
  
  Statistics from survey responses collected from almost 5,000 adult social care settings in England.
  
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• Accredited official statistics: Outcomes for children in need, including children looked after by local authorities, in England: 2023 to 2024

  10-04-2025 10:30 via gov.uk
  
  A range of outcome measures at national and local authority level for children in need, including children looked after by local authorities.
  
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