Presentation on 'Where are we now? The issues for HEIs' from Professor Marian Brandon (UEA). Presented at HEA event at Friends House organised by Hilary Burgess (Visiting Fellow, School for Policy Studies University of Bristol).

1. The Role of Higher Education in CPD
for Social Workers in England
Where are we now? The issues for HEIs
Marian Brandon
m.brandon@uea.ac.uk

2. Themes identified
• Partnership planning
• Models of HE provision, including flexibility
• Funding – who pays? commissioning
• Workplace support for staff undertaking CPD
• Shared modules/programmes with other professionals
• Accrediting and assessing in-house provision
• Academic levels
• Links to PCF and career planning
• Priorities for CPD in HE
• Meeting changing needs
• Growing the next generation of SW researchers and educators

3. The picture across HEIs
• Adapting, changing and
surviving, findings
markets
• Not happy with the lack
of a proper CPD
framework
“Situation is ‘in flux’ due to differentiated local workforce strategies
and a lack of national strategy or support for accredited CPD”
(Sussex)
“We have a mixture of continuing programmes that recruit strongly
and others which are struggling because of a drop-off in employer
commitment. PQ has always had to respond flexibly to changes in the
market though so this is not particularly new …we remain confident
but not complacent about the future” (Birmingham)

4. Successes
• Continuity and/or high or rising numbers of students
per module (NTU, Birmingham, UEA, Sussex, Salford)
2008- 2012 1,179 module takers (Sussex)
• Strong/continuous partnerships “well
established, robust working relationships with 5 local
authorities…”(Soton Solent), also
Bristol, MMU, NTU, Salford, Sussex, UEA, Chester)
• Pride and confidence - CPD Conference attended by
Chief Social Workers (MMU),
• ASYE links – MA modules and/or QA support – success
after demise of PQ framework.

5. Tensions
• employer shift in favouring training rather than assessed
learning. Should HEIs be offering this? (Sussex) “There is a
tension between the employer view that sees HE providing
off the shelf modules and an educative view that favours
provision in the form of full awards” (Teeside)
• A shift to using HEIs to support quality assurance rather
than educational provision?
• Diminution of direct agency involvement in the delivery
and management of PQ, (reduced study time for
workers, higher workloads) (Bristol)
• CPD becoming disaggregated from pay and progression
(Chichester)
• Funding – who will pay? (Commissioning tensions later)

6. Models of provision/flexibility – frantic
activity
• Academic frameworks, some aligned to PCF and TCSW CPD
guidelines (MMU, Bristol, UEA, NTU, London
Universities, Middlesex, Northumbria)
• Bespoke modules for employers/ individual
students, Professional Development Units, one-off
opportunities, new formats, ‘shell modules’
(Solent, MMU, Birmingham, Chichester)
• Flexibility - on-site teaching, distance learning/blended
learning
• Specialist provision or wide range/suite of areas offered
• Expanding provision to other disciplines/partners “concept of
collaboration …requires careful consideration in the light of
HEI concerns about collaboration in general” (SHU)

7. (c) Richard Field
360 degree commissioning
Local
Government
Health
Central
Government
Other
public
bodies
Friends and
neighbours
Charities and
community
organisations
Family
Commercial
providers
Individual
citizen

8. Themes identified revisited – scope for
more discussion
• Partnership planning
• Models of HE provision, including flexibility
• Funding – who pays? commissioning
• Workplace support for staff undertaking CPD
• Shared modules/programmes with other professionals
• Accrediting and assessing in-house provision
• Academic levels
• Links to PCF and career planning
• Priorities for CPD in HE
• Meeting changing needs
• Growing the next generation of SW researchers and educators