Introduction to the A&R Team Lien Watts, Lyse Hurd, Laura - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Introduction to the A&R Team

Lien Watts, Lyse Hurd, Laura Sheridan and Julie Long

Intro by Lien Watts

• A&R set up early in BASW’s

history.

• Became official with 8

members of staff.

• Now with 15 members.
• Are in all four countries of the

UK.

• Northern Ireland
• Wales
• Scotland
• England

BASW/SWU Relationship

• The Social Workers’ Union

(SWU) is a certified trade union since 2011.

• A&R represent on behalf of

SWU, but are employed by BASW.

• Qualified and registered

social workers

• Trade Union roots
• Reps also have management

and/or supervisory experience.

A&R – Who we are and what we do

• Team of representatives that cover the

UK.

• Individual A & R officers covering specific

UK regions.

• We carry out representation as BASW

representatives.

• We also work as Trade Union officials on

behalf of the Social Workers Union.

BASW and SWU

BASW

• Provide advice to members

via our duty system

• Represent at regulatory

bodies

• Can (and do) provide

representation with employment issues

• However, employment

representation not guaranteed with BASW as not a Trade Union

SWU

• Certified Trade Union
• Officers of a certified trade

union such as SWU cannot be refused access to provide representation at disciplinary and grievance procedures.

• Advisable that members add

SWU membership to their existing membership if they don’t have it already.

• Contact membership on 0121

622 8401.

What is the A&R team and what do we do?

• Our team provide advice and

representation with employment issues.

• Key point of contact for our service is

via our duty system.

• We provide advice on employment

issues and representation in formal employment proceedings

• Advise and represent with regulatory

body proceedings.

• Advise members on employment rights:

what to expect at meetings, how to formulate statements for these processes and what evidence to submit.

• Represent members in formal hearings.

Covid 19 and our Service

• We are very much here and continue to advise and represent our

members.

• All work being carried out remotely.
• Attending meetings via telephone conference or video link.
• Existing grievance / disciplinary processes halted or slowed down.
• COVID 19 specific advice on duty and with members we are

representing with other issues.

• Employers struggling with the concept of home working – people

being told they have to have a ‘presence’ in the office.

• Our team have been keeping track of the government guidance and

saving it, in case it is needed further down the line.

• Ever changing situation – we are responding and advising

accordingly.

UK Regulatory Bodies

• Northern Ireland Social

Care Council

• Scottish Social

Services Council (SSSC)

• Social Work England
• Social Care Wales

Regulatory Body Function

• Ensure that social workers:
• have the right skills and qualifications to work to high professional standards
• capable of delivering high quality services that the public have confidence in.
• Most referrals come from patients or service users,

followed by referrals made by employers, former employers or the police.

• Primary function is protection of the public
• All regulatory bodies are holding meetings remotely

during pandemic.

• They are still open to receiving complaints and registered
• Social workers are still expected to respond to their

regulators within a given time frame

Fitness to Practise Proceedings

• Process followed involves

complaints from whatever source being initially investigated.

• Usually consider whether

there is a case to answer.

• If there is, the case is

referred to the appropriate Committee.

• After investigation a panel
• f the relevant regulatory

committee will be convened to hear the case.

How do A&R support?

• Support and represent members through

initial referral through to FTP hearings.

• We encourage our members to contact

us when they are required to respond to their regulator.

• The A&R Service have produced a

number of factsheets which contain helpful advice about how to respond to a complaint.

• Initial response is important to ensure that

the investigators have all the information they require to ascertain if any case has a ‘realistic prospect of success’ if the evidence was to be tested at a hearing.

• We support and represent many

members in FTP final hearings.

The FTP process is not necessarily about addressing the allegations but how you respond to those allegations. Recognise and admit mistakes and provide mitigation and remediation. Being fit to practise means being competent, respectable, honest & trustworthy, being able to work with service users and others and being in sufficiently good health to practice.

Fitness to Practise Proceedings

• A&R officers represent at the hearings and assist

members to prepare their statement of case prior to the hearing.

• A registrant is not required to give live evidence - we

encourage members to do.

• At the final hearings, if it is held that fitness to practise is

impaired, the regulators have a range of sanctions open to them.

• These include no sanction, a caution, conditions of

practice, suspension from the register or a striking off

• rder

Duty advice and changes during COVID 19

• Increase in calls to our duty

system at the beginning of the lockdown mostly dealing with coronavirus.

• Getting to grips with new

government guidance and policies.

Themes

Social workers being made to attend offices or do visits without reasons that adhere to government guidance or without a proper risk assessment. Some members still being forced into situations where there is no PPE or inadequate PPE. Carers are struggling to provide care duties as well as performing their substantive duties. IR35 and Umbrella companies’ roles during the pandemic. Members are potentially being redeployed or asked to do alternate roles without training.

BASW/SWU Concerns for BAME Social Workers

• Despite making up 14% of the population, 35% of

intensive care patients with Covid-19 are BAME.

• Similar disproportionate infection rates within

staff in NHS and social care.

• There have been many theories posed about this.
• Official enquiry is planned and must be robust.
• Imperative employers protect BAME social

workers in a similar manner as the NHS has committed to do.

When Lockdown Ends

We anticipate that many of you will have continuing concerns about returning to the office. The current advice is that, where you can work from home, even after the lockdown ends, the government will be expecting you to do so. There will be an increase in relation to your service user contacts. There are bound to be moves toward more service user contact, which most of you will welcome, however, risk assessments are vital here. We will continue to be available for advice and representation throughout this pandemic.

Contact us…

Website: https://www.basw.co.uk/social- workers-union/opt-swu Phone: A&R Service: (0121) 622 8413

Leave a message for a call back.