Europa/ReinoUnido/communitycare.co.uk
Resumen: Un grupo de académicos, activistas y la Asociación Británica de Trabajadores Sociales ha pedido al gobierno que detenga el proceso de adquisición de un contrato de £ 50 millones que capacitaría hasta 900 trabajadores sociales a través de rutas rápidas. El grupo planteó las preocupaciones tras el aviso de información previa para el contrato publicado en marzo y advirtió que la continuación de la extensión de las rutas rápidas sin una evaluación a largo plazo crearía inestabilidad en la educación del trabajo social general. La carta decía que, aunque se encargó un estudio para comprender el impacto de Frontline junto con las rutas universitarias, no se ha concluido. Sin embargo, el gobierno estaba «comprometiendo grandes cantidades de dinero para extender un programa que no se ha probado para resolver el desafío para los empleadores de retener y desarrollar trabajadores sociales experimentados». El Departamento de Educación dijo que habría una respuesta a la carta a su debido tiempo.Anteriormente le había dicho a Community Care que la inversión representaría una continuación de la provisión acelerada actual, en lugar de una expansión. El adjudicatario tendría la tarea de capacitar entre 700 y 900 nuevos trabajadores sociales en dos cohortes entre 2020 y 2022, la última cohorte de Frontline anunciada en 2017 en más de 350 lugares.
Minister warned over ‘deep instability’ in social work education following £50 million fast-track contract
Between 700 and 900 social workers will be trained through a fast-track route, the contract says
A group of academics, campaigners and the British Association of Social Workers has called on the government to halt the procurement process for a £50 million contract that would train up to 900 social workers through fast-track routes.
The group raised the concerns following the prior information notice for the contract published in March and warned the continued extension of fast-track routes without a long-term evaluation would create instability in mainstream social work education.
The letter said that, while a study has been commissioned to understand the impact of Frontline alongside university routes, it has not concluded. However the government was “committing large amounts of money to extend a programme that is unproven in resolving the challenge for employers of retaining and developing experienced social workers”.
The Department for Education said there would be a response to the letter in due course. It has previously told Community Care that the investment would represent a continuation of current fast-track provision, rather than an expansion.
The successful bidder would be tasked with training between 700 and 900 new social workers over two cohorts between 2020 and 2022, the last Frontline cohort advertised in 2017 for over 350 places.
‘Significant challenge’
The letter said the prior information notice, which outlined that the formal contract would be published April 30, should be suspended while there is a stakeholder consultation, impact assessment, and time for a “proper evaluation” of Frontline.
It said the numbers trained under the contract would pose a “significant challenge to the viability of current postgraduate programmes in universities across England”.
“We are concerned that this expansion will reduce applications to – and thereby threaten – courses in some of the most prestigious, research-oriented universities where such post-graduate provision tends to be clustered,” the letter said.
There were also concerns that the Frontline programme had so far “reproduced” structural inequalities through its recruitment.
“We think it is essential that government engage with the implications of an extension of Frontline, which is not university-based, for a profession which is currently built on independent and academically robust social work research and education at Masters and doctorate levels,” it said.
Fuente: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2018/05/14/minister-warned-over-deep-instability-in-social-work-education-following-50-million-fast-track-contract/
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