New scheme proposed to increase 'front-line social workers'

I nearly didn't blog about this because I didn't want any social work students to misconstrue my intentions.

So can I first state (not for the first time) that anyone prepared to come to UoB and do the course and be a social worker has my unadulterated admiration. Is that plain enough? Good.

With that in mind I thought I'd ask you for your opinion on this. Read it?

Just to give you some background details, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) who've published this report is a think-tank charged with coming up with radical solutions to perceived problems in different areas broadly related to public policy.

The full IPPR report on the proposed changes required to social work is available here.

I would be very interested on whether you think the educational standard of social workers is one of the issues effecting the perceived low status of the profession.

How to find Social Work research online.

There are a lot of pitfalls you need to be wary of when using the Internet to find research.

I'd put my Top 3 pitfalls as...

1) It will eat up time like you won't believe.
2) You may end up finding material that you're asked to pay for.
3) There will be times when you can't be certain that what you're referencing is reliable.

But it doesn't have to be hard going. There are guides to help you. Here is the Intute guide to how to research the Internet for students of Social Work.

And there are other guides for Social Policy, health and social care and Social research methods.