Is it the individual student who fails to progress or the individual programme that fails to respond? Gwynne Jones Bharat Chauhan Social Work Education Group General Social Care Council JSWEC July 8 th 2009

The context Social work courses recruit a higher proportion of students from different black and minority groups than many other courses.

The issue National statistics continue to demonstrate that some groups of students do not progress through social work training at the same rate as other students Students from black and ethnic minority groups and disabled students have a significantly higher rate of referral and deferral than other groups of students

The issue Concerns about the progression rates of black and minority ethnic social work students pre-dates the creation of the GSCC in 2001

The role of regulation “Regulators need to ensure that they are meeting their own duty in all their functions including their education inspection function. This would entail their framework allows for monitoring compliance of the duty in sectors it inspects and regulates” Advice from Equality and Human Rights Commission 02/07/08

The requirements –Providers of social work education and training will be expected to: prevent unjustifiable discrimination and disadvantage in all aspects of their work that we regulate; and show this consistently through the quality assurance process. – D8 Maintain suitable data processing arrangements to guarantee reliable information on how students progress. – D10 Give us the information we ask for. Accreditation of universities to grant degrees in social work General Social Care Council May 2002

The questions Please comment on any significant progression issues. National statistics continue to demonstrate that some groups of students do not progress through the social work degree at the same rate as other students. Students from black and ethnic minority groups and disabled students have a significantly higher rate of referral and deferral from other groups of students.

The questions Universities are required to maintain suitable data- processing arrangements to guarantee reliable information on how students progress (GSCC Requirement D8) Please identify how student progression is monitored in your university?

The questions Have you identified any differential progression rates in your programmes? yes no If yes please describe Please describe what actions you are taking to address differential progression rates ?