SSRG Workshop Joining up Locally – Partnerships for better practice and performance The workforce: The foundation of seamless practice Nick Johnson Social Care Association

The pre-Seebohm workforce Up to 1970 – ‘social care’ was largely public and voluntary provision –that year combination began from MOH, Children’s and Welfare Departments –about 500 employers –Good range of professional qualifiactions and groups –Unqualified basic workforce

The changed workforce By 2005 – 1.5 million –mainly female (80+%), –about 25% qualified –Mostly part time, –Heavily low paid staff –working with approximately 28,000 employers (CSCI, DH, SfC and GSCC data sources)

Will fragmentation lead to greater partnership? Ivan Lewis said that partnership could be defined as “the suppression of mutual loathing in return for mutual financial gain” (GSCC Conference 2007) With three quarters of provision now in private hands, is this the kind of partnership that is more likely? What happens to stewardship of public money?

Will structural motivators lead top better partnership? Do targets applied to public service commissioners impact effectively on private providers? Are the information needs of the commissioner the same as the provider? How secure is publicly commissoned provision? What is the impact of further fragmentation of the sector (Direct payments etc.)?

Nature of the workforce Ranges from £4.70 per hour to £150k+ a year NMDS Data will give a more accurate picture of number, gender and qualification (Formerly social trends?) Inter-Connectedness of workforce has reduced because of increase in range of employers Power has reduced because of diminished role of structural networks such as unions and professional associations

It’s the relationship Contractual, compact and service agreements to improve service quality are meaningless without relationships. These are vertical, horizontal and 3D lateral to make a complicated matrix They include everyone affected by the service and coalesce around the person using the service

The worker The operational practitioner is the conduit through which all of these relationship benefits must pass to achieve the desired effect. The quality of inputs and links with other professionals become critical here The only valid measure of service quality is the interaction between the care worker and the service user

The Service User at the centre This is the current mantra being expounded It is not new and was always a feature of best practice It is conditional on our attitude to front line workers who will deliver this objective – or not

Confident, Competent workforce (SSSC) Well valued, qualified and well paid workers –are more likely to fulfil the aspiration to put the person they work with at the centre of their practice –Are more likely to relate with confidence with allied professionals –Are more likely to challenge doubtful practice and –Are more likely to face off managers who are not pursuing this objective They are the key to seamless practice in social care