Skip Navigation



BJSW Advance Access published online on August 14, 2007
British Journal of Social Work, doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcm095
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
39/1/161    most recent
bcm095v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Orme, J.
Right arrow Articles by Stevens, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved

Article

What (a) Difference a Degree Makes: The Evaluation of the New Social Work Degree in England

Joan Orme 1 *, Gillian MacIntyre 2, Pam Green Lister 3, Kate Cavanagh 4, Beth R. Crisp 5, Shereen Hussein 6, Jill Manthorpe 7, Jo Moriarty 6, Endellion Sharpe 8, and Martin Stevens 6

1 Glasgow School of Social Work, Sir Henry Wood Building, Jordanhill Campus, Southbrae Drive, Glasgow, G13 1PP, Scotland
2 Research Associate at the Glasgow School of Social Work
3 MSW Qualifying Course Director at the Glasgow School of Social Work
4 Senior Lecturer in the Department of Applied Social Science at the University of Stirling
5 Associate Professor in Social Work in the School of Health and Social Development at Deakin University
6 Research Fellows in the Social Care Workforce Research Unit, King’s College London
7 Professor of Social Work and Director of the Social Care Workforce Research Unit at King’s College London
8 Managing Director of Sharpe Research

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Joan Orme, E-mail: j.orme{at}socsci.gla.ac.uk


  Abstract

After many years of debate in the UK about the need for a degree-level qualification in social work, the arguments for a minimum degree-level qualification were accepted. The requirements for the degree in England were developed drawing on work from a number of sources, including a benchmark statement for undergraduate degrees in social work and focus groups with stakeholders. The new degree in England, launched in 2003, involves one extra year’s study; improvements in the qualifying standard for social work; and specific curriculum and entrance requirements. At the time of launching the degree, the government department responsible for funding (Department of Health) commissioned a three-year evaluation of the implementation of the new degree to establish whether the new qualifying level leads to improvements in the qualified workforce. The aim of the evaluation is to describe the experiences of those undertaking the degree, collect the views of the various stakeholders about the effectiveness of the degree and measure the impact of a degree-level qualification on those entering the workforce. This article, written by the team undertaking the evaluation of the England degree, explores the reasons for the methodological approach adopted and the issues that have arisen in setting up the research.

Keywords: social work qualification, evaluation, professional training, education, research methods.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Critical Social PolicyHome page
A. Ritchie and R. Woodward
Changing Lives: Critical reflections on the social work change programme for Scotland
Critical Social Policy, August 1, 2009; 29(3): 510 - 532.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.