Comments on: A profession to be proud of http://waleshome.org/2010/03/a-day-to-understand-and-value-social-work/ Independent analysis from and about Wales Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:59:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Keith Drury http://waleshome.org/2010/03/a-day-to-understand-and-value-social-work/comment-page-1/#comment-13684 Keith Drury Fri, 18 Jun 2010 07:37:10 +0000 http://waleshome.org/?p=8623#comment-13684 In addition, as Chair of BASW Cymru my Chairmanship of BASW Cymru has brought the assocation alive with passion and enthusiasm for the profession. Through my initiatives and hard work, I have introduced to BASW Cymru, the Patrons and Ambassadors Scheme, The Social Work Awards, Excellence Centre in SW (in its infancy stage), the All Wales Roadshows, introduction of lead roles for committee members and joint conferences - yet to be realised. Emyr and his excellent diplomacy skills and ability to communciate with key officials from across all sectors and in my role as Chair, we are leading the way forward in changing the face of Social Work in Wales. So that said, thank you Emyr for supporting me in my role as Chair of BASW Cymru, let's keep up the good work. Keith In addition, as Chair of BASW Cymru my Chairmanship of BASW Cymru has brought the assocation alive with passion and enthusiasm for the profession. Through my initiatives and hard work, I have introduced to BASW Cymru, the Patrons and Ambassadors Scheme, The Social Work Awards, Excellence Centre in SW (in its infancy stage), the All Wales Roadshows, introduction of lead roles for committee members and joint conferences – yet to be realised. Emyr and his excellent diplomacy skills and ability to communciate with key officials from across all sectors and in my role as Chair, we are leading the way forward in changing the face of Social Work in Wales. So that said, thank you Emyr for supporting me in my role as Chair of BASW Cymru, let’s keep up the good work. Keith

]]> By: Trevor Mayes http://waleshome.org/2010/03/a-day-to-understand-and-value-social-work/comment-page-1/#comment-8072 Trevor Mayes Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:26:06 +0000 http://waleshome.org/?p=8623#comment-8072 Good Article Emyr. I have two professional community work qualifications but in the past have worked as a senior social worker with young offenders and as a manager of a children's home. As a mature student at the University of Wales Lampeter I complained about a situation that in my opinion was discrimination against the disadvantaged. I acted in accordance with society's expectations of what somebody with my qualifications and experience would do in these circumstances. However, I learned the hard way that no act of public service goes unpunished and pursuing the matter has cost me what was left of my career, and now my home. Clearly standards do not apply to all public services, anyone with a social work background going into a university is going to be shocked at the lack of compliance with procedures and standards of conduct. We need to treat university students who still have few rights as vulnerable beneficiaries or consumers. That means tackling the conduct of the people you have mentioned namely academics who in effect are above the law and any form of statutory accountability. Regarding pressure on public services, the Auditor General for Wales has just warned of swinging cuts to public services but this does not tell the full story. Under the Local Government Act 2000, the Welsh Audit Office could intervene on issues of value for money in all public spending for our services. However, the power to intervene and take over a Higher Education Institution, or HEI as Universities are known was removed by the Public Audit (WALES) Act 2004. The WAO has confirmed that unlike local councils the public has no right of complaint whatsoever. The duty of ensuring value for our money is undertaken by an unaccountable Quango the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales known as HEFCW. It has a statutory duty under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 to ensure standards in higher education.This task is undertaken by the Quality Assurance Agency known as the QAA, which unlike the schools and colleges regulators OFSTED and ESTYN it has no statutory duties or powers. They are simply contractors exempt from the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and accountability to the Public Services Ombudsman. They are accountable to HEFCW and Higher Education Wales known as HEW, which is an association of Welsh Universities. The QAA is also a schedule 1 registered charity whose primary duty is to its vulnerable beneficiaries namely students. As the QAA cannot investigate any claim of misconduct against HEFCW we believe this an unacceptable conflict of interest that puts vulnerable students at risk. Student complaints are barred from the courts unless they apply to consumer law. Under the Higher Education Act 2004 the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education known as the OIA replaced the Visitor to act as a judge on student complaints. However, there is growing discontent with the OIA, as it does not make any inquiry into issues of any complexity. We need our own Welsh OIA that has the power to investigate as well as adjudicate on student complaints. We also need to support students through what is a traumatic complaints process which in some cases has intimidating threats of action being taken against students who are considered to be making malicious accusations which creates a sexual predictors paradise. We have a right to know what went wrong at the University of Wales Lampeter and why nobody was held to account for this financial disaster that cost us many millions of pounds. We also have a right to know why HEFCW deliberately withheld a disturbing report by Haines Watts Corporate Finance on Lampeter, when merger talks were going on with Trinity University College. If this happened in social services, schools or hospitals there would be an outcry. So why should they or we in effect pay for this fiasco when those responsible walk off with a fat pension, while staff lose their jobs, students are put at risk, and we the taxpaying serfs are banned from having any right of consultation or complaint. Meanwhile, because of deregulation this fiasco carries on with government powerless to intervene. Good Article Emyr.

I have two professional community work qualifications but in the past have worked as a senior social worker with young offenders and as a manager of a children’s home.

As a mature student at the University of Wales Lampeter I complained about a situation that in my opinion was discrimination against the disadvantaged. I acted in accordance with society’s expectations of what somebody with my qualifications and experience would do in these circumstances. However, I learned the hard way that no act of public service goes unpunished and pursuing the matter has cost me what was left of my career, and now my home.

Clearly standards do not apply to all public services, anyone with a social work background going into a university is going to be shocked at the lack of compliance with procedures and standards of conduct. We need to treat university students who still have few rights as vulnerable beneficiaries or consumers. That means tackling the conduct of the people you have mentioned namely academics who in effect are above the law and any form of statutory accountability.

Regarding pressure on public services, the Auditor General for Wales has just warned of swinging cuts to public services but this does not tell the full story.

Under the Local Government Act 2000, the Welsh Audit Office could intervene on issues of value for money in all public spending for our services. However, the power to intervene and take over a Higher Education Institution, or HEI as Universities are known was removed by the Public Audit (WALES) Act 2004. The WAO has confirmed that unlike local councils the public has no right of complaint whatsoever.

The duty of ensuring value for our money is undertaken by an unaccountable Quango the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales known as HEFCW. It has a statutory duty under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 to ensure standards in higher education.This task is undertaken by the Quality Assurance Agency known as the QAA, which unlike the schools and colleges regulators OFSTED and ESTYN it has no statutory duties or powers. They are simply contractors exempt from the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and accountability to the Public Services Ombudsman.

They are accountable to HEFCW and Higher Education Wales known as HEW, which is an association of Welsh Universities. The QAA is also a schedule 1 registered charity whose primary duty is to its vulnerable beneficiaries namely students. As the QAA cannot investigate any claim of misconduct against HEFCW we believe this an unacceptable conflict of interest that puts vulnerable students at risk.

Student complaints are barred from the courts unless they apply to consumer law. Under the Higher Education Act 2004 the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education known as the OIA replaced the Visitor to act as a judge on student complaints. However, there is growing discontent with the OIA, as it does not make any inquiry into issues of any complexity.

We need our own Welsh OIA that has the power to investigate as well as adjudicate on student complaints. We also need to support students through what is a traumatic complaints process which in some cases has intimidating threats of action being taken against students who are considered to be making malicious accusations which creates a sexual predictors paradise.

We have a right to know what went wrong at the University of Wales Lampeter and why nobody was held to account for this financial disaster that cost us many millions of pounds. We also have a right to know why HEFCW deliberately withheld a disturbing report by Haines Watts Corporate Finance on Lampeter, when merger talks were going on with Trinity University College.

If this happened in social services, schools or hospitals there would be an outcry. So why should they or we in effect pay for this fiasco when those responsible walk off with a fat pension, while staff lose their jobs, students are put at risk, and we the taxpaying serfs are banned from having any right of consultation or complaint.

Meanwhile, because of deregulation this fiasco carries on with government powerless to intervene.

]]>