You see, Gove has not forgotten us – not just yet anyway: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/06/03/114637/gove-promises-support-for-taskforce-recommendations.htm
I aint too sure however that Community Care can be so assertive as they are in this advice: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/06/03/114638/q-and-a-what-does-the-national-college-mean-for-social-workers.htm that the Social Work College could not become the Regulator to replace the GSCC (http://www.gscc.org.uk/Home/).
The article was written before the abolition of the General Teaching Council for England (http://www.gtce.org.uk/ ) by Mr Gove and as set out by the GTCE in their press release: http://www.gtce.org.uk/media_parliament/news_comment/gtcabolition0610/
The Regulation and Registration function of the GTCE will be assumed by some other body, so the General Social Care Council is not yet in the clear. If the teaching council can be abolished, so can the social work equivalent.
It is not true that all professions have a separate “college” or membership group from the regulatory and disciplinary functions. What exactly is the conflict in one single organisation promoting and supporting professionals whilst also investigating serious complaints? In my mind the two fit together snugly.
The options are however wide open – albeit to be fair the GSCC of late (under new leadership) appears to be getting its act together a bit more. However the trail of absolute disasters it has left behind through utter incompetence (and having been placed under special measures) has left few if any believing that the organisation is anything other an embarrassment.
My prediction – they will go too and their function of Registration will go somewhere else. There are too many of these Regulators and there is both an economy of scale and similar role and function argument in favour of mergers.
Time will tell...............
Wilt
ps: The same arguments and observations go for the SSSC, CCW and NISCC - however they are outside of the English jurisdiction and will determine their own futures.
Dear Wilt
ReplyDeleteI was fascinated to read the dilemma shared in your columns by the correspondent Earl Grey. Dilemmas such as these can blight the lives of many of us and it is a complement to your wisdom that we can deliver these problems to your door and be assured of an intelligent reply.
May I share my dilemma with you.
On the first Saturday of each month I attend the pigeon fanciers club on our council estate. The club is at the top of a very steep hill. I attend with my second cousin, Joseph, a.k.a. ‘where is my machine gun boys’.
At the club we drink three cartons of Heineken Beer and listen to old Joe Dolan records. After that I go home. To get home I stagger to the top of the hill and simply roll down it, past the pigeon loft in my front garden and into my living room.
On the second Saturday of each month my second cousin comes to visit me at home. We run through the usual routine of refreshments and intellectual stimulus and then the cousin heads off home.
This is where the dilemma presents itself.
My cousin endeavours to make his retreat home in the same manner as I do when we go to the club together.
I negotiate my way home by rolling down the hill. It works.
He attempts to negotiate his way home by rolling up the hill. It does not work. Why is that? Why is it that I can get home by rolling down the hill but my poor cousin cannot similarly get home by rolling up the hill.
Put simply, why can I roll down the hill but he cannot roll up the hill.
I know you are a wise man and that the wisdom of Wilt has shaken many a venerable institution to its foundations. If you could please answer this question I would appreciate it greatly.
Andersonstown Andy
What your correspondent requires is for his cousin to scour the lush green hills and valleys of his area for any sign of an electric brae or gravity hill where the laws of physics do not appear to apply. This would be a rarity in the aforementioned area but Andytown has indeed been known to harbour many a rarity in its time. Should he be so lucky to locate said brae he will finally be able to appear to roll uphill while actually going downhill. He may not get home this way but he will at least have achieved one half of his ambition.
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