Burstow hints at Chief Social Worker post…

31st March 2011

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow has given a strong indication that the Government will create a chief social worker role in England. 

In Tuesday’s House of Commons debate on the Health and Social Care Bill, Burstow confirmed that the coalition “saw the value of the office of the chief social worker”.  There is already a chief social worker in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This fact was pointed out by Labour’s shadow Care Services Minister, Emily Thornberry, who went on to suggest that the bill be amended to include one.

In 2007, the Conservatives put forward a suggested definition for the chief social worker role.  This called for the post holder to work across government departments and with social work organisations and the media to monitor the “health” of the profession and provide good news stories.  Burstow said that this definition of the role was “insuficient”, and that there was a much greater range and responsibilities that needed to be taken into account. 

For more details, see this article on Community Care