Privatepersonal boundaries: the impact of registration

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Private-personal boundaries the impact of
registration

• Fran Wiles July 2008

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Research topic

• How does professional registration/
  regulation affect social work students sense of
  themselves as people?

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GSCC codes

• Clause 5.8 states
• As a social care worker, you must uphold
  public trust and confidence in social care
  services.
• This includes the injunction not to
• Behave in a way, in work or outside work,
  which would call into question your suitability
  to work in social care services (GSCC 2002).

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My initial research

• OU social work students (one region)
• Interviews (2006)
• Focus group and interview, using vignettes
  (2007/2008)
• Analysis of Care Standards Tribunal decisions
• Analysis of Community Care online forum
  discussions

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Questions issues dilemmas

• Personal
• Ethical
• Methodological
• Practical

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Questions issues dilemmas is this a
worthwhile research topic?

• Unsuitable behaviour applies both in work and
  outside work does this matter?

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The 24/7 social worker

• Clause 5.8 extends the employers control into
  areas hitherto considered outwith their remit
  (McLaughlin 20071269).
• welfare professionals have to be personally
  committed to values and ways of life that extend
  well beyond the scope of their contract of
  employment (Clark 200676).

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Responses to conduct cases

• Suitability is about as subjective as right or
  wrong, good or bad. This is moral policing of
  the profession
• What has it got to do with GSCC what someone
  chooses to do outside work?
• Its not as if it was a sexual offence. Was it
  really necessary to publish the results of this
  case? Its naming and shaming
• It gives a clear message to us all be afraid,
  be very afraid.
• (Community Care forum, April 2006 February 2007)

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Focus group data

• Response to vignette (based on YD)
• M I can see both sides Y know on the one hand
  the codes of practice dictate that were
  meant to uphold the profession of social work.
  But on the other hand its like, really like Big
  Brother isnt it the GSCC impacting on
  someones personal and professional life

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Questions issues dilemmas Personal

• Do my research interests imply that I am not
  taking service users well-being seriously
  enough?
• Am I condoning unsuitable conduct?
• Am I disrespecting the code of conduct?
• Am I being naïve?
• Am I myself unsuitable?

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Questions issues dilemmas Ethical

• Insider status
• Risk of disclosure in my position I cannot
  guarantee full confidentiality
• Sensitive topic
• Raising students anxieties about registration (or
  negative attitude)

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Questions issues dilemmas Methodological

• Sampling issues (volunteers)
• How will I know if students experiences of
  registration have had an impact on their social
  work education?

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Questions issues dilemmas Practical

• Getting distance learning students to attend a
  focus group
• At what point in the degree should I explore this
  question?
• Registration and suitability procedures are
  continually evolving

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Expectations about a professional social worker

• Working in social care places on an individual
  a responsibility to behave appropriately and to
  be above reproach, "whiter than white", to be a
  role model
• (Care Standards Tribunal 2006)

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Interview and focus group data

• He did make a mistake, but hes been under a
  lot of stress, people make mistakes under that.
• Were supposed to be a profession that gives
  everybody a second chance arent we well thats
  my feeling. And were human and we make mistakes.
  

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A second chance?

• Care Standards Tribunal 2006
• misconduct is about lack of integrity and how
  an individual is perceived by others if someone
  cannot be trusted in this part of their lives,
  where else are they not to be trusted?
• The answer might be that they are utterly
  trustworthy elsewhere, of course, but that does
  not matter because once doubt has been cast on
  how they are seen by others, the damage is done.
• What does this say about someones identity?

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References

• Care Standards Tribunal (2007) Published
  decisions of the CST www.carestandardstribunal.gov
  .uk/decisions/cstdecisions2006-739sesus.htm
  accessed 25/01/07).
• Clark, C. (2006) Moral character in social work
  in British Journal of Social Work vol. 36, no. 1,
  pp. 75 89.
• Community Care (www.communitycare.org.uk)
• General Social Care Council (2002) Codes of
  Practice for Social Care Workers and Employers,
  London, General Social Care Council
• McLaughlin, K. (2007) Regulation and Risk in
  Social Work The General Social Care Council and
  the Social Care Register in Context, British
  Journal of Social Work vol. 37, no.7, pp.12631277

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Fran WilesFaculty of Health and Social CareThe
Open University

• F.Wiles_at_open.ac.uk