College of Social Work announces it is closing

The College of Social Work has announced it is closing due to lack of funding.

The organisation has revealed it is currently in the ‘winding down’ process rather than instant closure.

Jo Cleary, chair, and Annie Hudson, chief executive of The College of Social Work (TCSW) announced the closure “with great sadness and huge regret” and said: “Members are our key priority. We know that people will have questions about their membership, including, for example, the status of their professional indemnity insurance. We are working hard to get clarity on this and will provide regular updates over the coming days and weeks.

“TCSW’s Board and staff team are fully committed to ensuring an orderly transition of the College’s functions, resources and projects to other organisations as appropriate. We will be working closely with Government and other organisations on this. So whilst the details need to be fully worked out, we can assure social workers that they will be able to access College resources through other avenues in the future.”

They added: “We would like to offer our very great appreciation and thanks to the many people who have supported The College and worked with us to strengthen the social work profession over the last 4 years. TCSW has been extremely fortunate to have received the time, energies and efforts of so many extraordinarily dedicated and skilled people – College members, those on our faculties, professional assembly and other groups, people using services, friends and colleagues in other organisations and everyone who joined us at TCSW events and conferences.

“Excellent social work remains absolutely indispensable to a safe and healthy society. The work social workers do deserves great recognition and value. We hope we will leave a strong legacy that can be carried forward to the benefit of the profession and those it serves. We know too that social workers will continue to stand together as a strong and united profession.”

The TCSW which had over 16,000 members was set up after the death of Baby P to help promote the social work profession. The closure came after the Government turned down proposals from The College for it to be responsible for extra functions, such as post-qualifying training, as it hoped this would help bring in more income.

A Government spokesman said the decision to stop funding the college had not been taken lightly and that the Government has already invested £8m in the College to help it become independent and financially self-sufficient.

However Guy Shennan, chair of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) called it “yet another blow for our social work colleagues and our service users” and said: “We can appreciate why many social workers are now doubting the Government’s commitment to the profession, given that its first action following the election is to close the College of Social Work.

“This comes in a week where Karen Bradley, minister for preventing abuse and exploitation, confirmed the government’s plan to consult on jailing social workers for ‘wilful neglect’.

“If ever there was a time for the social work profession to stand united, that time is now.

“There is no doubt that the children, families and adults that we work with are going to experience ever increasing hardship and the College closure is yet another blow for our social work colleagues and for service users.

“There are many newly qualified social workers currently undertaking the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) who will be worried about what the College closure now means for them.

“We also don’t know how the closure will affect members who have taken out Professional Indemnity Insurance with the College.”

BASW chief executive, Bridget Robb, who was a member of the original task force which identified the need for a professional college for social work, and a member of the negotiating team for the merger, added: “This day has been predicted for some time as the model established by the Government was not sustainable. We now look forward to working with the College and all its members and supporters to see how we can reunite the social work profession across the UK.”

BASW is keen to hear comments and questions from members on the College closure. Please email your thoughts to england@basw.co.uk