Action planning to achieve the standard

Standard 1: Strong and clear social work framework

Strong and Clear Social Work Framework

If the results of the health check reveal that your organisation is not meeting the standard, developing an action plan for change is a crucial step.

When considering what makes an effective social work framework you could concentrate on using these themes:

using collaborative development
working with strengths
being purposeful and relational
involving people in defining and solving their problems 
psychological safety and co-design

Examples of questions to bear in mind if you are a leader

could a newly qualified social worker explain our practice model?
are both critical incidents and evidence of good social work practice brought to your attention?
are practitioners open to learning and development
are practitioners capable of discussing near misses and mistakes?
when things go wrong, does the organisation support practitioners, leaders and teams?
does the organisation respond to challenges with curiosity, openness, and empathy?
is there enough support at the individual, team, and organisational levels?
does the organisation prioritise learning and reflection?

How the practice framework supports the whole organisation

At the organisational level, the framework should: 

clearly communicate organisational purpose, vision, values, and social work outcomes
include implementation and evaluation strategies
ensure the framework and model are evidence-based
commit to listening to diverse viewpoints
collaboratively address organisational priorities with a whole-systems approach
work with strategic partners to develop and evaluate the practice framework and model
use evidence of the benefits of integrated, multi-disciplinary teams
consider factors like balancing strengths, needs, and uncertainty
supporting social workers in using their judgement and creativity
actively support implementing the framework and model at all system levels
hold leaders accountable for creating conditions that support excellent social work practice
use data from practitioners and people accessing services
use stakeholder input and include a measure to evaluate the framework’s impact
consider recruitment, retention, and development of the workforce

How the practice framework supports the organisation’s leaders

At the organisational level the framework should have: 

set out clearly the organisation’s purpose, vision, values, and outcomes for social workers
a strong commitment to the implemented framework and practice model
a commitment to review and revise based on data and feedback
opportunities for social workers to learn and develop their skills at all levels
a clear career progression scheme
relationship-based practice and support that incorporates a high challenge element
significant emphasis on encouraging a psychologically safe and healthy workplace culture

How the practice framework supports the organisation’s practitioners

At the practitioner level the framework should have: 

a clear understanding of the framework and practice model
greater professional judgement and creativity
opportunities in supervision to discuss uncertainty, anxiety, doubt, and other emotions
a way to identify important practice dilemmas
encouragement to express views on working conditions and experiences and propose improvements
opportunities to pursue learning and development
practical tools to support wellbeing
encouragement for practitioners to practise their own self-care
a flexible organisation that is open to new ideas
innovation based on new practices

Using the SMART methodology for action planning

Another tool you can use is SMART methodology to create SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely) action planning. 

Using SMART planning can help to address many important considerations which are explained in this section.

This may help to work out the necessary elements of a strong and clear practice framework.

Clear communication is important to any successful action plan. This is especially true for plans about employee wellbeing.

You should share findings from the health check or monitoring. It is a good idea to highlight strengths and areas for improvement. Also, show commitment to fixing issues. You could think about creating an open environment where employees feel able to share concerns and feedback freely. This helps them take part in action plan discussions.

Clearly define objectives. Specify the action plan’s goals and describe:

what it will address
its reasons for priority
when it will finish
how to measure it

Use inclusive language as it promotes a collective effort. A commitment to co-design is another important tool. It stresses the importance of creating solutions together. It shows how input from employees and stakeholders will shape the action plan.

Regular updates will ensure transparency and engagement with ongoing progress reports. Feedback mechanisms are a way for employees to contribute feedback and act on it.

Make sure that your organisation has easy access to information. It's important to develop good communication skills in your organisation. You could consider providing communication training, especially for leaders. This is a useful tool to support open dialogue.

You should celebrate achievements and progress. This encourages a positive organisational culture.

References

This is the list of research and evidence sources used to produce this section. Publicly available links are included.

Connolly (2007). Practice Frameworks: Conceptual Maps to Guide Interventions in Child Welfare. British Journal of Social Work (2007) 37(5),825-837

Ofsted (2012). High expectations, High support and high challenge.

Next page: Improve how you meet the standard

The resources have been developed by Research in Practice in collaboration with DfE.
Published: 30 October 2024
Last updated: 30 October 2024

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