Why should social workers concern themselves with the law?

Gwyneth Roberts

I think there are a number of basic reasons why social workers should concern themselves with the law. It’s because it’s the law that gives social workers the power, the authority to function, as social workers. It’s also what guides social workers, defines what they can do. And thirdly, the law also controls social workers. It makes them accountable. So we could say that the law is the essential bone structure for social work practice. But of course we need other elements to make up the body, the flesh and blood of the whole of social work practice.

Alison Brammer

Social workers need to concern themselves with the law firstly because it’s a key element to the requirements for training, for social work training as set out under the new degree framework. So it’s there as a compulsory element. But beyond that, I think law is key to social work practice. It provides social workers with their mandate to practise. It gives them a structure within which they practise. It provides them with both duties that are mandatory, that they must follow, such as the duty to assess somebody for community care services. And it also provides them with powers over which there is an element of discretion, such as the power to then provide a range of appropriate services. It actually sets out the framework for social work organisations. So, back in 1970, there was an Act that stipulated which local authorities would have social services departments and functions and had to employ an appropriate number of social workers. And that’s been amended recently by The Children Act of 2004 which sets out a slightly different structure for social services within Children’s Services authorities and a new requirement to appoint a director of Children’s Services and a separate Director of Adult Social Services.

Stuart Vernon

Social workers should concern themselves with the law because by-and-large it specifies the breadth and parameters of their practice. Not only does it do that but also it imposes some very important disciplines on the breadth of their practice and the way in which they practise as well, so, for me, it’s absolutely essential as a context of their understanding, their knowledge and their competence.