Knowledge and Skills level
The role of child and family social
work
Apply a wide range of knowledge and skills
to help build family relationships, resource
and resilience so that the welfare of the child
remains paramount; identify the full range of
risks to children and help manage those
risks; ensure proportionate intervention,
including securing and supporting alternative
homes for children, including those in and
beyond public care placed with family and
friends and for adoption; and to provide care
and support to young people as they move
towards independence and adulthood.
Explain and critically evaluate the role of
social work as part of a system of welfare
support to children and their families,
including parents as vulnerable adults, and
how this relates to the social contract
between citizenship and the state and the
role of family, kinship and community; explain
the impact of poverty, inequality and diversity
on social and economic opportunities and
how that relates to child welfare, family
functioning and the highest context of child
protection.
PCF Indicator at ASYE level
Professionalism:
1.2 Be able to explain the role of the social worker in a range of contexts, and uphold the reputation of the
profession.
Values and Ethics
2.4 Demonstrate respectful partnership work with service users and carers, eliciting and respecting their needs
and views, and promoting their participation in decision-making wherever possible
Diversity
3.3 Identify the impact of the power invested in your role on relationships and your intervention, and be able to
adapt your practice accordingly
Rights, Justice and Economic Wellbeing
4.4 Recognise the impact of poverty and social exclusion and promote enhanced economic status through
access to education, work, housing, health services and welfare benefit.
Knowledge
5.1 Consolidate, develop and demonstrate comprehensive understanding and application of the knowledge
gained in your initial training, and knowledge related to your specialist area of practice, including critical
awareness of current issues and new evidence based practice research.
5.4 Recognise the short and long term impact of psychological, socio-economic, environmental and physiological
factors on people’s lives , taking into account how this informs practice
5.7 Understand forms of harm and their impact on people, and the implications for practice, drawing on concepts
of strength, resilience, vulnerability, risk and resistance, and apply to practice.
5.8 Demonstrate a critical knowledge of the range of theories and models for social work intervention with
individuals, families, groups and communities, and the methods derived from them.
Intervention and Skills
7.3 Build and use effective relationships with a wide range of people, networks, communities and professionals
to improve outcomes, showing an ability to manage resistance.
7.5 Select, use and review appropriate and timely social work interventions, informed by evidence of their
effectiveness, that are best suited to the service user(s), family, carer, setting and self.
7.6 Use a planned and structured approach, informed by social work methods, models and tools, to promote
positive change and independence and to prevent harm
7.11 Use authority appropriately in your role
7.12 Demonstrate understanding of and respond to risk factors in your practice. Contribute to the assessment
and management of risk, including strategies for reducing risk, distinguishing levels of risk for different situations.
1HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council
Knowledge and Skills level
Child development
Critically evaluate theory and research
findings and demonstrate informed use in
practice of: typical age related physical,
cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural
development, and the influence of cultural
and social factors on child development; the
impact of different parenting styles on
development; and the impact of loss, change
and uncertainty in the development of
normative resilience.
PCF Indicator at ASYE level
Knowledge
5.3 Demonstrate and apply to practice a working knowledge of human growth and development
throughout the life course.
5.6 Acknowledge the centrality of relationships for people and the key concepts of attachment,
separation, loss, change and resilience.
Critical Reflection and Analysis
6.1 Show creativity in tackling and solving problems, by considering a range of options to solve
dilemmas.
Intervention and Skills
7.1 Use a range of methods to engage and communicate effectively with service users, eliciting
the needs, wishes and feelings of all those involved, taking account of situations where these
are not explicitly expressed.
Understand that normative developmental
tasks are different for each child depending
on the interaction between environmental
and genetic factors e.g. chromosomal
disorders, temperament, IQ, attention
difficulties, the impact of ill-health and
disability, and apply a range of helpful
strategies and resources to support children
and families where there are difficulties.
2HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council
Knowledge and Skills level
Adult mental ill-health, substance
misuse, domestic violence, physical
ill-health and disability
Explain the impact that: mental ill-health,
substance misuse, domestic violence,
physical ill-health and disability can have on
family functioning and social circumstances;
apply a working knowledge of the
presentation of concerning adult behaviours
which may indicate increasing risk to children
and the likely impact on, and interrelationship between, parenting and child
development; be able to deploy a range of
strategies to help families facing these
difficulties; be able to recognise and act upon
escalating social needs and risks ensuring
that vulnerable adults are safeguarded, and
a child’s best interests are always prioritised.
Apply a comprehensive working knowledge
of the role of other professions in the
identification and prevention of adult social
need and risk, including mental health and
learning disability assessment; be able to
coordinate emergency and routine services
and effectively synthesise multi-disciplinary
judgements as part of social work
assessment.
PCF Indicator at ASYE level
Values and Ethics
2.4 Demonstrate respectful partnership work with service users and carers, eliciting and respecting their needs and views,
and promoting their participation in decision making wherever possible.
2.5 Recognise and promote individuals rights to autonomy and self-determination
Diversity
3.1 Identify and take account of the significance of diversity and discrimination on the lives of people, and show application of
this understanding in your practice
Rights, Justice and Economic Wellbeing
4.1 Begin to integrate principles of and entitlements to social justice, social inclusion and equality in your analysis and
practice, by identifying factors that contribute to inequality and exclusion, and supporting people to pursue options to enhance
their well-being.
4.5 Empower service users through recognising their rights and enable access where appropriate to independent advocacy
Knowledge
5.2 Demonstrate knowledge and application of appropriate legal and policy frameworks and guidance that inform and
mandate social work practice. Apply legal reasoning, using professional legal expertise and advice appropriately, recognising
where scope for professional judgement exists.
5.5 Recognise how systemic approaches can be used to understand the person-in-the-environment and inform your practice
5.7 Understand forms of harm and their impact on people and the implications for practice, drawing on concepts of strength,
resilience, vulnerability, risk and resistance, and apply to practice.
5.9 Demonstrate a critical understanding of social welfare policy, its evolution, implementation and impact on people, social
work, other professions, and interagency working.
Intervention and Skills
7.1 Use a range of methods to engage and communicate effectively with service users, eliciting the needs, wishes and
feelings of all those involved, taking account of situations where these are not explicitly expressed.
7.2 Demonstrate clear communication of evidence based professional reasoning, judgements and decisions, to professional
and non-professional audiences.
7.3 Build and use effective relationships with a wide range of people, networks, communities and professionals to improve
outcomes, showing an ability to manage resistance.
7.4 Use appropriate assessment frameworks, applying information gathering skills to make and contribute to assessments,
whilst continuing to build relationships and offer support
7.9 Share information consistently in ways that meet legal, ethical and agency requirements
7.10 Recognise complexity, multiple factors, changing circumstances and uncertainty in people’s lives; be able to prioritise
your intervention.
7.13 Demonstrate application of principles and practice for safeguarding adults and children including consideration of
potential abuse. Apply strategies that aim to reduce and prevent harm and abuse.
Contexts and Organisations
8.2 Proactively engage with colleagues, and a range of organisations to identify, assess, plan and support to the needs of
service users and communities.
8.3 Understand legal obligations, structures and behaviours within organisations and how these impact on policy, procedure
and practice.
3HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council
Knowledge and Skills level
PCF Indicator at ASYE level
Abuse and neglect of
children
Values and Ethics
2.2 Recognise and manage the impact of your own values on professional practice.
2.3 Recognise and manage conflicting values and ethical dilemmas to arrive at principled decisions
2.4 Demonstrate respectful partnership work with service users and carers, eliciting and respecting their needs
and views, and promoting their participation in decision making wherever possible.
2.6 Promote and protect the privacy of individuals within and outside their families and networks, recognising
the requirements of professional accountability and information sharing.
Diversity
3.2 Recognise oppression and discrimination by individuals or organisations and implement appropriate
strategies to challenge
3.3 Identify the impact of the power invested in your role on relationships and your intervention, and be able to
adapt your practice accordingly.
Rights, Justice and Economic Wellbeing
4.4 Recognise the impact of poverty and social exclusion and promote enhanced economic status through
access to education, work, housing, health service s and welfare benefit.
4.5 Empower service users through recognising their rights and enable access where appropriate to
independent advocacy
Knowledge
5.2 Demonstrate knowledge and application of appropriate legal and policy frameworks and guidance that
inform and mandate social work practice. Apply legal reasoning, using professional legal expertise and advice
appropriately, recognising where scope for professional judgement exists.
5.4 Recognise the short and long term impact of psychological, socio-economic, environmental and
physiological factors on people’s lives, taking into account age and development, and how this informs practice.
5.5 Recognise how systemic approaches can be used to understand the person-in-the-environment and inform
your practice
5.6 Acknowledge the centrality of relationships for people, and the key concepts of attachment, separation,
loss, change and resilience
5.7 Understand forms of harm and their impact on people, and the implications for practice, drawing on
concepts of strength, resilience, vulnerability, risk and resistance, and apply to practice.
5.9 Demonstrate a critical understanding of social welfare policy, its evolution, implementation and impact on
people, social work, other professions and inter-agency working.
5.10 Recognise the contribution, and begin to make use of, research to inform practice.
5.12 Value and take account of the expertise of service users, carers and professionals.
Critical reflection and Analysis
6.2 Use reflective practice techniques to evaluate and critically analyse information, gained from a variety of
sources, to construct and test hypotheses and make explicit evidence-informed decisions.
Intervention and Skills
Be able to recognise: the risk indicators of
different forms of harm to children including
sexual, physical and emotional abuse and
neglect; the impact of cumulative harm,
particularly in relation to early indicators of
neglect; take account of harmful practices in
specific communities such as female genital
mutilation and enforced marriage; and the
full range of adult behaviours which pose a
risk to children, recognising too the potential
for children to be perpetrators of abuse.
Explain the concept of good enough
parenting within the historical, cultural,
political and social dimensions of parental
abuse and neglect, the relationship between
poverty and social deprivation, and the
impact of stress on family functioning; be
able to hold a compassionate position about
difficult social circumstances providing help
and support; acknowledge any conflict
between parental and children’s interests,
prioritising the protection of children
whenever necessary.
4HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council
7.1 Use a range of methods to engage and communicate effectively with service users, eliciting the needs,
wishes and feelings of all those involved
7.2 Demonstrate clear communication of evidence-based professional reasoning, judgements and decisions, to
professional and non-professional audiences.
7.3 Build and use effective relationships with a wide range of people, networks, communities and professionals
to improve outcomes, showing an ability to manage resistance.
7.4 Use appropriate assessment frameworks, applying information gathering skills to make and contribute to
assessments, whilst continuing to build relationships and offer support
7.5 Select, use and review appropriate and timely social work interventions, informed by evidence of their
effectiveness that are best suited to the service user(s), family, carer, setting and self
7.6 Use a planned and structured approach, informed by social work methods, models and tools, to promote
positive change and independence and to prevent harm.
7.8 Record information in a timely, respectful and accurate manner. Write records and reports for a variety of
purposes with language suited to function, using information management systems. Distinguish fact from
opinion, and record conflicting views and perspectives.
7.9 Share information consistently in ways that meet legal, ethical and agency requirements
7.10 Recognise complexity, multiple factors, changing circumstances and uncertainty in people’s lives, be able
to prioritise your intervention
7.11 Use authority appropriately in your role
7.12 Demonstrate understanding of and respond to risk factors in your practice. Contribute to the assessment
and management of risk, including strategies for reducing risk, distinguishing levels of risk for different
situations.
7.13 Demonstrate application of principles for safeguarding adults and children including consideration of
potential abuse. Apply strategies that aim to reduce and prevent harm and abuse.
Contexts and Organisations
8.2 Proactively engage with colleagues, and a range of organisations to identify, assess, plan and support to
the needs of service users and communities.
8.3 Understand legal obligations, structures and behaviours within organisations and how these impact on
policy, procedure and practice.
5HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council
Knowledge and Skills level
PCF Indicator at ASYE level
Effective direct work with children and Professionalism
1.2 Be able to explain the role of the social worker in a range of contexts and uphold the reputation of the
families
Build purposeful, effective relationships with
children and families, which are both
authoritative and compassionate;
demonstrate a high level of skill in evidence
based, effective social work approaches to
helping children and families which support
change.
Be able to support children and families
flexibly in transition, including moving
children from home to foster care and return
back home, moving into adoptive
placements, into independence, and
understanding the impact of loss and
change.
Be able to communicate clearly, sensitively
and effectively using best evidence methods
with children of different ages and abilities,
their families and the professional system in
ways which are engaging, motivating,
respectfully challenging and effective even
when people are perceived to be angry,
hostile and resistant to change.
profession
1.3 Make pro-active use of supervision to reflect critically on practice, explore different approaches to your
work, support your development across the nine capabilities and understand the boundaries of
professional accountability
1.6 Demonstrate professionalism in terms of presentation, demeanour, reliability, honesty and
respectfulness.
Values and Ethics
2.4 Demonstrate respectful partnership work with service users and carers, eliciting and respecting their
needs and views, and promoting their participation in decision making wherever possible
Diversity
3.1 Identify and take account of the significance of diversity and discrimination on the lives of people, and
show application of this understanding in your practice
3.3 Identify the impact of the power invested in your role on relationships and your intervention, and be
able to adapt your practice accordingly
Knowledge
5.12 Value and take account of the expertise of service users, carers and professionals
Critical Reflection
6.1 Show creativity in tackling and solving problems, by considering a range of options to solve dilemmas.
Intervention and Skills
7.1 Use a range of methods to engage and communicate effectively with service users, eliciting the needs,
wishes and feelings of all those involved, taking account of situations where these are not explicitly
expressed.
7.3 Build and use effective relationships with a wide range of people, networks, communities and
professionals to improve outcomes, showing an ability to manage resistance.
7.5 Select, use and review appropriate and timely social work interventions, informed by evidence of their
effectiveness, that are best suited to the service user(s), family, carer, setting and self.
7.7 Recognise how the development of community resources, groups and networks enhance outcomes for
individuals.
6HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council
Knowledge and Skills level
Child and family assessment
Carry out in-depth and ongoing family
assessment of social need and risk to
children with particular emphasis on
parental capacity and capability to
change; effectively using child
observation skills, genograms,
ecomaps, chronologies and evidence
based tools; and ensuring active child
and family participation in the process
and knowing the contributions that
other professional disciplines make to
social work assessments.
Recognise behaviours which may
indicate disguised compliance,
resistance to change, ambivalent or
selective cooperation with services,
and be able to recognise the need for
immediate action, and what steps can
be taken to protect children.
PCF Indicator at ASYE level
Professionalism
1.2 Be able to explain the role of the social worker in a range of contexts, and uphold the reputation of the profession.
1.3 Make pro active use of supervision to reflect critically on practice, explore different approaches to your work,
support your development across the nine capabilities and understand the boundaries of professional accountability.
Values and Ethics
2.3 Recognise and manage conflicting values and ethical dilemmas to arrive at principled decisions.
2.4 Demonstrate respectful partnership work with service users and carers, eliciting and respecting their needs and
views, and promoting their participation in decision making wherever possible.
2.6 Promote and protect the privacy of individuals within and outside their families and networks, recognising the
requirements of professional accountability and information sharing.
Diversity
3.3 Identify the impact of the power invested in your role on relationships and your intervention, and be able to adapt
your practice accordingly.
Rights, Justice and Economic Wellbeing
4.1 Begin to integrate principles of and entitlements to social justice, social inclusion and equality in you analysis and
practice, by identifying factors that contribute to inequality and exclusion, and supporting people to pursue options to
enhance their well-being.
Knowledge (cuts across all indicators, but mainly)
5.4 Recognise the short and long term impact of psychological, socio-economic, environmental and physiological
factors on people’s lives, taking into account age and development, and how this informs practice.
5.5 Recognise how systemic approaches can be used to understand the person-in-the-environment and inform your
practice
5.7 Understand forms of harm and their impact on people, and the implications for practice, drawing on concepts of
strength, resilience, vulnerability, risk and resistance, and apply to practice.
5.12 Value and take account of the expertise of service users, carers and professionals.
Critical Reflection and Analysis
6.2 Use reflective practice techniques to evaluate and critically analyse information, gained from a variety of sources,
to construct and test hypotheses, and make explicit evidence informed decisions.
Intervention and Skills (cuts across all indicators, but mainly)
7.1 Use a range of methods to engage and communicate effectively with service users, eliciting the needs, wishes
and feelings of all those involved, taking account of situations where these are not explicitly expressed.
7.2 Demonstrate clear communication of evidence based professional reasoning, judgements and decisions to
professional and non-professional audiences.
7.3 Build and use effective relationships with a wide range of people, networks, communities and professionals, to
improve outcomes, showing an ability to manage resistance.
7.4 Use appropriate assessment frameworks, applying information gathering skills to make and contribute to
assessments, whilst continuing to build relationships and offer support.
7HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council
7.5 Select, use and review appropriate and timely social work interventions, informed by evidence of their
effectiveness, that are best suited to the service users(s), family, carers, setting and self.
7.6 Use a planned and structured approach, informed by social work methods, models and tools, to promote positive
change and independence to prevent harm.
7.8 Record information in a timely, respectful and accurate manner. Write records and reports, for a variety of
purposes with language suited to function, using information management systems, Distinguish fact from opinion, and
record conflicting views and perspectives.
7.12 Demonstrate understanding of and respond to risk factors in your practice. Contribute to the assessment and
management of risk, including strategies for reducing risk, distinguishing levels of risk for different situations.
7.13 Demonstrate application of principles and practice for safeguarding adults and children including consideration
of potential abuse. Apply strategies that aim to reduce and prevent harm and abuse.
Contexts and Organisations
8.2 Proactively engage with colleagues, and a range of organisations to identify, assess, plan and support the needs
of service users and communities.
8HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council
Knowledge and Skills level
Analysis, decision-making, planning
and review
Explain the essential use of multiple
hypotheses, the role of intuition and logic in
decision-making, the difference between
opinion and fact, the role of evidence, how to
address common bias in situations of
uncertainty and the reasoning of any
conclusions reached and recommendations
made.
Critically evaluate: levels of seriousness that
different risks present, actual and likelihood
of significant harm, balanced with family
strengths and potential solutions; set out the
most relevant options for resolving the
difficulties facing the family and each child,
considering seriousness and consequences;
be able to set out realistic plans within a
review timeline which will reduce identified
risks and meet the needs of the child,
ensuring sufficient multi-disciplinary input
into the process and at all stages.
Demonstrate effective care planning for
children, including those in public care, by
applying knowledge of a child’s wide ranging
needs, including health and education, to the
planning cycle ensuring active participation
and positive engagement of the child and
family
PCF Indicator at ASYE level
Professionalism
1.2 Be able to explain the role of the social worker in a range of contexts, and uphold the reputation of the
profession.
1.3 Make pro active use of supervision to reflect critically on practice, explore different approaches to your
work, support your development across the nine capabilities and understand the boundaries of professional
accountability.
Values and Ethics
2.1 Understand and apply the profession’s ethical principles and legislation, taking account of these in
reaching decisions
2.2 Recognise and manage the impact of your own values on professional practice
2.3 Recognise and manage conflicting values and ethical dilemmas to arrive at principled decisions.
2.4 Demonstrate respectful partnership work with service users and carers, eliciting and respecting their
needs and views, and promoting their participation in decision making wherever possible.
Diversity
3.1 Identify and take into account of the significance of diversity and discrimination on the lives of people and
show application of this understanding in your practice
Rights, Justice and Economic Wellbeing
4.1 Begin to integrate principles of and entitlements to social justice, social inclusion and equality in your
analysis and practice, by identifying factors that contribute to inequality and exclusion, and supporting people
to pursue options to enhance their well-being.
4.2 Address oppression and discrimination applying the law to protect and advance people’s rights,
recognising how legislation can constrain or advance these rights.
Knowledge
5.1 Consolidate, develop and demonstrate comprehensive understanding and application of the knowledge
gained in your initial training, and knowledge related to your specialist area of practice, including critical
awareness of current issues and new evidence based research.
5.2 Demonstrate knowledge and application of appropriate legal and policy frameworks and guidance that
inform and mandate social work practice. Apply legal reasoning, using professional legal expertise and
advice appropriately, recognising where scope for professional judgement exists.
5.7 Understand forms of harm and their impact on people, and the implications for practice, drawing on
concepts of strength, resilience, vulnerability, risk and resistance, and apply to practice.
5.10 Recognise the contribution and begin to make use of research to inform practice
5.11 Demonstrate a critical understanding of research methods.
Critical Reflection and Analysis
6.1 Show creativity in tackling and solving problems, by considering a range of options to solve dilemmas.
6.2 Use reflective practice techniques to evaluate and critically analyse information, gained from a variety of
sources, to construct and test hypotheses and make explicit evidence informed decisions.
9HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council
Intervention and Skills
7.1 Use a range of methods to engage and communicate effectively with service users, eliciting the needs,
wishes and feelings of all those involved, taking account of situations where these are not explicitly
expressed.
7.2 Demonstrate clear communication of evidence based professional reasoning, judgements and decisions
to professional and non-professional audiences.
7.5 Select, use and review appropriate and timely social work interventions, informed by evidence of their
effectiveness, that are best suited to the service users(s), family, carers, setting and self.
7.6 Use a planned and structured approach, informed by social work methods, models and tools, to promote
positive change and independence to prevent harm.
7.8 Record information in a timely, respectful and accurate manner. Write records and reports, for a variety of
purposes with language suited to function, using information management systems, Distinguish fact from
opinion, and record conflicting views and perspectives.
7.12 Demonstrate understanding of and respond to risk factors in your practice. Contribute to the assessment
and management of risk, including strategies for reducing risk, distinguishing levels of risk for different
situations.
7.13 Demonstrate application of principles and practice for safeguarding adults and children including
consideration of potential abuse. Apply strategies that aim to reduce and prevent harm and abuse.
Contexts and Organisations
8.2 Proactively engage with colleagues, and a range of organisations to identify, assess, plan and support the
needs of service users and communities.
8.4 Be able to work within an organisations remit and contribute to its evaluation and development
8.5 Understand and respect the role of others within the organisation and work effectively with them.
10HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council
Knowledge and Skills level
PCF Indicator at ASYE level
The law and the family justice system
Professionalism
1.2 Be able to explain the role of the social worker in a range of contexts, and uphold the reputation of
the profession
Values and Ethics
2.1 Understand and apply the professions ethical principles and legislation, taking account of these in
reaching decisions.
Rights, Justice and Economic Wellbeing
4.2 Address oppression and discrimination applying the law to protect and advance people’s rights,
recognising how legislation can constrain or advance these rights.
4.3 Apply in practice principles of human, civil rights and equalities legislation, and manage competing
rights, differing needs and perspectives.
Knowledge
5.2 Demonstrate knowledge and application of appropriate legal and policy frameworks and guidance
that inform and mandate social work practice. Apply legal reasoning, using professional legal expertise
and advice appropriately, recognising where scope for professional judgement exists.
Intervention and Skills
7.9 Share information consistently in ways that meet legal, ethical and agency requirements.
Contexts and Organisations
8.1 Taking account of legal, operational and policy contexts, pro-actively engage with your own
organisation and contribute to its evaluation and development.
8.3 Understand legal obligations, structures and behaviours within organisations and how these impact
on policy, procedure and practice.
Explain how the family justice system works
in England and the role of the child & family
social worker within that; understand the key
legal powers and duties to support families,
to protect children and to look after children
in the public care system, including the full
range of permanence options including
adoption; understand other key legislation
including mental health assessment and
competency, disability, youth crime,
education including special needs, data
protection and information exchange.
Understand how relevant regulation and
statutory guidance relates to the law, and
understand the complex relationship
between ethical professional practice and the
application of the law and the impact of
social policy on both.
11HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council
Knowledge and Skills level
Professional ethics
Demonstrate the principles of social work
through professional judgement, decisionmaking and actions within a framework of
professional accountability; how to manage
competing interests of parents and children
effectively, ensuring that children’s interests
are always paramount, whilst working
collaboratively with parents and extended
family whenever possible; how to
acknowledge the tensions inherent in having
a dual role of care and control on behalf of
the state; and the ability to promote
autonomy and self-determination within a
framework of the child’s best interests as
paramount.
Know how to demonstrate professionalism
through personal attitude and behaviours; be
able to evaluate critically the impact of one’s
own belief system on current practice, taking
responsibility for one’s own practice and
development; safeguarding the reputation of
the profession and be accountable to the
professional regulator.
PCF Indicator at ASYE level
Professionalism
1.1 Be able to meet the requirements of the professional regulator
1.3Make proactive use of supervision to reflect critically on practice, explore different approaches to your
work, support your development across the nine capabilities and understand the boundaries of professional
accountability.
1.4 Demonstrate workload management skills and develop the ability to prioritise
1.5 Recognise and balance your own personal/ professional boundaries in response to changing and more
complex contexts
1.6 Demonstrate professionalism in terms of presentation, demeanour, reliability, honesty and
respectfulness.
1.7 Identify your learning needs; assume responsibility for improving your practice through appropriate
professional development.
Values and Ethics
2.1 Understand and apply the profession’s ethical principles and legislation, taking account of these in
reaching decisions
2.2 Recognise, and manage the impact of your own values on professional practice.
2.3 Recognise and manage conflicting values and ethical dilemmas to arrive at principled decisions
2.4 Demonstrate respectful partnership work with service users and carers, eliciting and respecting their
needs and views, and promoting their participation in decision making wherever possible.
2.5 Recognise and promote individuals rights to autonomy and self-determination
2.6 Promote and protect the privacy of individuals within and outside their families and networks,
recognising the requirements of professional accountability and information sharing.
Diversity
3.3 Identify the impact of the power invested in your role on relationships and your intervention, and be able
to adapt your practice accordingly
Intervention and Skills (cuts across all indicators, but mainly)
7.3 Build and use effective relationships with a wide range of people, networks, communities, and
professionals to improve outcomes, showing an ability to manage resistance.
7.8 Record information in a timely, respectful and accurate manner. Write records and reports, for a variety
of purposes with language suited to function, using information management systems. Distinguish fact from
opinion, and record conflicting views and perspectives.
7.9 Share information consistently in ways that meet legal, ethical and agency requirements.
7.11 Use authority appropriately in your role.
Contexts and Organisations
8.5 Understand and respect the role of others within the organisation and work effectively with them
12HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council
8.6 Work effectively as a member of a team, demonstrating the ability to develop and maintain appropriate
professional and interprofessional relationships, managing challenge and conflict with support.
Professional leadership
9.1 Show the capacity for leading practice through the manner in which you conduct your professional role,
your contribution to supervision and to team meetings.
13HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council
Knowledge and Skills level
The role of supervision and research
Recognise own professional limitations and
how and when to seek advice from a range
of sources, including named supervisors,
senior social workers and other clinical
practitioners from a range of disciplines such
as psychiatry, paediatrics and psychology;
demonstrate effective use of opportunities to
discuss, debate, reflect upon and test
hypotheses about what is happening within
families, for children; and how to resolve
tensions emerging from, for example, ethical
dilemmas or conflicting information or
differing professional positions.
Demonstrate a critical understanding of the
difference between theory, research,
evidence and expertise and the role of
professional judgement within that; how to
utilise research skills in assessment and
analysis; how to identify which methods will
be of help for a specific child or family and
the limitations of different approaches; and
how to make effective use of the best
evidence from research to inform the
complex judgements and decisions needed
to support families and protect children.
PCF Indicator at ASYE level
Professionalism
1.3 Make proactive use of supervision to reflect critically on practice, explore different approaches to your
work, support your development across the nine capabilities and understand the boundaries of professional
accountability.
1.5 Recognise and balance your own personal/ professional boundaries in response to changing and more
complex contexts.
1.7 Identify your learning needs, assume responsibility for improving your practice through appropriate
professional development.
Values and Ethics
2.3 Recognise and manage conflicting values and ethical dilemmas to arrive at principled decisions.
Knowledge (cuts across most indicators, but mainly)
5.1 Consolidate, develop and demonstrate comprehensive understanding and application of the knowledge
gained in your initial training, and knowledge related to your specialise area of practice, including critical
awareness of current issues and new evidence based practice research.
5.10 Recognise the contribution and begin to make use of research to inform practice.
5.11 Demonstrate a critical understanding of research methods.
Critical Reflection and Analysis
6.2 Use reflective practice techniques to evaluate and critically analyse information, gained from a variety of
sources, to construct and test hypotheses and make explicit evidence informed decisions.
Contexts and organisations
8.2 Proactively engage with colleagues, and a range of organisations to identify, plan and support the needs
of service users and communities.
8.6 Work effectively as a member of a team, demonstrating the ability to develop and maintain appropriate
professional and interprofessional relationships, managing challenge and conflict with support
Professional Leadership
9.1 Show the capacity for leading practice through the manner in which you conduct your professional role,
your contribution to supervision and to team meetings.
14HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council
Knowledge and Skills level
Organisational context
Operate successfully in a wide range of
organisational contexts, including settings
undertaking statutory activity, understanding
that the success or failure of the social
worker depends on the operation of
organisations and also in spite of it; that
checks and balances within local and
national systems are a necessity which must
be complied with as a condition of
employment, and that learning is used to
assist in practice development; that quality of
relationships and reputation management
with peers, managers and leaders both
within the profession, throughout multiagency partnerships and public bodies,
including the family courts, is an essential
component of successful support to families
and protection of children.
Be able to manage the specific set of tasks
relating to statutory case responsibility for
children in need and children in public care,
with the support of an appropriately qualified
supervisor; and ensuring that the leadership
of the multi-agency support network is
properly utilised and effective, taking
necessary steps to safeguard children’s
welfare, where this is not the case
PCF Indicator at ASYE level
Professionalism
1.2 Be able to explain the role of the social worker in a range of contexts, and uphold the reputation of the
profession
1.3 Make proactive use of supervision to reflect critically on practice, explore different approaches to your
work, support your development across the nine capabilities and understand the boundaries of
professional accountability.
1.4 Demonstrate workload management skills and develop the ability to prioritise.
1.7 Identify your learning needs; assume responsibility for improving your practice through appropriate
professional development.
1.8 Develop ways to promote wellbeing at work, identifying strategies to protect and promote your own wellbeing and the well-being of others.
1.9 Identify and implement strategies for responding appropriately to concerns about practice or procedures,
seeking guidance if required.
Diversity
3.2 Recognise oppression and discrimination by individuals or organisations and implement appropriate
strategies to challenge
Critical Reflection and Analysis
6.2 Use reflective practice techniques to evaluate and critically analyse information, gained from a variety of
sources, to construct and test hypotheses, and make explicit evidence informed decisions
Intervention and Skills
7.2 Demonstrate clear communication of evidence based professional reasoning, judgements and decisions,
to professional and non-professional audiences.
7.8 Record information in a timely, respectful and accurate manner. Write records and reports, for a variety of
purposes with language suited to function, using information management systems. Distinguish fact from
opinion and record conflicting views and perspectives.
Contexts and Organisations
8.1 Taking account of legal, operational and policy contexts, proactively engage with your own organisation
and contribute to its evaluation and development
8.2 Proactively engage with colleagues, and a range of organisations to identify, assess, plan and support the
needs of service users and communities
8.3 Understand legal obligations, structures and behaviours within organisations and how these impact on
policy, procedure and practice.
8.4 Be able to work within an organisations remit and contribute to its evaluation and development
8.5 Understand and respect the role of others within the organisation and work effectively with them.
8.6 Work effectively as a member of a team, demonstrating the ability to develop and maintain appropriate
professional and inter-professional relationships, managing challenge and conflict with support.
Professional Leadership
15HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council
9.1 Show the capacity for leading practice through the manner in which you conduct your professional role,
your contribution to supervision and to team meetings.
16HF and LPM V1 Staffordshire County Council