HCPC standards of proficiency for social work
Understanding how the Health and Care Professions Council 'standards of proficiency for social work' relate to the PCF
In August 2012, the regulation of social workers in England transferred from the General Social Care Council (GSCC) to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
As part of its provisions for the transfer, the HCPC was required to develop standards of proficiency for social workers in England. At the same time, the Social Work Reform Board and The College developed the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF).
The HCPC's standards of proficiency are the threshold standards necessary for safe and effective practice within a profession. They set out what a social worker in England must know, understand and be able to do following the completion of their social work degree.
Alongside the standards of proficiency, the HCPC also sets separate standards for conduct, performance and ethics and for continuing professional development. Social workers in England must meet the HCPC's standards to stay on the Register. The HCPC uses these standards to decide whether a social worker is fit to practice.
By contrast, the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) is designed to support social workers throughout each stage of their career, beyond the threshold standards set by the HCPC. The PCF acts as an overarching framework by setting out key capabilities expected of a social worker as they develop in their career. These include professionalism, values and ethics, knowledge, intervention and skills and professional leadership.
The HCPC and The College have mapped the standards against the PCF expectations for social work students at the end of their last placement. While there are some differences in the way the standards and PCF are expressed, the overall expectations are the same. The language is slightly different, but the expectation is the same.
For example:
3.3: PCF: Recognise and manage the impact on people of the power invested in your role,
directly correlates with;
2.8: SoPS: Recognise the power dynamics in relationships with service users and carers and be able to manage those dynamics appropriately.
What this means for students is that even though your social work course will be 'constructed' using the PCF, you can be confident that if you can evidence that you meet the capabilities of the PCF at the end of last placement/qualifying level, you should be able to evidence how you meet the Standards of Proficiency as well.
