First of all, it is important to note that the GSCC has two quite separate registers: the Professional Register - to confirm qualification and title as a professional social worker, which is not affected by the revised PQ framework; and the PQ Register, which is the GSCC database in relation to post-qualifying awards, from which candidates are being asked to withdraw by January 2008, so that the existing framework can be brought to a close and the revised PQ framework can become fully effective.

 

Each PQ consortium will have arrangements for tracking its registrants during this transitional period and candidates should contact the consortium in the area in which they work or if not employed, in the area in which they live to check whether or not they are registered for an award and, if so, to agree an individual way forward to completion, withdrawal or transfer.  You can also contact the GSCC direct to check your registration number for a PQ award.

 

It is expected that candidates will withdraw from the current framework at the latest by January 2008.  Each consortium will have a process to confirm the agreement of registrants to withdraw from the current system and candidates should contact the PQ consortium with which they are registered for details as soon as possible, to advise them of their intentions and to agree an individual timetable.

 

It is an underpinning principle of the revised framework that candidates should be able to transfer all relevant learning from the existing system into the revised PQ framework.  However, decisions about credit in the revised framework for part achievement of the current awards will rest with individual universities.  Precise details about what can be transferred and the processes by which this can be achieved will be the subject of an individual application by the prospective student to the provider of each new programme.  Universities and colleges will have arrangements for the accreditation of prior learning for each programme of study approved within the revised PQ framework and candidates should make contact with their chosen programme provider at an early stage for individual discussion about the transfer of both professional and academic credits.  You can access some more information about the Accreditation of prior Certificated or Experiential Learning by clicking this link.

 

All candidates should discuss their options wherever possible with their employer and should notify the PQ consortium with which they are registered about their intentions and the likely timetable for completion of an award.

 

All awards must be completed by January 2008 and successful outcomes notified to GSCC at the latest by 27 September 2008

 

This does mean that careful consideration should be given to the length of courses and the volume of work required for successful completion of any particular award between now and final closure in January 2008.  For example, it may be realistic to expect to achieve successful assessment for one outstanding requirement, but where there are several 'gaps', candidates would be well advised to consult with their employer and relevant course providers.

 

The following table illustrates a range of local programmes which have been accredited with the existing framework and which carry professional credits only or joint academic credits.

 

		Credits		Requirements
Programme	Provider	Academic	Professional	PQ1	PQ2	PQ3	PQ4	PQ5	PQ6
Practice Teaching Award	Far SW PLC Assessed before 1996	0	0
Practice Teaching Award	Far SW PLC Assessed after 1996		60		ü		ü	ü	ü
Practice Teaching Award	Far SW PLC/Plymouth University Assessed after 2003	60	60		ü		ü	ü	ü
Practice Teaching Award	National Accreditation Assessed after 1996	0	60					ü	ü
Placement Supervisor Cert	Far SW PLC/Plymouth University Assessed after 2003	0	20						ü
Approved Social Worker Training (ASW)	National Accreditation Assessed after 1996	0	60		ü	ü	ü	ü
Approved Social Worker Training (ASW)	SW England ASW Consortium Assessed June 1998 - Dec 2002	0	60	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Mental Health Social Work Award (MHSWA)	SW England ASW Consortium/Bournemouth University	60	60		ü	ü	ü	ü
PQ6	SW England ASW Consortium/Bournemouth University	20	20						ü
PQ1	Bournemouth University	40	40	ü
PQ1 in Children & Families	Exeter	0	40	ü
Child Care Award CCA	Peninsula Child Care Partnership 2000/2004	0	80		ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
BSc Professional Studies Module 1/PQ1	University of Plymouth Assessed 2005 onwards	40	40	ü
BSc Professional Studies Module 2-6/CCA	University of Plymouth Assessed 2005 onwards	80	80		ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Regulation of Care Services Award (RCSA)	Anglia Polytechnic University	80	80		ü	ü	ü	ü	ü

 

  

Many candidates have registered for the full PQSW award and achieved the PQ1 certificate.  Some candidates have gone on to other awards for which PQ1 is the entry requirement but because some employers have used PQ1 as part of their workforce development strategy, there are now a considerable number of candidates with a PQ1 certificate who have not progressed any further.

 

In this circumstance, there are five requirements outstanding to complete (PQ2 - PQ6) and candidates have two options:

 

(i)      to discuss with their employer a route to meet the outstanding requirements by January 2008; or

(ii)     to withdraw from the existing framework and carry the PQ1 learning outcomes into the revised framework.

 

The GSCC will make sure that all universities have arrangements in place to allow candidates who hold PQ1 to obtain credit against the learning outcomes of the consolidation module in a Specialist level programme.

 

Some candidates may have completed other parts of the PQW e.g. successfully completed a course which is accredited for PQ2 & 3.  Whilst it should be possible for candidates who only have partial completions of the PQSW to get credit towards the new framework, this will inevitably be more complicated and will be dependent on credit assessment by individual universities, offering new courses.

 

From the table of programmes, it will be seen that there are a variety of ways in which candidates may successfully achieve all six requirements (PQ1 - PQ6 inclusive) for the award of a full PQSW.  It is the candidate's responsibility to maintain their own record of achievement and to make a claim to the PQ consortium for the PQSW certificate when all professional requirements have been met.

 

Where a candidate has successfully completed assessments which together meet all six requirements for the full PQSW, they need to submit to the PQ Consortium a copy certificate, together with a transcript from each programme, signed by the course tutor, which confirms the date of assessment and the PQ requirements which have been successfully met.

 

Through the Consortium's assessment process, a recommendation will then be passed to the GSCC for the award of a full PQSW certificate.