Social work educators’ body responds to BBC investigation that found third of courses did not deliver specific training in coercive control, prompting call from Domestic Abuse Commissioner for it to become mandatory
It is not the job of pre-qualifying social work courses to train social workers in specialist areas of practice, academic leaders have said.
The Joint Universities Social Work Association (JUSWA) issued the statement in response to a BBC investigation that found that 37% of courses in England did not deliver specific training for students on coercive and controlling behaviour, in the context of domestic abuse.
Coercive and/or controlling behaviour, such as dictating what a person does or wears or preventing them from accessing their finances, is common in domestic abuse, and often a driver of serious violence by perpetrators (source: Home Office domestic abuse statutory guidance).
Lack of coercive control training ‘baffling’ – commissioner
The BBC’s findings were described as “baffling” by sector watchdog the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, who called for such training to be made mandatory on pre-qualifying courses.
Nicole Jacobs told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme (28 August 2024) that social workers had told her that they were “not entering their roles with the kind of training they need to feel confident to support child and adult victims of domestic abuse because they are not getting it in their course work”.
She added: “Social work in England and Wales today is such that, from day one, you’re going to be really thrown into the deep end. It’s not as if you’re going to have some prolonged period of induction and training that gives you that kind of confidence.”
Jacobs added that social workers being unable to recognise the signs of coercive control could lead to victim-blaming, an experience shared by a domestic abuse survivor interviewed by the BBC.
In response to the story, JUSWA chair Professor Janet Melville-Wiseman said the BBC article “drew attention to some critically important concerns about how well coercive control is understood by those intervening with children and families that are affected by domestic violence”.
University remit ‘does not cover specialised practice’
However, she criticised its focus on pre-qualifying social work education.
“Initial education does not claim or have a remit to prepare newly qualified social workers to be “thrown into the deep end” of what should be regarded as highly specialised practice,” said Melville-Wiseman.
Courses’ role was to prepare students for all areas of social work practice as part of a generic approach, including by covering underpinning theories, the law and concepts such as discrimination and intersectionality, including in relation to domestic abuse, she added.
Following this, graduates would continue their learning and be protected from “high-risk work” during their assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE).
“For that reason, we believe that being fully trained in coercive control is specialist practice and should be primarily delivered as part of post-qualifying study. The issue is too important to think it can be adequately covered at pre-registration level.”
A spokesperson for the Domestic Abuse Commissioner clarified that she wanted to see coercive and controlling behaviour “to be a part of pre-qualifying training courses as well as post-qualifying training to maintain a high level of knowledge”, though stressed that the BBC story was focused on initial social work education.
What existing social work standards say
Social Work England’s education and training standards, which higher education institutions are required to meet, do not cover particular practice areas but state that courses should “enable students to develop the required behaviours, skills, knowledge and understanding to meet the professional standards”.
The professional standards themselves are also generic, for example, requiring practitioners registered with Social Work England to “demonstrate good subject knowledge on key aspects of social work practice and develop knowledge of current issues in society and social policies impacting on social work”.
By the end of their ASYE, practitioners in England are expected to meet the post-qualifying standards for child and family practitioners or the knowledge and skills statement for social workers in adult services, as relevant. Both require an understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on children and families or adults, but neither goes into further detail nor references coercive and controlling behaviour.
Forthcoming Social Work England guidance
Social Work England is due to shortly publish new guidance for education providers on the knowledge, skills and behaviours expected of students at the point of qualification to ensure they are practice ready.
Chief executive Colum Conway said the readiness for professional practice guidance would “make clear that social workers will need to be able to “understand signs of harm, exploitation, neglect, abuse, domestic abuse, and coercive or controlling behaviour, recognising their impact on people, families, and communities”.
He added that the guidance had been informed by feedback from the Domestic Abuse Commissioner.
In relation to the regulator’s education and training standards, Conway added: “Our current standards were set out in 2019, but we are committed to routinely reviewing them to ensure they are fit for purpose. We are undertaking a comprehensive review and public consultation on these standards in 2025, where issues such as the placement of coercive and controlling behaviour could be considered for more explicit reference.”
‘Increasing demands’ on social work course providers
In its response to the debate, the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) England raised concerns about the pressures on social work course providers relative to their resource levels.
“Social work education courses provide a theoretical foundation and placement-based experience for students in diverse settings, including a focus on statute, social policy, critical analysis, research, ethics, values and relationship based social work,” said national director for BASW England Maris Stratulis.
“There are increasing demand across the HEI sector to deliver more and more within a context of under resourcing and non-equitable social work education funding streams.”
This is likely a reference to the superior levels of public funding for students on fast-track courses Approach Social Work (run by Frontline), Step Up to Social Work and Think Ahead, compared with those on university courses.
“The regulator, government, employers, the HEI sector and other stakeholders have a responsibility to provide conducive education and progressive learning environments for students and qualified social workers – this does not happen without sustainable funding and investment,” Stratulis added.
For the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, workforce policy committee chair Nicola Curley said ongoing training and practice development was necessary to enable social workers to meet the needs of children and families and prevent harm.
“Sadly, all forms of domestic abuse are a significant feature of this work with children and families and ADCS will continue to collaborate with the Department for Education on its reform programmes to enhance the skills of our workforce in the best interests of the children and families we serve,” she added.
