Post qualifying training in Northern
Ireland provides continuous
professional and academic
development opportunities for social
work managers and practitioners
and service users and carers.
This has the potential for greater
acquisition of the necessary
research skills and knowledge for
application across the spectrum of
research, evaluation, review and
audit activities.
All staff in social work and social
care posts must be on the social
work and social care professional
register held by Northern Ireland
Social Care Council (hereafter
referred to as the Social Care
Council). The Social Care Council's
Professional in Practice Framework
(PiP), the Continuous Professional
Development Framework for Social
Work (2015),8 incorporates existing
provision within the Post Qualifying
(PQ) Framework for research
minded practice or a research -
minded workforce.
The Professional in Practice
Framework (PiP) Awards and
Requirements are worded
specifically to encourage
research-minded practice
focusing on the understanding,
demonstration and acquisition of
skills in:
• Critical judgement, critical
reflection and critical analysis;
• Analysis in applied research,
professional research, audit ,
review and evaluation; and,
• Conducting applied research,
professional research, audit,
review and evaluation.
To make this framework more of
a reality in practice and to allow a
culture of research to become better
embedded in social work and social
care in Northern Ireland, a root and
branch development is necessary.
"Research is
fundamental to
everyday practice
of policy makers,
commissioners and
frontline staff"
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