Any new government must ensure that reform of care services and social work jobs goes ahead even in the face of pressure on public finances, say leaders of the sector.

Various leaders in the social work sector have called upon the incoming government - still to be ultimately decided at the time of writing - to carry on commitments to the reforms proposed by the social work task force last year.

Opinions on what reforms were the most cruical have differed though.

A poll of Unison members published this week has said that the government's top priority for investment in the sector should be in  developing a national standard for employers, followed by the introduction of national supervision requirements and training for frontline managers. They placed the formation of a national college for social work as the least important of the 15 recommendations.

Nevertheless at a speech at the University of Gloucestershire to newly qualified social workers Hilary Dawson, the chief executive of the Britsh Association of Social Workers, said that there was "no bigger issue in social work" than the national college.

For many in the adult care sector though, the priority is the question of reform for adult care funding and the ongoing effort to personalise services. Each political party expressed support for Labours proposed 'national care service' when the government published a White Paper on the issue in March 2009 but decisions on its funding were delayed until after the election. Des Kelly of the National Care Forum and Jo Webber of the NHS Confederation have both expressed concerns that the issue will be postponed or "put on the backburner" for the post-election period.

Meanwhile the question of how social work jobs handle casework involving children remains a priority for many in the wake of last years high-profile tragedies. Professions in children’s services said that reform of early intervention measures and reducing bureaucracy were a priority. The NSPCC's Diana Sutton and Elaine Hindal of the Children's society have expressed concerns that the position of secretary of state for children, schools and families could damage the importance of children's issues.