developing skills
Social Work
Skills for Care provide resources for all those involved in practice learning and continuing professional development for social workers, including post qualifying training.
All are key areas of activity for the social work development team delivered by Skills for Care and the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC).
You can access information on supporting newly qualified social workers to build on the expertise and knowledge they have developed on qualifying programmes and how to apply this to a practice setting as a qualified worker.
Skills for Care is involved with a project which will describe the roles and tasks of social work in order to define a profession with service users at its heart, capable of meeting the challenges of 21st century society.
For information about the work being done nationally on social work and to access these resources please go to national site - newly qualified social worker
Newly Qualified Social Workers
Building on the working in relation to the development needs of new workers outlined in the Options for Excellence review, Skills for Care have been asked to identify the development needs of newly qualified social workers (NQSW) in adult social care and develop a framework for their support in the first year in practice.
NQSW Framework Document Outcome Statements
This is the most up to date version of the framework, which is still subject to changes primarily to some of the language to improve clarity. The final version will be on the website shortly. All employers who have the self audit approved will receive hard copies of all the materials for each of their NQSW and supervisors. A final e-version will also be available. The working draft is to help support employers in the completion of the self audit.
NQSW Regional Meetings
Following on from the New Types of Social Worker conference on the 5 June 2009, it was suggested that Local Authorities and HEIs could meet together to discuss the training and support that will be offered to NQSWs and their supervisors. Skills for Care have offered to facilitate this meeting.
This meeting aims to address the following issues:
- Is it possible to develop a common approach to the support of NQSWs and their supervisors
- Can collaborative arrangements be developed between employers and or HEIs to ensure NQSW programme sustainability
- Ensure that NQSW outcome statements feed into consolidation to reduce burden and duplication
The aims for the day were to:
- Ensure that CIS and NQSW outcome statements feed into consolidation to reduce burden and duplication
- Agree a common standard for NQSW delivery and assessment
- Develop a common approach to the support of NQSWs and their supervisors
- Explore collaborative arrangements between employers and or HEIs to ensure NQSW programme sustainability
The first meeting was held on 22 July, the minutes are available to download here NQSW meeting minutes 22 July 09
Peter Northrop, Project Lead would like to thank all those who attended and commented that "whilst it was a long day I believe we covered a lot of ground and have made some important progress in making links between NQSW status and consolidation which should reduce the burden on both NQSWs and their managers."
The next meeting will be held on 16 October 2009, if you would like further details please contact Peter on T: 07817 760387 or E: peter.northrop@skillsforcare.org.uk
NQSW update September 2009
An update on the work Skills for Care are doing around newly qualified social workers. The update includes information on the outcome statements which represent the core of the social worker's role. There is also information about what we have been doing in the Yorkshire and Humber region with regard New Types of Social Workers and the newly formed newly qualified social worker leads meeting.
Click here
