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Norfolk Social Care Academy newsletter - August 2017
You may have been wondering what’s happening with the Norfolk Social Care Academy. Well, we can reassure you that it is alive and well, albeit in a different form.
It became clear that whilst the concept of the Academy is unquestionably sound and very much in line with our improvement plans, the arrangement had become too complex to implement successfully. With those lessons learnt, the Academy is moving onwards and upwards, focusing resources on specific areas of development.
Some of the activity have included workshops for new managers to ensure they are fully equipped to successfully lead their teams, development sessions designed specifically for Personal Advisors in the Leaving Care Services, as well essential court work training for social work staff.
The Academy will continue to grow and develop it’s activities around recruitment, retention and development, with a firm view on what you have told us you would like, alongside the priorities of the department. Further information will be published in the staff newsletter, or through Heads of Services and Team Managers, as things develop. However the principals of valuing staff, supporting your professional role, supporting the best outcomes possible for children and families and supporting you to meet your professional standards remain firmly fixed within the spirit of the NSCA.
Recruitment UpdateTo build on the NSCA work begun by Gail Woodward to improve our recruitment processes, as of 1 July 2017, Jenny Allen has taken up the role of Operational Recruitment Manager.
The main focus of this role is currently the recruitment of Newly Qualified Social Workers, Social Workers and Senior Social Workers, as well as Team Managers. Jenny has previously held roles within QA & CWD teams in Children’s Services, so comes with a plenty of experience and knowledge of the skills needed to successfully fulfil these roles.
Social Work Teaching Partnership
What is it all about?
This exciting project will help provide the resources and skills needed to work effectively and creatively with children, young people and families. The Social Work Teaching Partnership (SWTP) is a DfE funded collaboration between Norfolk County Council, Suffolk County Council, University of East Anglia and University of Suffolk. The SWTP has a vision of embedding a learning culture that permeates through all levels of social work practice (from admissions through to experienced social workers). Within Norfolk, this means integrating with Signs of Safety and training in systemic supervision.
What does this mean?
There will be changes, and new opportunities in learning and development, offered to staff, whether as part of formal programmes like ASYE, ongoing training and learning, or in contributing to the learning of others. The changes will link with existing areas, such as the Norfolk Social Care Academy, the Practice Leads and the Best Practice champion network.
There will be more students undertaking practice placements in statutory teams. The SWTP Practice Educator Leads will be visible in supporting students, Practice Educators and teams. They will be encouraging and supporting more social workers to become on-site supervisors or Practice Educators.
The What Works Well Lead will be identifying, disseminating and embedding excellent practice and research-mindedness across the partnership and nationally. There is plenty of high quality and innovative practice happening in your localities. The WWW Lead wants to hear about these and find ways of ‘showcasing’ what Norfolk already does well and sharing best practice.
How can I get involved?
We would like your feedback about what has worked well, and what could be done differently, in order to make sure the SWTP reflects the views and needs of frontline staff.
If you are interested in sharing your knowledge and skills there will be opportunities to get involved in SWTP activities including: Teaching at HEI, offering shadowing opportunities to academics and SWTP members, supporting students, interviewing social work students, and delivering workshops. Relevant training will be offered. Contact L&D to express your interest or ask questions and Caroline Aldridge if you want to tell us what is working well.
Who are we?
There are SWTP staff working in all the partner agencies. The key personnel for NCC Children’s Services based at County Hall are:
PE Leads: Claire Skilleter (East & Central), Sandy Symonds (North & Central), Mike Shaw (West) and Michael Bamber (South & Central)
What Works Well Lead: Caroline Aldridge
Learning and Development: Hannah Smith
Court work training
With the increasing complexity in Court work and more teams now taking this on for the first time, Practice Leads Chris Gray & Lizzie Hills are offering training to staff working in pre-proceedings and care proceedings. Court work training is taking place:
Broadland: Weds 13 Sept 9:30am – 12:30pm
Kings Lynn: Mon 18 Sept 9:30am – 12:30pm
For further information, any specific queries or would like additional support or training in your team or locality, please contact Chris Gray and Lizzie Hills.
Top tips for social workers undertaking care proceedings have also now been published and can be found here.
MASH Briefings
Ever wondered what really happens at the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub?
We now have dates for 2018 live on the NSCB online booking system for 2 ½ hour briefing sessions, where you can find out exactly who is involved and how they work together as a partnership. These can be booked via the NSCB website.
England Innovations Project 2
Next month marks the beginning of the Signs of Safety Innovations Project 2 and we are looking forward to welcoming back Terry Murphy who remains with us as our Principal Consultant, joined by Wendy Hill, our appointed Trainer / Consultant. Wendy is new to the Signs of Safety team but some of you may know her from her work in West Sussex Children’s Services.
Terry & Wendy will be visiting Norfolk on Wednesday 27 September 2017 to meet with staff involved in the implementation of Signs of Safety across the partnership. If you would like to meet with them or have any questions you'd like to ask, please let us know.
The first Leadership Workshop is taking place in London on Friday 29 September 2017, reuniting the 10 local authorities involved in the first project with MTM, the team behind the Signs of Safety approach.
Practice Leads Refresher Sessions
If you are a SW or EH team manager or a practitioner working directly with children & families, you will be expected to attend one of these sessions arranged to take place in September & October in three locations across the county. These will provide an opportunity to refresh your learning, view the redesigned foundation training, discuss any support needs you may have, as well as how to support others in their development. Further information and bookings can be found on the Learning Hub, simply search ‘SofS Refresher’.
If you feel you already have a really good understanding of Signs of Safety, we’re also looking for Practice Leads to help facilitate. Please contact us to let us know.
Development sessions
The latest updated schedule for SofS development sessions can be found here. Designed to follow on from training, each session focuses on specific aspects of this approach and offers practical advice and guidance in an informal setting.
Over the next few weeks, sessions are running on Hearing the child’s voice, Appreciative Inquiry, Words & Pictures, Dealing with denied abuse & disguised compliance and Trajectories.
To find out more, email the locality running the session. Details can be found on the schedule.
Social Work CPD modules
UEA provide a range of MA level CPD modules for qualified Social Workers that can be mixed and matched together to form qualifications on the Advanced Social Work pathway. Information about all the modules for 2017/18 is now available here on iNet.
Your feedback Do you have a good idea for the next Improving Times? Send it to csweeklybrief@norfolk.gov.uk and see our back copies here.