Support and learning
In Lincolnshire, we care about our workforce and have a wealth of support in place for you as a social worker. We are constantly reviewing caseloads to ensure they remain manageable and as a Lincolnshire social worker, you can expect to be working with a variety of families and levels of intervention. Our social workers receive case supervision and group supervision sessions are held in all of our teams.
CPD
Continuous professional development allows social workers develop and enhance their knowledge and skills to continuously improve practice.
Our children’s services teams have access to practice resources which brings together academic research, practice expertise and the experiences of people accessing services. This information is used to develop a range of resources and learning opportunities, as well as delivering tailored services, expertise and training.
ASYE
Our 12-month ASYE programme has been developed to consolidate the skills and knowledge that newly qualified social workers have gained from their degree course within their first year in practice.
The programme counts towards the requirement for continuing professional development for social work registration with Social Work England and our programme is reviewed and refreshed on an annual basis to keep it relevant.
A range of internal and external professionals contribute to the programme and staff receive training around several areas including court skills, understanding service areas, procedures, processes, equality and diversity issues, and many more.
Social workers on our ASYE will receive professional supervision which will be provided by Practice Supervisor and reflective practice sessions are provided by the Practice Advisor. Mentoring is also encouraged as needed, and our ASYE also includes the social worker receiving a learning agreement. The agreement identifies learning and development opportunities, supervision, workload and a personal development plan which focuses on key areas for learning and development in the first year of practice.
Apprenticeships
In partnership with the University of Lincoln, we run a social work apprenticeship programme. Our current cohort is busy working in their children’s services placements while also studying for their social work degrees. More information about the programme can be found here.
Bridging the GAP
Too often, local authorities lose talent because they do not provide the right pathways for career progression. That is why we established Bridging the Gap, a programme to help social workers make the jump from Level 2 to Advanced Practitioners and Practice Supervisor.
Throughout the programme, social workers are given the support and resources they need to enhance their skills. They build a personal development plan and are encouraged to stop, think and reflect on their practice, strengths and motivators, and how they fit with the wider context of our work.
The course culminates in the completion of a project that will outline suggestions for practice improvements in their team, using research, data and reasoning to support their analysis.
The objective at the heart of this project – and all the work completed on Bridging the Gap – is to give our social workers the tools, confidence and knowledge required to take their career to the next level.
Making sure you are happy here
Meaningful change is made over months and years. It’s an ongoing process and that is why we’re proactive about supporting and retaining our staff including reimbursing you for your annual Social Work England registration fee.
We understand career paths are not always linear journeys, which is why we will also support you moving between roles and across teams. Appraisals and regular one-to-ones support your development and your professional interests.
We invest in our people so they can be committed to their work and that is why we retain our staff.