Warwickshire’s children and their families deserve the best help and support from our social workers. We have a clear career pathway linked to knowledge, skills and experience. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as practice support, at all levels, to help our social workers develop the knowledge and skills families need from them.
Specialist training and development are available at all stages of the career pathway and in all our areas of practice specialism.
Warwickshire's social work career pathway (PDF, 971 KB).
Prequalifying/social work students
Our children and families teams welcome social work students from universities, Frontline, The Open University and our social work apprentices. Whether you're interested in learning about our ‘front door’ (MASH) or seeing how we support the young people in our care to prepare for independence, social work students have the opportunity to undertake placements in all of our services and to see how we work together as one team to achieve the best outcomes for the children and families of Warwickshire.
We want to offer those entering the social work profession realistic and supportive experiences of local authority social work. So that they are best prepared for their first year in practice (ASYE). In addition to the training and practice opportunities available in the students’ host teams, with over 60 practice educators, we offer those working towards becoming a social worker contemporary support and holistic assessment. Many of the students who complete placements with us join one of our teams once qualified and we want to continue to welcome social work students to the profession and to the Warwickshire team.
Newly qualified social workers
With a social work workforce of over 320 people we are one of the biggest children and families services in the region. Unsurprisingly, we are one of the biggest recruiters of newly qualified social workers, welcoming them throughout the year.
Our newly developed assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE) curriculum ensures that whenever a newly qualified social worker (NQSW) joins us and in whichever team they are based, they receive protected time to attend our Newly Qualified Social Worker (NQSW) co-hort days. Co-hort days run twice a month and provide a safe and supportive space for training, reflection, and group supervision. The ASYE curriculum has been carefully matched against the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) for social work and the Knowledge and Skills Statement (KSS) for child and family social workers to help NQSWs make the journey from their final placement to being a local authority children’s social worker.
Supported by our highly experienced lead practitioners from the Practice and Learning Hub, lead practitioners within the children’s teams, their team leader and our colleagues in Learning and Development, social workers completing their ASYE with Warwickshire Children and Families have their training and reflections supported by robust practice support which ensures they have safe and supportive development opportunities.
Our ASYE programme is available to all of our newly qualified social workers within Warwickshire
Experienced social worker
At Warwickshire, we believe in supporting social workers with their professional development throughout their career. We offer a range of university led modules that provides workers with a post graduate certification in Advanced Child and Family Support.
Once a social worker has been qualified for two years, they are able to enrol on the Mentoring, Supervision and Assessment in Practice module hosted by Coventry University. Workers will develop knowledge and skills in relation to mentoring and enabling the learning of others. This module includes university teaching days as well as supporting the placement of a social work student.
Following completion of this module, workers can either complete a Practice Teaching and Education module or the Advanced Critical Practice: Child and Family module. The Practice Teaching Education module includes supporting a final year social work student alongside critically reflecting on their knowledge of relevant theory and models of learning, methods of assessment, and develop strategies for supporting professional development and capabilities within an explicit value base.
The Advanced Critical Practice: Child and Family module includes a written work based project focusing on critical understanding of issues around ethical reasoning in professional practice, rights and entitlements, and the questioning and challenging of others using a legal and human rights framework in the chosen area of specialist practice.