Professional development in children's social care

We have created an impressive programme for newly qualified social workers, many of whom have gone forward to become managers. Our AYSE programme provides support to develop skills, knowledge and capability and strengthen professional confidence.

In your first year of practice you can expect:

• reduced and protected caseloads
• protected time for dedicated learning and development activities
• regular reflective one-to-one supervision (weekly for the first six weeks, fortnightly up to six months, and thereafter monthly)
• group supervision within your team
• monthly critical reflective groups providing an opportunity to critically reflect on practice in a peer-group environment
• support from managers, experienced social workers and a dedicated ASYE lead
• tailored training aimed for newly qualified social workers

We have created an alternative pathway for staff who wish to progress their careers while remaining in practice.

To support this role, advanced practitioners hold a reduced case load to enable them to develop specialism that supports practice across the service. Current areas of specialism include:

• sexual abuse
• domestic abuse
• direct work with children and young people
• play therapy

Advanced practitioners provide coaching, mentoring and training to their colleagues. Specialist roles, like the practice champion, support colleagues to address challenging areas of practice.

We employ clinical social workers within our specialist intensive support programme.

Clinical social workers:

• offer professional consultation to social workers across the service
• undertake parenting assessments
• undertake interventions with children and their families who are subject to a safeguarding or Child in Need plan and at risk of becoming looked after or supporting rehabilitation of children

We are committed to ‘growing our own’. Promoting people is important to us and we have a clear pathway for career progression.

Our progression scheme provides opportunities for people to develop their areas of interest and move into senior practitioner roles. Many of our practitioners and managers have chosen to return to Hounslow to progress their career.

West London Alliance (WLA) training

We’re part of the WLA group and offer a comprehensive training programme with them.

The training programme is mapped against the Knowledge and Skills Statement for Child and Family Practitioners. It is reviewed annually to ensure the it addresses our workforce’s development needs.

Practice educator programmes

We encourage our social workers to complete the practice educator programme once they are two years qualified. We work with Kingston University, Brunel and Royal Holloway providing, workers a choice where they complete the programme.

Hounslow Safeguarding Children’s Board training

Our workers access multi-agency training through the Hounslow Safeguarding Children's Board. This includes face-to-face training and e-learning through our Virtual College.