Social Work Academy

This aims to progress and enhance delivery of the Children's Services ambitious plan. 

We have developed a variety of opportunities for Social Workers and Social Care staff  to support them through their career progression. This includes our Student Programmes, Assessed and Supported Year in Employment for Newly Qualified Social Workers, Year 2 accredited Systemic Practice programme, International Social Workers, Senior Social Worker, Advancing Practice sessions for Advanced Practitioners , PEPS 1 and 2 (Student practice education)  and Team Manager Development.

We currently offer the Essentials Programme which ensures all children’s services staff  have a shared understanding of key practice principles in assessment, analysis, planning, risk management, direct work and manager oversight.

We also have a curriculum offer for specific areas of learning which currently includes focus on domestic abuse and ability to change. We have coordinated staff access to a variety of accredited programmes in systemic social work practice since 2020.  A local offer  continues to be developed and we are excited about the learning opportunities we will soon be offering including both systemic e-learning modules and a 4 day systemic practice short course commencing in January 2025.

Advanced Educators also develop, facilitate and deliver specific learning events supporting learning and dialogue on key issues impacting on children and families and social work practice. Learning lunches, webinars and larger events are planned throughout the year. These are recorded and shared alongside supporting resources on the Academy website. 

The Academy is also involved in quality assurance and improvement activity, and the audit cycle is managed within the Academy. Work includes core auditing and moderating, dip sampling, thematic analysis and reporting on findings through forums such as Cracking Quality and regular written reports. We are developing systems to incorporate the findings from quality assurance activity into quality improvement, to support practitioners to achieve good and outstanding practice.

Where we are based

The Social Work Academy can be found on the 2nd floor of Quayside House in Gloucester. The building houses our workspace, as well as several training rooms where we deliver the majority of our learning and development sessions. We also have a library space for the workforce to use.  The Academy is also increasingly based in teams and localities across the county and works with social work and social care staff as well as collaborative work with the Gloucestershire Children's Safeguarding partnership.

Who we are

Eve McCarthy, Principal Social Worker and Academy Lead for Children and Families leads the Social Work Academy. Eve works closely with the Leadership Team to ensure that the Academy is connected and responsive to improvement priorities and the needs and experiences of practitioners.

Charlotte Allen is the Quality Assurance and Advanced Practice Manager. Charlotte oversees the audit activity across frontline children’s social care teams and is involved in quality assurance and improvement activity across the service. She also supervises Advanced Educators.  Charlotte is supported by Heather Yates, Audit Administrator.

Sally Dobson is the Learning and Development Manager. Sally leads the Advanced Educators in the Academy on the design and delivery of the progression pathway as well as the broadening offer of training supporting colleagues across Children’s Social Care with Practice Development.

Each of our Advanced Educators have a wealth of experience in a range of practice areas and a range of innovative skills in developing and sharing learning.

Skills you'll need

To work in the Social Work Academy you will need a passion delivering, recognising and supporting  good and outstanding quality social work practice, have relevant practice experience to an advanced level, and a proven ability to design and deliver training that engages staff  and positively impacts individual and service development.

You will be able to respond to feedback and adapt learning opportunities to meet the needs of learners at different stages of their social work and social care  careers. You should be able to identify and utilise research in practice as well as the voices and views  of social care experienced young people and families.

You must be able to provide high levels of support and curious challenge to social workers and managers  and to develop positive relationships across Children’s Social Care.  You should have experience of supporting Social Work Students and Newly Qualified Social Workers, and either have or be willing to work towards your PEPS 2 award.

You will be able to quality assure the social work practice of others, such as through audit or other targeted quality assurance activity. You will be able to recognise areas of strength and areas for development, and support quality improvement by using this knowledge in the development of learning opportunities. 

Why you should join us

The Social Work Academy is a unique resource which aims to support  and enhance Gloucestershire’s  ambitions for children and their families  through confident and innovative social work practice.  The Academy joins with practitioners as they develop in their careers and  the support and development opportunities that we offer are greatly valued by our colleagues.

Some of our recent  feedback includes:

“The skills days have been genuinely good and interesting.” 

 “The ASYE team have been fab, and they have been very supportive. They have made sure even outside of the skills days that we are all doing okay and feel happy and supported in our role.”

“The delivery of this ASYE has been excellent. There has been a great degree of learning from the skills days. My placements were not in GCC so I had no idea what to expect, but the programme has been great!”

“The Year 2 programme has been really interesting and informative and has made a significant impact on my practice.”

The Social Work Academy is a diverse team, and our Advanced Educators and managers come from a variety of backgrounds, with experience right across children’s social care.

The team have completed systemic training and we are keen to further embed systemic practice principles into our training and development opportunities and throughout our contacts across the service and wider partnership. 

Find out more about the Academy offer here.

Get in touch

To find out more about the Social Work Academy please contact:  

Eve McCarthy, Principal Social Worker and Academy Lead for Children and Families
✉ Email: Eve.McCarthy@gloucestershire.gov.uk

OR, ✉ Email: SWAcademy-Administration@gloucestershire.gov.uk