Goldsmiths part of new social work development consortium

Research in Practice (RiP) and a group of partners including Goldsmiths, University of London have formed a consortium to develop and deliver a national Practice Supervisor Development Programme funded by the Department for Education.

The Practice Supervisor Development Programme (PSDP) is a significant investment by the Department for Education (DfE) and aims to provide high-quality continuous professional development (CPD) to up to 700 social workers taking up their first role in which they are responsible for supporting and developing the practice of others.

The wholly not-for-profit consortium led by RiP also includes the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Sussex. The consortium will work with a number of skilled ‘local delivery partners’ comprising universities, Teaching Partnerships and trusted CPD providers in every region.

The consortium and partners are working to design a creative and evidence-informed approach to delivering the PSDP; developed with the sector, for the sector. It will reflect, but not be limited to, the requirements of the Knowledge and Skills Statements and will complement the wealth of existing CPD activity in this field. Over the next two years, every local authority will be entitled to places on this national programme, and in addition an open-access online resource will be developed, providing useful materials to all those who wish to engage with this programme.

The consortium brings a unique combination of topic evidence expertise, experience of delivering complex learning and development programmes at a national scale and proven credibility with the children’s sector.

Key aims and values of the PSDP include empowering practitioners to build confidence, mobilising academic knowledge and practice expertise, and working in partnership with the sector. The programme will also engage with organisational culture, recognising the key role that employers and leaders play in enabling high-quality learning for Practice Supervisors.

Joan Fletcher, Head of Social Work at Goldsmiths, University of London said: "We are delighted to be part of a consortium that has secured government funding to design and deliver a new national Practice Supervisor Development Programme for child and family social work practitioners. High quality supervision and support of social workers is at the heart of high quality relationship based, evidence informed social work practice. It is a privilege to be part of a national programme that is supporting the development of social work as a world class profession".

Dez Holmes, Director of Research in Practice said: "Practice Supervisors play a vital role in enabling excellent social work practice. These newly-appointed colleagues are taking on significant responsibility and deserve the best possible support to develop their knowledge, skills and confidence. We are delighted to be hosting this programme and are extremely proud to be working with such a fantastic range of partners. Collectively and individually, we bring a great deal of expertise, and are committed to working collaboratively with others who are active in this field. Importantly, we will develop this programme in close consultation with the sector – ensuring that research knowledge, practice wisdom and the voice of children and families is at the heart of everything we do."