Support for Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs)
We recognise that it can be a really challenging time, we want you to have the right level of support to achieve, develop and thrive as social work practitioners.
Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) Year:
Cumberland Academy for Social Care supports Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSW) through their ASYE year.
The Academy helps to bridge the gap between your studies and your first job. You will be supported through continued professional development, training and mentoring as you progress through the early stages of your social work career. The overall aim is to support you as a Newly Qualified Social Worker to become a confident practitioner who is able to safely manage risk and successfully support people to achieve positive outcomes.
We want you to become confident in the work you deliver through a combination of challenge and a highly supportive network. You will be based in the Academy for between 3 and 6 months. During this time you will spend a minimum of once per week in your host team to build relationships. Following successful completion of the first six months, you then transition out to your host team full time.
When you join us to complete your ASYE you can expect the following:
- High quality supervision that offers opportunities for reflective discussions to test hypothesis, decision making and outcomes.
- Allocation of a highly skilled Children’s Academy Team Manager who will support you during your ASYE Year.
- A comprehensive induction to help you understand the organisation and the work we do.
- Shadowing opportunities with highly skilled practitioners.
- Monthly group supervisions.
- Monthly practice development workshops.
- Access to in-house training via workforce development.
- Invitations to staff engagement and celebration events.
- Access to resources and training from Research in Practice.
- Graduation celebration event to congratulate you on successful completion of your ASYE year.
- Support from ASYE / PE Co-ordinators who will support and guide you when completing ASYE paperwork.
- Support and training in Signs of Safety methodologies with families, so that this practice naturally informs assessments and interventions with children and families.
- Opportunities to joint work with children living in complex situations including children who are Looked After Children, subject to child protection plans and child in need plans, in order to prepare NQSWs for more independent practice as their experience grows.
- Outreach support from the Academy for months 7-12 when NQSWs are settling into their team.
Year 2 Offer:
We know that once you complete your ASYE year that your learning doesn’t stop and that’s why we have developed a bespoke year 2 offer for our Social Workers. In addition to our core training and supervision offer, during year 2 you will have access to the following:
- Bi- monthly workshops that cover more complex topics such as Court Skills.
- Two collaborative audits to aid reflective discussions about strengths and areas for development. This will help you understand the quality assurance framework.
