Annual Report of the Adults Principal Social Worker - Print version

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Annual Report of the Adults Principal Social Worker 2023-2024

The work of the Adults Principal Social Worker (PSW) Andrew Errington for Coventry City Council during 2023/24.

What is a PSW?

Care Act 2014 states a PSW should;

  • be visible across the organisation
  • support and develop effective conditions for practice
  • oversee quality and improvement of practice
  • have direct contact with the Adults Director and front-line practice

The PSW for Adults, Andrew Errington commenced in post in July 2016 and is the Head of Safeguarding and Practice Development. Andrew reports to the Head of Adult Social Care Sally Caren

Workforce Development

  • Updated the Learning and Development portfolio for Adult Services in ensuring access to a range of relevant and current virtual and in person training opportunities.
  • 86 training events relevant to Social Work attended by 951 staff
  • 2 dedicated CPD events, refresher training for deafblind assessors and 4 new deafblind assessors qualified
  • Hosted a 7th ‘virtual’ annual practice week with the Children’s PSW providing access to a week of practice focused events.
  • 665 staff booked places across the 37 sessions during the week.
  • Planned training events with a focus on legal literacy and ensuring assessment and support is inclusive and engages with sexuality, gender identity and religion, belief and spirituality
  • Further Adult Services Wellbeing week in February 2024 with staff attending various online and in person activities and events focusing on health and wellbeing

Social Work Education

  • Embedding links with our local Higher Education Institutions Coventry and Warwick Universities and supporting the West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership
  • Practitioners supporting teaching on the Adults Module at Coventry University
  • Continuing to support new routes into Social Work, including the new Degree Level Social Work apprenticeships
  • Second cohort of 3 apprentices qualify, 5 members of staff undertaking the Degree Level SW apprenticeship, 4 further places planned for 2024

Meeting Standards

  • Supporting the Post Qualifying Standards for SW Practice Supervisors, commissioning supervision training and purchased reflective, theory and self-cards practice for every supervisor to use
  • Prepared practitioners for the 4th renewal with their Social Work Regulator ‘Social Work England’
  • Launched a new ‘Learning Hub’ for front line staff

Strength Based Approaches

  • Continuing to support Strength-based Practice Framework with Motivational Interviewing training and coproduced with practitioners a direct work resource [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/directworktoolkit] with a range of tools to support communication and engagement
  • Continued to host Complex Case and Risk Enablement Panel discussions
  • Leading on establishing the demographic profile of people accessing Adult Social Care, exploring experiences of different communities

Practice Development Roles

  • SW Practice Development roles are supporting newly qualified Social Workers, promoting Practice Education and providing practice support to front line staff and managers
  • Supporting 10 new NQSWs (as of end of March 2024)
  • 4 primary placements for SW’s
  • 1 new SW Practice Educator trained

Practice Quality

  • Practice Quality Assurance Framework with new simplified audit system. Includes observation of practice, practice and supervision audits. Allows organisational view on practice themes
  • 307 audits undertaken in 23/24 (as of end of March 2024)
  • Embedding the senior managers quality assurance activity, receiving and feeding back on examples of case work and undertaking customer interviews
  • Developed a Practice Development, Learning and Improvement Framework systematic way of identifying organisational wide learning, areas of improvement and sharing best practice across the organisation
  • Introduced a ‘We asked, You said, We did’ process [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/health-social-care-say-getting-involved/said] to ensure any improvements identified by quality assurance and experience approaches are subject to feedback

Professional Curiosity

  • Ensuring practice informed by evidence and curiosity, raising the profile of our subscription to ‘Research in Practice for Adults’, ‘Care Knowledge’, and ‘SW Connect’ helping staff to stay up to date on the latest expert information and legislation to help day to day practice
  • 112 staff are now using Care Knowledge
  • 79 staff now accessing SW Connect
  • 9 in 10 respondents in health check survey agree with the statement ‘I have access to best practice, research and evidence materials’
  • Commenced use of ‘Research Circles’ brings together practitioners and academics to attend a reflective session to read and review a piece of research

Policy and Best Practice Guidance

Practice Leadership

  • Elected Co-chair of the West Midlands Adults Principal Social Worker Network until 2025 (chairing network since January 2017).
  • PSW research associate supporting the development of a research culture in the region. [https://www.wm-adass.org.uk/ improvement/research/]
  • Undertaking regional virtual ‘safe and effective practice reviews’ in support of CQC assurance preparations.
  • Member of S75 Board and ICB professional leadership governance boards.

Safeguarding Adults

Engaging and coproducing

Celebrating and Connecting with Practice

  • Virtual networks and forums in place for staff engagement continued
  • Supporting Adult Social Care Celebration event
  • Keeping in touch with staff via the Adult Services E Bulletin and ‘Let’s Talk’ sessions

Priorities for 2024/25

  • To continue to embed strength-based tools and techniques in practice and ensure they are translating into strength-based conversations and recording
  • To continue to focus on practice quality and to engage in different ways with the experience of people accessing Adult Social Care
  • Embed the Practice Development, Learning and Improvement Framework

Download a print version of this report [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/43124/adult-principal-social-workers-psw-annual-report-2023-24]

Annual Report of the Adults Principal Social Worker 2022-2023

Key Achievements and Developments

The work of the Adults Principal Social Worker (PSW) Andrew Errington for Coventry City Council during 2022/23.

What is a PSW?

Care Act 2014 states a PSW should;

  • be visible across the organisation
  • support and develop effective conditions for practice
  • oversee quality and improvement of practice
  • have direct contact with the Adults Director and front-line practice

The PSW for Adults, Andrew Errington commenced in post in July 2016 and is the Head of Safeguarding and Practice Development. Andrew reports to the Head of Adult Social Care Sally Caren.

Workforce Development

  • Updated the Learning and Development portfolio for Adult Services in ensuring access to a range of relevant and current virtual and in person training opportunities.
  • 69 training events relevant to Social Work attended by 952 staff.
  • 2 dedicated CPD events and refresher training for deafblind assessors.
  • Hosted a 7th ‘virtual’ annual practice week with the Children’s PSW providing access to a week of practice focused events.
  • 911 staff booked places across the 32 sessions during the week.
  • Training lead for Liberty Protection Safeguards, preparing learning and development activities in advance of implementation.
  • Organised a further Adult Services Wellbeing week with staff attending various online and in person activities and events focusing on health and wellbeing.
  • Led on a process to create ‘Stay’ interviews to understand why employees stay and what might cause them to leave.

Social Work Education

  • Embedding and growing links with our local Higher Education Institutions Coventry and Warwick
    Universities and supporting the West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership.
  • Practitioners supporting teaching on the Adults Module at Coventry University.
  • Continuing to support new routes into Social Work, including the new Degree Level Social Work
    apprenticeships.
  • First 2 apprentices qualify, 6 members of staff undertaking the Degree Level SW apprenticeship, 2 further places planned for 2023

Workforce Development

  • Updated the Learning and Development portfolio for Adult Services in ensuring access to a range of relevant and current virtual and in person training opportunities.
  • 69 training events relevant to Social Work attended by 952 staff.
  • 2 dedicated CPD events and refresher training for deafblind assessors.
  • Hosted a 7th ‘virtual’ annual practice week with the Children’s PSW providing access to a week of practice focused events.
  • 911 staff booked places across the 32 sessions during the week.
  • Training lead for Liberty Protection Safeguards, preparing learning and development activities in advance of implementation.
  • Organised a further Adult Services Wellbeing week with staff attending various online and in person activities and events focusing on health and wellbeing.
  • Led on a process to create ‘Stay’ interviews to understand why employees stay and what might cause them to leave.

Meeting Standards

  • Supporting the Post Qualifying Standards for SW Practice Supervisors, commissioning supervision training and purchased reflective, theory and selfcards practice for every supervisor to use.
  • Prepared practitioners for the 3rd renewal with their Social Work Regulator ‘Social Work England’ via team briefings and workshops.
  • Development of a new ‘Learning Hub’ for front line staff

Strength Based Approaches

  • Continuing to support Strength-based Practice Framework with Motivational Interviewing training and coproduced with practitioners a new direct work resource [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/directworktoolkit] with a range of tools to support communication and engagement.
  • Reviewing our approach to strength-based practice with a lead officer, Belinda Kirk seconded to the role of PSW for one day a week to oversee this work which commenced in August 2022 for a period of 12 months.
  • Continued to host Risk Enablement Panel discussions.
  • Leading on reviewing the diversity of people accessing Adult Social Care and exploring experiences of different communities, starting community engagement events.

Practice Development Roles

  • SW Practice Development roles are supporting newly qualified Social Workers, promoting Practice Education and providing practice support to front line staff and managers.
  • Supporting 11 new NQSWs (end of March 23).
  • 10 primary placements for Social Workers.
  • 1 new SW Practice Educators trained

Practice Quality

  • Practice Quality Assurance Framework with new simplified audit system. Includes observation of practice, practice and supervision audits. Allows organisational view on practice issues.
  • 348 audits undertaken in 22/23 (end of March 23).
  • Supported practitioners to respond to the 3rd. National Social Work Health Check.
  • Undertake a further local Organisational Health Check [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/adult-social-care-strategies-policies-plans/adult-social-care-organisational-health-check].
  • Introduced a new senior managers' quality assurance activity, receiving and feeding back on examples of case work and undertaking customer interviews

Professional Curiosity

  • Ensuring practice informed by evidence and curiosity, raising the profile of our subscription to Research in Practice for Adults, ‘Care Knowledge’, and ‘SW Connect’ helping staff to stay up to date on the latest expert information and legislation to help day to day practice.
  • 108 staff are now using Care Knowledge.
  • 88 staff now accessing SW Connect.
  • 9 in 10 respondents in health check survey agree with the statement ‘I have access to best practice, research and evidence materials’.

Safeguarding Adults

Practice Leadership

  • Elected Co-chair of the West Midlands Adults Principal Social Worker Network until 2023 (chairing network since January 2017).
  • Supported successful bid to National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to develop a research culture in the region acting as PSW research associate.
  • Undertaking regional virtual ‘safe and effective practice reviews’ in support of CQC assurance preparations.
  • Member of S75 Board and ICB leadership governance boards.

Engaging and Coproducing

Celebrating and Connecting with Practice

  • Virtual networks and forums in place for staff engagement continued.
  • Supporting Adult Social Care Celebration event.
  • Keeping in touch with staff via the Adult Services E-Bulletin and ‘Let’s Talk’ sessions

Policy and Best Practice Guidance

  • Chairing the Adult Services Policy Group, ensuring policy and public information are accessible to all relevant staff and up to date.
  • Ensures adult social care takes account of NICE National Guidelines and part of a national research
    study on the use of Guidance.
  • Author of key policies and guidance which has included ‘Decision Making Framework for Assessment Visits and Contacts’ reviewed, updated and produced a new suite of public information leaflets for Adult Social Care [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/ASCpublicinformation]

Priorities for 2023/24

  • To continue to embed strength-based tools and techniques in practice and ensure they are translating into strength-based conversations and recording
  • To continue to focus on practice quality and to engage with the experience of people accessing Adult Social Care
  • To prepare practice for adult social care reforms including CQC Assurance Frameworks

Annual Report of the Adults Principal Social Worker 2021-2022

Key Achievements and Developments

The work of the Adults Principal Social Worker (PSW) Andrew Errington for Coventry City Council during 2020/21. A hybrid year of home and office working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is a PSW?

Care Act 2014 states a PSW should;

  • be visible across the organisation
  • support and develop effective conditions for practice
  • oversee quality and improvement of practice
  • have direct contact with the Adults Director and front-line practice

The PSW for Adults, Andrew Errington commenced in post in July 2016 and is the Head of Safeguarding and Practice Development. Andrew reports to the Director of Adult Services Pete Fahy.

Workforce Development

  • Updated the Learning and Development portfolio for Adult Services in response to COVID-19, ensuring access to a range of relevant and current virtual training opportunities
  • 63 training events relevant to Social Work attended by 1200 staff
  • Hosted a 6th ‘virtual’ annual practice week with the Children’s PSW providing access to a week of practice focused events
  • two more SWs trained as deafblind assessors
  • New training opportunity for unqualified staff via an apprenticeship to support professional development commenced
  • Training lead for Liberty Protection Safeguards, preparing learning and development activities in advance of implementation
  • Organised Adult Services Wellbeing week with over 200 staff attending various online and in person activities and events focusing on health and wellbeing

Social Work Education

  • Embedding and growing links with our local Higher Education Institutions Coventry and Warwick Universities and supporting the West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership
  • Practitioners supporting teaching on the Adults Module at Coventry University
  • Continuing to support new routes into Social Work, including the new Degree Level Social Work apprenticeships
  • 6 members of staff now undertaking the Degree Level SW apprenticeship, two further places planned for 2022

Meeting Standards

  • Supporting the relaunch and embedding of the Post Qualifying Standards for SW Practice Supervisors across the WM region. Purchased reflective, theory and self-cards practice for every supervisor to use
  • Prepared practitioners for the 2nd renewal with their Social Work Regulator ‘Social Work England’ via team briefings and workshops
  • Produced a Performance Management and Quality Improvement Framework for Adult Social Care

Strength Based Approaches

  • Continuing to support a Strength-based Practice Framework with Motivational Interviewing training
  • Coproduced with practitioners a new direct work resource [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/directworktoolkit] with a range of tools to support communication and engagement
  • Continued to host Risk Enablement Panel discussions virtually during COVID-19, chairing 6 panels
  • Leading on reviewing the diversity of people accessing Adult Social Care and exploring experiences of different communities

Practice Development Roles

  • SW Practice Development roles are supporting newly qualified Social Workers, promoting Practice Education and providing practice support to front line staff and managers
  • Supporting 15 new NQSWs (end of March 22)
  • 17 primary placements for Social Workers
  • 3 new SW Practice Educators trained

Practice Quality

  • Practice Quality Assurance Framework with new simplified audit system. Includes observation of practice, practice and supervision audits. Allows organisational view on practice issues
  • 248 audits undertaken in 21/22
  • Supported practitioners to respond to the 2nd National Social Work Health Check

Professional Curiosity

  • Ensuring practice informed by evidence and curiosity, raising the profile of our subscription to Research in Practice for Adults, ‘Care Knowledge’, and ‘SW Connect’ helping staff to stay up to date on the latest expert information and legislation to help day to day practice
  • 196 staff are now using Care Knowledge
  • 84 staff now accessing SW Connect

Policy and Best Practice Guidance

  • Chairing the Adult Services Policy Group, making sure policy and public information are accessible to all relevant staff and up to date. Group also ensures adult social care takes account of NICE National Guidelines
  • Reviewed, updated and produced a whole new suite of public information for Adult Social Care

Safeguarding Adults

  • Supporting the work of the Safeguarding Board through chairing the Workforce Development [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/workforcedevelopment] and Policy subgroups. Board multi-agency learning events on hot topics, re-framed as virtual events including those on MSP, Learning Disability Awareness, Domestic Abuse and LPS
  • Over 500 people attended virtual learning events

Practice Leadership

  • Elected Co-chair of the West Midlands Adults Principal Social Worker Network until 2023 (chairing network since January 2017)
  • 4th annual ‘virtual’ conference in May 2021 with a focus on strength-based practice in the West Midlands, held jointly with OT network and a 5th LPS ‘virtual’ conference in Dec 2021 with adults, children’s, OT and DoLS lead networks
  • PSW network linked with WM ADASS Branch and supporting a regional 3-year evaluation of strength-based practice with the University of Birmingham
  • Supported successful bid to National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to develop a research culture in the region
  • Maintained contact with practitioners virtually via ‘SW Cold Calling’
  • Support and encouraging use of technology and new ways of working including Digital Dictation
  • Undertaking regional virtual ‘practice reviews’ prior to Peer Challenges

Engaging and Coproducing

Celebrating and Connecting with Practice

  • Virtual networks and forums in place for staff engagement continued during the pandemic
  • Keeping in touch with staff via the Adult Services E-Bulletin and ‘Let’s Talk’ sessions

Priorities for 2022/23

  • To continue to embed strength-based tools and techniques in practice and ensure they are translating into strength-based conversations, recording and positive outcomes for people
  • To prepare practice for social care reforms including Liberty Protection Safeguards and CQC Assurance Frameworks
  • To embed new ways of working fostered during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring staff are supported and maximise the opportunity for the use of digital technology

Annual Report of the Adults Principal Social Worker 2020-2021

Key Achievements and Developments

The work of the Adults Principal Social Worker (PSW) Andrew Errington for Coventry City Council during 2020-2021. A year spent working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is a PSW?

Care Act 2014 states a PSW should:

  • visible across the organisation
  • support and develop effective conditions for practice
  • oversee quality and improvement of practice
  • have direct contact with the Adults Director and front-line practice

The PSW for Adults, Andrew Errington commenced in post in July 2016 and is the Head of Safeguarding and Practice Development. Andrew reports to the Director of Adult Services Pete Fahy.

Meeting Standards

  • Supporting the relaunch and embedding of the Post Qualifying Standards for SW Practice Supervisors [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-social-work-post-qualifying-standards-knowledge-and-skills-statement] across the WM region
  • Supporting team leaders and supervisors to develop peer/group supervision. PSW also started peer and group supervision with Team Leaders/supervisors
  • Purchased reflective, theory and self-cards practice for every supervisor to use
  • Prepared practitioners for the first renewal with their Social Work Regulator ‘Social Work England’ via team briefings and workshops (Priority for 2020-2021)
  • Produced a Performance Management and Quality Improvement Framework for Adult Social Care

Practice Quality

  • Practice Quality Assurance Framework with new simplified audit system. Includes observation of practice, practice and supervision audits. Allows organisational view on practice issues (Priority for 2020-2021)
  • 291 audits undertaken in 20/21
  • ‘enables more in depth and reflective case discussions with the practitioner’
  • Supported practitioners to respond to the first national Social Work Health Check, our response showing more favourable than regional and national averages

Safeguarding Adults

  • Supporting the work of the Safeguarding Board through chairing the Workforce Development [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/workforcedevelopment] and Policy subgroups. Board multi-agency learning events on hot topics, re framed as virtual events including those on MCA and MSP
  • 160 people attended the MSP event
  • ‘Best MSP training ever - it was powerful in every sense’
  • Shielding Lead for Coventry City Council overseeing the support to 28k people over 3 waves of ‘shielding’ those identified as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable

Workforce Development

  • Updated the Learning and Development portfolio for Adult Services in response to COVID-19, ensuring access to a range of relevant and current virtual training opportunities
  • 92 training events relevant to Social Work attended by 1091 staff
  • Hosted a 4th ‘virtual’ annual practice week with the Children’s PSW providing access to a week of practice focused events
  • New training opportunity identified for unqualified staff via an apprenticeship to support professional development commencing in 2021/22
  • Training lead for Liberty Protection Safeguards, preparing learning and development activities in advance of implementation

Strength Based Approaches

  • Strength-based Practice Framework and Toolkit published [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/ascpf] and undertook an initial evaluation of our approach (priority for 2020-2021)
  • Co-produced with practitioners a new direct work resource [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/directworktoolkit] with a range of tools to support communication and engagement
  • Documentation redesigned to be less prescriptive and bureaucratic with SW practitioners self-authorising or closing their own assessments to promote professional responsibility and autonomy.
  • Continued to host Risk Enablement Panel discussions virtually
  • Leading on reviewing diversity of people accessing Adult Social Care and exploring experiences

Professional Curiosity

  • Ensuring practice informed by evidence and curiosity, raising the profile of our subscription to Research in Practice for Adults, ‘Care Knowledge’, and ‘SW Connect’ helping staff to stay up to date on the latest expert information and legislation to help day to day practice
  • 150 staff are now using Care Knowledge
  • 75 staff now accessing SW Connect
  • 9 in 10 staff said ‘I have access to best practice, research and evidence materials

Engaging and Coproducing

  • Co-chair of the Adult Social Care ‘Stakeholder Group’ working to support coproduction, meeting on a virtual basis
  • Leading on the production of Coventry’s ‘Local Account’ [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/ascannualreport], an annual report reflecting on the work of Adult Social Care
  • Established a new ‘real time’ experience survey to seek feedback from people, identify areas for improvement and to ask people if they want to get involved [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/getinvolvedasc]

Social Work Education

  • Embedding and growing links with our local Higher Education Institutions Coventry and Warwick Universities and supporting the West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership
  • Practitioners supporting teaching on the Adults Module at Coventry University
  • Continuing to support new routes into Social Work, including the new Degree Level Social Work apprenticeships
  • 3 more members of staff started the new Degree Level SW apprenticeship in 2020, 1 further place planned for 2021

Practice Development Roles

  • SW Practice Development roles are supporting newly qualified Social Workers, promoting Practice Education and providing practice support to front line staff and managers
  • Supported 6 new NQSWs
  • Offered 10 primary placements for Social Workers
  • 6 new SW Practice Educators trained
  • Continued to deliver ‘light bite’ training sessions including SW Standards and via practitioners in relation to Anti-Racist SW Practice

Policy and Best Practice Guidance

  • Chairing the Adult Services Policy Group, making sure policy and public information are accessible to all relevant staff and up to date. Group also ensures adult social care takes account of NICE National Guidelines
  • Reviewed, updated and produced a whole new suite of public information for Adult Social Care

Practice Leadership

  • Adapted to work wholly virtually during 2020/21. Supported staff to embrace digital technology during COVID-19 producing guidance and delivery training on virtual contacts, meetings and reviews
  • Maintained contact with practitioners virtually via ‘SW Cold Calling’
  • Lead role during the enactment of Care Act Easements
  • Elected Co-chair of the West Midlands Adults Principal Social Worker Network until 2023 (chairing network since January 2017)
  • Third annual ‘virtual’ conference planned for May 2021 with a focus on strength-based practice in the West Midlands, to be held jointly with OT network.
  • PSW network linked with WM ADASS Branch and supporting a regional 3 year evaluation of strength-based practice with the University of Birmingham
  • Undertakes regional ‘practice reviews’ prior to Peer Challenges

Celebrating and Connecting with Practice

  • Virtual networks and forums in place for staff engagement continued during the pandemic
  • Celebrating and raising the profile of Social Work by World Social Work Day and by encouraging staff to talk about their roles and the work that they do with an online ‘storyboard’ [https://myaccount.coventry.gov.uk/service/storyboard] to capture stories of difference
  • Keeping in touch with staff via the Adult Services E Bulletin and ‘Let’s Talk’ sessions

Priorities for 2021/22

  • To continue to embed strength-based tools and techniques in practice and ensure they are translating into strength-based conversations, recording and positive outcomes for people
  • To embed new ways of working fostered during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring staff are supported and maximising the opportunity for the use of digital technology
  • To prepare practice for the implementation of Liberty Protection Safeguards in April 2022

Previous reports

Previous reports are available to download and print. [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/5650/adults_principal_social_worker_annual_reports]

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