Introduction
The Workforce Development Strategy is aligned to the One Coventry Plan and the People Plan, it outlines strategies to support and improve the recruitment and retention of children’s services practitioners, including through the training and development offer. The focus is to improve the capability of staff to not only engage with children, young people and families well but also to enable practitioners to be able to assess and make decisions which are risk proportionate whilst creating solutions with families alongside multi-agency partners. The core learning and professional development offer is mapped to the knowledge and skills statements and focuses on promoting the practice knowledge and skills of the children’s workforce and evidence to maintain Social Work England registration for social workers.
As a Good authority, the service is proud that Ofsted recognised the achievements in supporting good outcomes for children and young people in Coventry, creating an environment where good social work practice can flourish.
Recruitment and retention of social workers is a national problem and accepted in the government's response to the Independent Review of Social Care. The workforce profile over the past few years has led to Children’s Services supporting a “grow our own” approach, with a key focus on enabling social workers into the profession, and their growth into experienced social workers with high-quality practice standards. Coventry City Council endorsed financing to be able to offer experienced social workers in children’s services a retention payment to retain staff through a competitive financial offer and build workforce stability. In addition, the progression handbook /framework is being reviewed to offer a competitive and progressive career pathway for Newley Qualified Social Workers/Social Workers/Advanced Social Workers/Senior Practitioners as well as the launch of a clinical supervision offer for the whole children’s services workforce
Restorative and Relational Practice is fundamental to “The Coventry Way” practice approach; one of three spires of the Coventry Family Valued programme. The Coventry Way encompasses relational and restorative practices alongside Signs of Safety frameworks to build the practice approach. Fundamental to the practice approach is family-led decision-making, another spore of the Coventry Family Valued programme. In order to embed practice in this way, practitioners require access to training, tools and support to deliver the best service and outcomes for children and families. There is a continued commitment to build a career development pathway which builds The Coventry Practitioner; practitioners who are competent, capable and equipped to practice in The Coventry Way with the One Cov values. This means enabling the delivery and access of tools and resources through a variety of digital platforms.
Children’s Services has a strong learning and development offer for all staff, practitioners, for internal foster carers and supporting our residential children’s homes, benefitting from learning and development opportunities delivered through a minimum of core and mandatory training. There is a bespoke learning and development pathway for all social work roles within children's services that provides a broad range of critically reflective opportunities that support the development of knowledge, skills and professional competency.
The Children’s Services Residential Strategy provides a bespoke training offer for residential staff working in the Children’s Homes.
The Youth Justice Service judged ‘outstanding in February 2023, has a comprehensive Youth Justice Service Workforce Development Strategy 2021-2023 that supports and promotes the continuous development, progression pathways and opportunities for staff within the Youth Justice Service aligned to the overarching Children’s Services Workforce Development Strategy.
The strategic growth and review of services planned are governed by regulatory and statutory requirements, and it is imperative these are supported through training and development which underpin service delivery.
All staff and practitioners have an annual appraisal and career development plan which assists with retention, learning and continuous professional development.
Through the West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership there are regular workshops and research-informed learning opportunities to promote an evidence-based culture of learning and professional curiosity. These opportunities sit alongside access to online platforms such as Research in Practice and Care Knowledge; and close links with the adults safeguarding board and children safeguarding partnerships.
Children’s Services are supported corporately with a well-being offer. This involves access to the Counselling Service staffed by a team of qualified counsellors able to offer support around bereavement, mediation and cognitive behavioural therapy to name a selection. Children’s Services have been able to work with colleagues in the Occupational Health Service to deliver a successful wellbeing offer and support staff to achieve a work life balance. This includes two wellbeing weeks per year and a Clinical Supervision offer to staff.