The Teaching Partnership aspires to provide regional progression and development opportunities to equip practitioners with the skills and ability to progress within the partnership.

The provision of high quality social work services relies upon a highly skilled, well-trained, supported and motivated workforce. All practitioners in our region should have the opportunity to grow, develop and progress throughout their career. The Teaching Partnership aspires to provide and invest in enhanced continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities for practitioners and managers within South West London and Surrey, equipping them to deliver outstanding social work practice.

Career Pathways & CPD Framework

The Developing Together Social Work Teaching Partnership Career Pathways & CPD Framework demonstrates the region’s commitment to improve social work practice through continual professional development and career progression.

The framework supports social work practitioners and those involved with workforce learning and development by outlining indicative social work job roles/responsibilities and associated CPD opportunities at each career stage. It also supports practitioners to meet Social Work England (SWE) CPD requirements and identify learning opportunities.

The Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) levels and the Knowledge and Skills Statements/Post Qualifying Standards are included to show how the progression framework fits in with these national standards.

Early Professional Development Framework

The transition from Newly Qualified Social Worker can be a challenging one and the metaphorical ‘cliff-edge’ post the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) is often referred to within the social work sector. After the ASYE, social workers find themselves negotiating new terrain, managing an increased caseload and often taking on additional responsibilities, sometimes without sufficient support or training.

However, the transition period is also a hugely rewarding one, representing the end of a significant period of study, with most social workers having studied for two or three years at University before going on to complete an intensive ASYE programme with demanding portfolio requirements.

Taking some of the learnings from the Department for Education’s (DfE) pilot Early Professional Development programme (2009-2011), and working closely with local employers and our academic partner, we have developed an Early Professional Development (EPD) Framework for social workers in the second and third years of their career. This Framework dovetails the overarching Career Pathways & CPD Framework.