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Learning and development

Learning, development 
and support

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We are a family friendly employer with agile working conditions and the latest kit to support your work. We provide every social work practitioner with a laptop and smart phone that are easy to use, helping us all to stay in touch and keep connected.

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We are proud that our colleagues choose to stay with us. Alongside being valued, working like a family, we give comprehensive individual support with emphasis on teamwork. This brings strong connections and a sense of belonging which develops our skills and knowledge to be effective in our practice.

Developing you

We want our employees to learn and develop in their role and feel that they are valued, where we are looking to “Grow our Own” :

  •  Access to face-to-face training courses, workshops, and a diverse range of online learning courses through Learning Lounge (our interactive learning management system) which contains a wealth of courses and learning resources for staff
  •  Multi agency safeguarding training delivered through the Cheshire East Safeguarding Children's Partnership (CESCP)
  •  High quality reflective group supervision and supportive individual supervision
  •  Comprehensive training offer, including subscription to Research in Practice (RiP)
  •  A programme of management and leadership programmes
  •  regular one-to-one discussions with your manager to review and build on positive performance and development
  •  Annual professional development conversations to agree future objectives for the coming twelve months as well as an opportunity to discuss your career aspirations and professional development. This also includes a discussion about your personal well-being with the development of a personal well-being plan.
  •  Clear and supported career progression pathways
  •  Social Work Degree apprenticeships

Some courses are essential to support your induction, confidence, and practice and these will be arranged in advance of your start date. Many of these courses take place as e-learning modules, others may be face-to-face.

Induction

All new employees receive a structured induction period that ensures they can understand the organisation and their role in it.

The induction process is about helping new employees to feel welcome, be confident to ask questions and enjoy a positive start to their career with Cheshire East Council:

  • Helping employees settle into their new environment and take on their responsibilities
  • Engaging new employees in our Vision and Values, HR practices, health and safety regulations and naturally, familiarising with the job they are required to do
  • Induction is more than skills and knowledge training; it is also about the basics that seasoned employees all take for granted: for example, getting to know our working patterns; where the photocopier is; routine for holiday booking and recording sickness; dress code etc.

Employees will be provided with opportunities to shadow and co-work as part of their induction where possible.

Employees are invited to the 'Welcome to Cheshire East' sessions hosted by the Principal Social Worker. These provide an opportunity to ask questions and find out more about the organisation, opportunities and the 'Together for Children' vision that underpins our work.

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Communication

We want our employees to feel engaged and involved and understand that communication is key to this. We have a variety of communication methods for sharing key messages with our staff, and all staff receive regular briefings from their manager as well as information from:

  • Online staff and manager briefings
  • Team briefs
  • Celebrating practice workshops - networking opportunity to celebrate good practice for all staff in Children's Social Care
  • Internal intranet
  • Frontline practitioner forums held by our Director of Children's Social Care
  • Partnership newsletters
  • Staff surveys to seek views and feedback to continue to make progress and have a positive impact in the work that we do.
  • Opportunities to participate in focus groups to help shape practice.
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Meet our teams

Our focus is to promote excellent social work practice that is strengths based and child focused so that practitioners can empower the children and families we work with.

Meet our teams.

Page last reviewed: 15 May 2024