Progression – SW/SSW
Progression
On this page you can find out how to progress to Senior Social Worker, Professional Education Consultant and Practice Manager or IRO/CPA.
Progression to Senior Social Worker
There are two stages to becoming a Senior Social Worker:
To become an experience social worker (as described in the PCF) and moving from grade 11 to 12 you will need to produce a portfolio for moderation, which evidences:
- Completion of the development opportunities identified in the pathway for social workers:
- Connected practice
- Core Skills and Practice
- Evidence of development in an area of specialist expertise taking a lead role in the team
- Evidence of sharing knowledge and good evidence informed practice based on current research relevant to casework
- Evidence of contribution to the assessment, mentoring and support of social work students and newly qualified social workers, for example through group supervisions and mentoring. See Supervision and leadership pathway for training and support available to so this.
You do not have to do anything for this process to begin; you will be contacted by the Social Work Education Team and be invited to submit your portfolio at the appropriate time.
This is achieved through application to vacancies.
The additional expectations you will need to evidence:
- Completion of or working towards Practice Educator Stage 1 part of our Practice Education Traineeship
- Provide an up to date portfolio of practice
- Demonstrate an area of specialist practice; this could be as a Practice Lead (domestic abuse, alcohol & drugs /mental health, sexual risk, digital practice or attachment) or another area of practice, such as life story work, court skills, or communicating with children with disabilities.
Progress to Professional Education Consultant
This is achieved through application to vacancies. You will be passionate about:
- about social work practice and supporting students and qualified social workers to develop their practice
- research
- working collaboratively with colleagues and their managers
- developing and delivering/facilitating training and group work.
The additional expectations you will need to evidence:
- Become a Senior Social Worker
- Completion of Practice Educator Stage 2 part of our Practice Education Traineeship.
Progression to a management or IRO/CPA role
Progression from Senior Social Worker to a management or IRO/CPA role is achieved through application to vacancies.
You will be able to demonstrate:
- Application of Connected practice methodology throughout your social work practice at an advanced level, including training detailed in the CPD pathway at senior social work level.
- Application of Core Skills and Practice throughout your social work practice at advanced level including relevant Senior Social Worker training and development
- Evidence of development in an area of specialist expertise taking a lead role in the team; this could be through reaching advanced level training in at least one thematic – Domestic Abuse, Drugs and Alcohol, Mental Health, Sexual Risk, Neglect or demonstrate equivalent advanced knowledge and skills in another area of social work practice such as attachment, adoption, direct work with children, systemic intervention
- Evidence of sharing knowledge and good evidence informed practice based on current research relevant to casework
- Evidence of assessment, mentoring and support of social work students and Newly Qualified Social Workers, through practice education. See Supervision and leadership pathway for training and support available to so this.