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WQ.521/2019
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR CHILDREN AND HOUSING
BY DEPUTY K.G. PAMPLIN OF ST. SAVIOUR
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 25th NOVEMBER 2019
Question
Can the Minister provide a breakdown of (a) the entry level grade (b) years in practice and (c) the training received pre and post role in relation to all of the social workers appointed following the recent successful recruitment drive?
Answer
Since the start of the Let's be Honest campaign, which began in March 2019, a total of 18 qualified social workers have joined Children's Service (the "Service"), with eight more qualified social workers due to arrive and start in the island before the end of the year.
The following roles have started:
• Eight newly-qualified social workers (ASYEs) – two of whom two are Jersey born and have studied in the UK before returning home;
• eight experienced social workers, including a new director of safeguarding and care;
• one team manager;
• one independent reviewing officer.
All new starters are required to hold a relevant social work degree, which is a legal requirement to practice social work in the U.K. and Jersey. In addition, some hold a Masters in social work.
Social workers are on Civil Servant (CS) grade 10 and for newly qualified social workers on their supported year in employment they are on CS9.
All social workers must be registered with the English Health and Care Professions Council (the "HCPC"), and for continuing membership, through re-registration every three years, social workers are required to provide tangible evidence of relevant training and development undertaken to support and develop their social work career.
The Service's newly-qualified social workers (those who have recently qualified and have come straight from university to the Service) are required to complete the Assisted and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) programme for Jersey (Cohort One).
Our newly appointed Director of Safeguarding and Care is the ASYE programme director and he is establishing a programme board to govern the quality of the programme. He is working together with an ASYE consultant, Portsmouth Local Authority, the Skills for Care Council, and the Department of Education in the U.K. to establish a comprehensive and high-quality programme for Jersey. The expectation is, through the ASYE Programme, our newly-qualified social workers will be able to practice confidentially and competently throughout their first year in employment.
Further, the Service is working in partnership with:
• The Social Care Institute for Excellence ("SCIE");
• Team Jersey (colleagues responsible for Jersey First practice model);
• Research in Practice; and
• The Safeguarding Partnership Board
to implement and develop our social care practice model, including mandatory training and opportunities for continuing professional development. This will also support progression within the Service to ensure that we retain our staff over the longer term, which will have the ultimate advantage of establishing a stable workforce.
Further to this, the new director is leading work to develop a workforce development strategy for both social work within the Children's Service and with partner agencies across the island also responsible for recruiting and retaining social workers.
Our experienced social workers have between two and 17 years of post-qualification experience, with an average of six years of service following the completion of their social work degree.
The team manager has over 21 years of experience, whilst the IRO has nine years of post-qualifying experience.
Lastly, our new director has been a qualified social worker for over 23 years and is HCPC registered.