Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

A new approach to CPD was developed by the Social Work Reform Board with the social work community and is now one of a range of reform products available from The College of Social Work. The College is also offering an endorsement process for education and training providers of CPD.

Development of core principles and guidance for the Continuing Professional Development of social workers in Adult Services

As part of its continued support to employers in implementing the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) and other social work reforms Skills for Care is supporting the development of core principles and guidance for continuing professional development (CPD). Applications are invited from Employer Transition Fund partnerships and individual Adult Social Work Employers to work collaboratively with Skills for Care to develop and test core principles and guidance for developing pathways for social workers in Adult services with a focus on addressing the social work workforce needs identified in the White Paper - "Caring for our future: reforming care and support".

Representatives of Employer Transition Fund partnerships, or individual employers, who are successful in their application, will form a development group and meet on approximately three occasions. Members of the groups will be required to share information and materials relating to their current activity and future planning to develop CPD programmes for Adult Social Workers. The group will also draw on information already submitted to Skills for Care through the Employer Transition Funds contracting process and other activities.

The project outputs will include core principles, guidance, materials and exemplars, informed and produced in collaboration with the development group and will be based on current and emerging practice in providing CPD pathways which must include the following three components:

1. A learning and development CPD pathway for social workers at 'social worker' level or 'experienced social worker' level which supports the development of at least 2 of the 3 knowledge and skill areas but may include others (e.g. dementia): interpersonal skills; community development skills and assessment of risk and safeguarding.
2. Holistic assessment against the PCF
3. Enhanced reflective supervision for those on the CPD programme

Full details are outlined in the application form.

Applications are invited by 31 October 2012, it will be required that activity be completed by 31 March 2013.

Please complete all sections of the application form and return a signed hard copy to the address on the application form and an electronic copy by Wednesday 31 October 2012 to transitionfund@skillsforcare.org.uk

Please click here for a list of FAQs.

Implementation of CPD framework

Skills for Care is also supporting the implementation of the CPD framework by:

• Undertaking research, commissioned by the Department of Health, into whether there is a relationship between post-qualifying learning for social workers in Adult services and the quality of service delivery.
• Encouraging the development of partnerships through the Employer Transition Fund; specifically ASYE but also including CPD and practice learning, in line with the SWRB principles.
• Providing information and updates and encouraging the sharing of CPD practice through Skills for Care's networks, events and briefings. Feedback and information from networks will be presented to The College of Social Work's CPD Advisory and Implementation Group.
• Supporting and funding the development of practice and professional educators, both of whom have key roles in promoting and facilitating CPD within organisations
• Working in partnership with ADASS regarding the effective deployment of Adult social workers project. The project has produced a second advice note from ADASS and a range of resources; these support employers to develop relevant CPD opportunities for Adult social workers. 

Useful links

The College of Social Work

Health Professions Council