Audit
We are committed to learning and developing to help us improve the care we provide, and during the past year we have embedded a clear and robust audit structure in our work. Each month a group of our senior social workers (half of which is fixed for consistency, the other half rotates) meet to audit several cases. The fixed group includes an operational service lead, a carer’s lead, and the Principal Social Worker (PSW). The rotating group comprises social work leaders in frontline operational practice. The group audits two cases before the meeting, and then analyse to develop a greater awareness of what constitutes good recording.
Issues that might be discussed include:
- consent
- Carer input
- risk
- how we record information
By discussing these issues in detail with a group of senior social workers, we get a real opportunity to question our own practice, look at how we interpret the use of legislation and policy and learn from each other.
The importance of being a practice educator and developing our workforce
During the past year, three experienced social workers undertook specialist post - qualifying training called the Practice Educator (PE) award. This role works with social worker students on their work placements, and as Social Work England states a PE is someone:
who supports, teaches and assesses a student whilst on placement. They are a mentor, teacher, assessor and supervisor and a consistent presence to ensure the student feels safe and secure whilst on their placement.
This is an important role, and people who undertake this award provide a lot of support to students, whilst working full time and completing the academic requirements of the programme.
Naomi, a Practice Educator, said:
I joined Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust in 2008 as a health and social care coordinator. In 2012 I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to study for my social work degree and I haven’t looked back since. My journey has been nurturing, supportive and an enriching learning experience, and I’m now sharing my skills and knowledge with our future social work students. I completed my Practice Educators’ Award in 2022 and it instilled in a sea change within me, both professionally and on a personal level. It has also helped enhance my critical reflection skills and my professional development. I feel very proud and privileged to be supporting our students and shaping our future social workers to ensure the highest standards of practice. The skills for this role do not just start and finish with students but my peers as well, supporting others to learn new theory and expand their knowledge, whilst creating a culture of a shared learning environment.
I genuinely feel that without the support of the Trust I would not have achieved my social work degree and practice educators’ award. I am now looking forward to the next stage of my career and helping others to achieve their learning outcomes.
The journey to being a qualified social worker
John, a recently qualified in-house trainee social worker, said:
I have worked in the broad field of health and social care since I was 18, having tried several different roles and taken something from all of them. I always said that I wouldn’t want to be a social worker because I had an impression of what they do; I did not think I would be able to do it but moving from the charitable sector to Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust six years ago as a community care worker (a social care role within the Trust) changed how I saw social workers. I was immersed in the complex and fascinating world of ethics, values and morals and found that all the social workers I worked with had one thing in common: the desire to support people in the most empathetic and non-discriminatory way possible.
My perception of the world of social work quickly changed and when I was informed of the Trust’s programme to become a social worker, I jumped at the opportunity to start my degree and with the support of my manager and team I was able to work full-time and study full-time; something which I did not think would be possible. I started when I was 31 and like most people, could not have afforded to completely stop work to study full-time; the fact I could continue working (and being paid) made this possible.
It was not easy, but the infrastructure and support was so good and I was always given the time I needed to study and focus on my degree. The placements are within the Trust’s own teams and everyone I met was so invested in training new social workers that I found I never struggled and never felt unsupported.
I am now a qualified social worker and I often reflect on the statement, I wouldn’t want to be a social worker and believe that I would still be saying this, if it weren’t for joining the Trust and seeing the excellent social workers this programme has created. I am now looking forward to a career in social work where many opportunities are open to me.