Issue - meetings

Report DCYP11131

Members discussed a report seeking the release of funding in respect of the Step up to Social Work programme recently announced by the Children’s Workforce Development Council.  The Director of Children & Young People (CYP) services advised that this was a new scheme that had been introduced by the government to improve standards in the Children and Social Care workforce.  Local authorities participating in the scheme were required to form a partnership and Bromley was the lead in the South East London Regional Partnership with Bexley and Lewisham Boroughs, together with Goldsmiths College who would be running the course.  As lead authority the Council would receive total funding of £698,000 over a 2 year period (for 12 – 14 candidates) which would be released in phases as the project milestones were met.  By the end of the project Bromley would expect to receive 5 highly qualified Social Workers at no cost to the Council who would be undertaking the complex cases within the range of Court requirements. 

In response to a number of questions raised about the scheme the Director advised that there was unlikely to be any drop out of candidates due to the rigorous pre assessment of applicants.  Also by selecting 14 candidates for the programme and eventual allocation across the 3 Local Authorities, there were two reserves that could be drafted in if a vacancy occurred early in the process.  The Director CYP also confirmed that candidates would be required to pay back the costs involved if they did not complete the course.  Members were informed that candidates had been asked to say which authority they wished to work for as part of the assessment and matching process: 6 would be going to Lewisham, 5 to Bromley and 3 to Bexley.  Positions would be available for the new Social Workers at the end of the programme which would help towards further reducing the use of Agency staff.

RESOLVED that approval be given for the release of the Step Up to Social Work funding into the CYP Budget to run the Step Up to Social Work Programme in partnership with the London Boroughs of Bexley and Lewisham.