Training and Development

The Social Services Directorate is committed to ensuring staff are supported, assisted and developed to complete to the standards required the range of tasks to deliver a high quality of care to children, adults and their carers. The commitment by Social Services to continuous professional development and a life long learning culture is reflected in the ongoing provision of training opportunities for all staff in the directorate.

This is reflected in the support, assistance and provision of course attendance in respect of NVQ, Degree in Social Work and Post Qualifying Awards. The task of promoting training and supporting the development of all staff is led by Assistant Principal Social Worker, Staff and Organisational Development, who is supported by a Senior Social Worker Practice Teacher/Quality Assurance and NVQ Assessor.

NVQ

The Trust actively promotes the attainment of NVQ qualification for all social care staff and is currently exceeding the targets for NVQ set by the Northern Ireland Social Care Council. The Trust promotes eligible staff to participate in NVQ 2 Care and NVQ 3, promoting independence and caring for children and young people.

NVQ Assessor

The role of the NVQ Assessor is to assist and support candidates to identify training needs and courses that will best meet their needs. The Assessor co-ordinates and implements training, observes candidates practice and assesses all evidence against NVQ standards. The NVQ Assessor is currently working with approximately 30 staff across Programmes of Cares.

Senior Social Worker Practice Teacher/Quality Assurance

The role of the Senior Social Worker, Practice Teacher/Quality Assurance is to provide 6 social work students placement each year to university students, and to actively provide Quality Issues throughout all Programmes of Care. The Senior Social Worker has promoted quality through memberships of the Quality Operational Group and through engaging and supporting audit activity, which to date has focused on Reviews of Induction Process aspects of mental health service provision, and seeking service users views on day care provision.

Clinical and Social Care Governance

The achievement of quality practice is linked with the requirements of social care governance. The involvement of the Clinical and Social Care Governance Co-ordinator in small projects has proved to be a positive influence. On-going training has highlighted to managers key areas for consideration in the monitoring of risk and quality.

A social services strategy has been formulated to enable adherence to the Trust Clinical and Social Care Strategy and upon implementation will ensure areas of concerns are highlighted, reviewed and addressed at an early stage.

Community Development Unit

The Community Development Unit was established in 2001 as a result of the Southern Health and Social Services Community development Strategy “Working in Partnership”

The Unit is comprised of a Community Development Manager, 2 full time Community Workers and occasional sessional Community Workers for specific pieces of work.

Aim

The Community Development Unit aims to create and strengthen links and partnerships between Newry and Mourne Health and Social Services Trust and the statutory, voluntary, community and independent sectors

How to contact us:

Email: Community Development

Further Information

If you wish to find out more about the work of the team we will forward our annual report to you on request. We also welcome informal enquiries.