The Children's Workforce Development Council has prioritised training for children's social workers in its three-year business plan for 2008-11, issued yesterday.
It takes forward a range of high-profile Department for Children, Schools and Families policy initiatives designed to improve the training, recruitment and retention of practitioners working with children and families.
Key measures include providing extra support for newly-qualified practitioners, which will cover their first three years of practice; creating a fast-track route for qualifying as a social worker, and developing a career framework to encourage more people to remain in frontline roles.
High priority
CWDC chief executive Jane Haywood said: "Our plan gives a high priority to social workers and the wider social care workforce through a significant investment in new programmes and career frameworks, which will support high quality service."
The plan follows concerns that workforce development policy for children's social workers, under the DCSF, is rushing ahead of Department of Health-led initiatives for adult practitioners.
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