£3.1 million contract to train 700 social work practice supervisors awarded

The government has awarded a £3.1 million contract to launch a development programme for first-time practice supervisors.

Research In Practice will lead on the programme, supported by partners the University of Sussex, Goldsmiths University and The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation.

The contract to lead the Practice Supervisor Development Programme was first advertised in January and is intended as a leadership and management development programmes for child and family social workers.

The money will support up to 700 social workers starting at a practice supervisor level to go through the training. The training will not be universally available for all practice supervisors for the two-year duration of the contract.

At the end of the programme it is envisaged participants “will have the skills required to successfully lead and manage frontline child and family practitioners to implement child and family interventions that result in the best outcomes for children”.

A practice supervisor is someone responsible for helping support other social workers’ practice.

Paul Burstow, chair of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation trust, said the training will be “rooted in its reflective practice traditions and at the cutting edge of current practice”.

“We are delighted to be working together with our partners to deliver this training and support the important work of child and family social work supervisors and look forward to working closely with the sector,” Burstow said.