Latest News from Workforce Development
**New Dates**
EXIP Briefing - Self-Medication / Substance Misuse
Aims & Objectives/Learning Outcomes
- To increase understanding of self-medication and the reason behind it
- Raise awareness of adults at risk
- Best approaches when supporting someone who self-medicates
- Relapse rates and why it may happen.
Target Audience
DBC Staff Only - Any member of staff who support adults who self-medicate
Dates, Times & Venues
- Wednesday 22 January 2025 from 1.30-2.30pm in Room 406, Town Hall
- Thursday 13 February 2025 from 1.30-2.30pm in Room 406, Town Hall
Creative Life Story Work
New courses are available:
- Behind the All About Me Scenes - Tuesday 21 January 2025
- The Impact of Parental Separation - Thursday 23 January 2025
- The Impact of Domestic Abuse - Thursday 6 March 2025
- Attachment - Thursday 10 April 2025
- Communicating with Traumatised Children - Thursday 8 May 2025
- Trauma - Thursday 15 May 2025
- Recover - Monday 23 June 2025
- All About Me Direct Work - Monday 7 July 2025
Courses are free to those who have an account. For more information click on the following link: Creative Life Story Work [external website]
Learning & Skills Darlington
Learning & Skills is a further education & training provider based in Darlington. They offer a number of FREE courses to help local adults gain in confidence, upskill & get the job they want. These range for pre-entry level courses for people with limited skills and experience, through to a-level equivalent qualifications. They also offer apprenticeships and courses for younger learners aged between 16 and 18.
With the new term approaching please see all of the new courses they are running:
Beginner Friendly!
- Easy Pace Maths – Thursdays from 9.30-11.30am at the Coleridge Centre (DL1 5AJ)
For students who need that extra support & who may want to slowly get back into the world of learning.
- Reading for Leisure – Tuesdays from 1.15-3.15pm at Darlington Library
This course is for anybody aged 19+ who wants to develop their skills in reading & improving their reading skills in their day-to-day life as well as encouraging them to read for pleasure.
- First Aid (ESOL Only) – Fridays from 9.30-11.30am at the Coleridge Centre (DL1 5AJ)
Discover what to do in an emergency first aid situation, how to deal with choking or accidental poisoning & how to perform effective CPR plus lots more.
Courses for the Family
- Parenting Together – Fridays from 12.45-2.45pm at McNay Street Children’s Centre
This course is for adults with children up to the age of 11 years old or learners looking to boost their CV for a career in schools. You will learn how to identify effective parenting strategies, promote self-esteem, use positive communication skills & much more.
- Family First Aid – Wednesdays from 9.15-11.15am at Rydal Community Hub
This course is for adults who would like to improve their first aid skills & create a safe environment in the home. It will focus on first aid procedures, ways to create a safe home, resuscitation skills, how to handle an emergency situation & more.
- New Year, New Crafts – Fridays from 11.00-1.00pm at Physique Fitness – In collaboration with the Crafty Mamas
Meet new people and get crafting all the while your little ones play! Create some fantastic resin flowers, quilling art, coloured clay creations, heart garlands & paper beads!
- Creative Crafts – Thursdays from 1.00-3.00pm at Darlington Library
Learn new skills for the new year by creating resin flowers, quilling art, coloured clay creations, heart garlands & paper beads!
- Cooking on a Budget – Tuesdays from 12.30-2.30pm at The Edge (Baptist Church) / Tuesdays from 10.00-12.00pm at McNay Street Children’s Centre
This course is for anybody aged 19+ who wants to learn how to create simple & affordable meals. The course will cover food costing comparisons, supermarket tricks & plenty of recipes like homemade pizzas, quiche & soup. This course is taught in-person so you can get hands on with the cooking for the most effective learning.
Fancy a Career Change?
- Level 2 Award in Support Work in Schools and Colleges – Wednesdays from 9.15-12.15pm at the Coleridge Centre (DL1 5AJ)
Ever considered a career in teaching but don’t know how to get started? This course is ideal to help you gain the skills & knowledge to support teachers in the classroom!
Employment Academy
Do you struggle with interviews? Interested in a new career path? The Employment Academy is perfect for you! Learn how to bring the best you to interviews, raise your confidence, discover more about the workplace you will be applying for & end the week with a guaranteed interview. In January we have three BELP's running, one in warehousing, one in hospitality & one in customer service:
- Aldi Warehousing – Thursday 9 January to Wednesday 15 January 2025 from 10.00-3.00pm at the Coleridge Centre (DL1 5AJ)
- Blackwell Grange Hospitality – Monday 20 January to Friday 24 January 2025 from 10.00-3.00pm at Blackwell Grange Hotel (DL3 8QH)
- Arriva Customer Service – Tuesday 28 January to Friday 31 January 2025 from 10.00-3.00pm at the Coleridge Centre (DL1 5AJ)
Apprenticeships
- Adult Care Worker – Closing date 20 Dec 24 - Moorlands Care Home – Apply here!
- Early Years Educator – Closing date 20 Dec 24 – Parkside Nursery – Apply here!
- Warehouse Operative – Closing date 20 Dec 24 – Yolo Inc – Apply here!
- Teaching Assistant – Closing Date 27/12/2024 – Red Hall Primary School – Apply here!
EXIP Briefing - Autism in Older Adults
- Tuesday 14 January 2025 from 1.30-2.30pm in Room 406, Town Hall
- Click on link for more information: Training Directory
Understanding the EHCP Process, the Role of Professionals & the Graduated Response
- Thursday 16 January 2025 from 9.30-11.30am via MS Teams
- Click on link for more information: Training Directory
Moving Forward - Post Training Impact Analysis & Virtual Check in
- Tuesday 21 January 2025 from 10.00-12.00pm via MS Teams
- Click on link for more information: Training Directory
Social Communication & Behavioural Characteristics in the Early Years
- Thursday 30 January 2025 from 1.30-3.30pm via MS Teams
- Click on link for more information: Training Directory
Experts in Practice
Experts in Practice is an innovative and unique programme that supports the development and progression of staff. It enables us to create bespoke, research driven and needs led training and development programmes and resources for Darlington.
In partnership with the NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) and Sunderland University, Darlington People Group train and support staff to become Social Care Research Ambassadors (SCRA), or as we call them here in Darlington, ‘Experts in Practice’. Our programme is different to any other SCRA programme in the country and has been cited as national good practice, with the NIHR promoting our ‘Experts in Practice’ approach to other Local Authorities across the country.
- What is ‘Experts in Practice’? – in Darlington we recognise that we have some extremely skilled and capable staff members who with guidance and support, help us to create and deliver their expert knowledge and skills to others. Many of these staff members have particular areas of practice interest, that with a little training, fine tuning and quality assuring are turned into an amazing and informative training programmes for others. ‘Experts in Practice’ is about recognising, enhancing and delivering that expertise to others through the development of internal training resources.
- Why ‘Experts in Practice’? – whilst providing bespoke, research led programmes of training and resources, Experts in Practice supports a number of key identified areas of need, including; recruitment and retention of staff, progression, staff feeling supported and valued, job satisfaction and ownership (including a sense of responsibility) and budget savings.
- What do Experts in Practice produce? – our Experts in Practice develop research led training programmes and resources for the workforce, e.g. Experts In Practice - Self Neglect [external website]
- Who can be an ‘Expert in Practice’? – a real positive in terms of who can be an ‘Expert in Practice’ is that, essentially any member of staff could potentially take up the role. Interest, expertise, and knowledge in a particular area of need, along with the support of internal leadership and management regarding the development and delivery of that specific area are key to staff becoming an ‘Expert in Practice’.
Community Care Inform
Community Care Inform is a fantastic resource available to DBC staff working with adults and children & families in Darlington. It provides a wealth of online resources created by sector experts enabling professionals to make robust, evidence based decisions and to keep on top of their CPD. It includes:
- learning tools - podcasts, videos, webinars, group learning tools and case studies to support different learning styles
- practice guidance - in-depth guides on a huge range and variety of topics as well as at a glance summaries and top tips
- legal - summaries of the most significant cases with key points for practice plus comprehensive and accessible legislative guidance
- research - the latest and most relevant social care research summarised, with key practice points highlighted.
You can also log each learning event you complete on the website in your own CPD log. You can also record training accessed via other sources & you can easily download all of the information so you have an easily accessible record of your CPD.
- Community Care Inform Adults [external link]
- Community Care Inform Children [external link]
Skills for Care Online Practice Sessions
During January & February 2025, Skills for Care are hosting a series of online community of practice sessions to increase digital confidence & technology skills for Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, & Principal Occupational Therapists & Principal Social Workers who work in Adult Social Care.
The topics that will be covered are:
What does Artificial Intelligence (AI) mean to me?
We’ll explore what artificial intelligence (AI) is, the opportunities which it offers & the ethical considerations around its use. We’ll share real life case studies where AI is already in use in social care.
Digital Leadership
Find out what we mean by 'digital leadership' and why it’s important. We’ll discuss the role of digital champions in the workplace & the role of dedicated TEC teams, as well as continuous professional development & workplace wellbeing.
The Internet of Things
From smart fridges to smart phones, radar sensors to robot vacuum cleaners, our houses are filled with technologies called the internet of things (IoT). The applications for IoT in social care are numerous. In this practical session we’ll look at case studies of how this technology is being used & how to have conversations with the people you support about whether this technology is right for them.
For more information & dates please click on the following link: Skills for Care [external website]
DBC Staff - please inform Workforce Development if you book a place.
Suicide Prevention Training
Funding from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Suicide Prevention Grant Fund has been awarded to PAPYRUS which has enabled them to provide fully funded Suicide Prevention training in the North East until March 2025.
There are four courses available which can be booked through the following link: Papyrus UK [external website]:
- SPARK – Suicide Prevention Awareness, Resource, Knowledge - an introduction to PAPYRUS & suicide prevention - 30 minute presentation
- SPOT – Suicide Prevention Overview Tutorial - what EVERYONE needs to know - 90 minute training
- SPEAK – Suicide Prevention Explore, Ask, Keep-Safe - an introduction to suicide prevention skills - half day training
- ASIST – Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training - a skills building workshop that prepares caregivers to provide suicide first aid interventions - 2 day training
Lunchtime Learning
The North East Children & Families Principal Social Worker Network have continued to plan & deliver a series of bespoke Lunchtime Learning Sessions which are open to all Children’s Services practitioners across the region. Below you will find an overview of the sessions. All sessions are held between 12pm-1pm on the identified dates and you can attend as many as you like! Please add the Teams Link to your calendar to join.
| Authority | Date | Session | Link |
|
Gateshead |
Thursday 20 February 2025 |
Narrative Practice Writing with & for the Child - click on the following link for more info: Narrative Practice Writing flyer [pdf document] |
|
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Northumberland |
Thursday 26 March 2025 |
Being Culturally Competent - click on the following link for more info: Being Culturally Competent flyer [pdf document] |
|
|
South Tyneside |
Thursday 10 April 2025 |
Sharing Sensitive Information as part of Life Story Work - click on the following link for more info: Sharing Sensitive Information flyer [pdf document] |
|
|
Redcar & Cleveland |
Thursday 17 July 2025 |
The Power of Language - click on the following link for more info: Power of language flyer [pdf document] |
DBC Staff - Please inform Workforce Development if you attend so we can keep your training record up to date.
Boost
The North East & Cumbria Learning & Improvement Community for Health & Social Care
The Boost learning academy offers flexible training & development. It offers a wide range of courses, seminars and events all designed to help deliver the best possible care. The learning academy is open to everyone working or volunteering in the North East & North Cumbria health & care system including all of social care.
It offers a wide range of learning opportunities from leadership & improvement courses to prevention & addressing inequalities programmes using a making every contact count approach. Learning opportunities cover a variety of topics relating to population health including alcohol, tobacco, mental health, poverty, inequalities & more. Plus, there's the opportunity to connect & learn together with like-minded people from across the region
People can join the learning academy & get on track to growing their skills & knowledge by clicking on the following link: Boost [external link]
Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Training
CAMHS run a rolling programme of training including the following awareness raising sessions:
- Anxiety, Worries, Fears & Phobias
- Anxious About School
- Attachment Difficulties
- Attentional Difficulties
- Childhood Trauma & Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)
- Deliberate Self Harm
- Eating Difficulties
- Emotional Wellbeing & Communication
- Low Mood & Depression
- Social & Communication Difficulties
For more information click on the following link: Training Directory
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability & Autism
The training is named after Oliver McGowan. Oliver was a young man whose death shone a light on the need for health & social care staff to have better skills, knowledge & understanding of the needs for autistic people and people with a learning disability. For more information please click on the following link: Oliver McGowan Training [external website]
Darlington XTRA
- Subscribe to Darlington Xtra Spotify: Click on the following link: Subscribe to our Spotify [external website]
- Subscribe to Darlington Xtra YouTube: Click on the following link: Subscribe to our YouTube [external website]
Learning & Skills Darlington
Welcome to Learning & Skills Darlington. They are a local training provider offering a wide range of learning opportunities for all ages. They offer a wide range of learning & training opportunities for all ages, including:
- Adult & Community Learning
- Functional Skills
- English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
- Distance Learning (DL) & Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- Family Learning
- Intensive Support
- Higher & Further Education
- Apprenticeships
- Study Programmes & Pre-Apprenticeship Programmes
For more information, please click on the following link: Learning & Skills Darlington
Skills for Care Tools, Resources & E-Learning Modules
Skills for Care offer a range of tools, resources & e-learning modules on various care topics including:
- Oral Health
- Equality & Diversity
- Person Centred Approaches in Health & Care
- Modern Slavery
- Infection Prevention & Control
- Culturally Appropriate Care
- Mental Health
- End of Life Care
- Medication
- Pressure Ulcers
- Dementia
- Learning Disability
- Mental Capacity Act
- Supporting People with Challenging or Distressed Behaviour
- Learning Disability & Autism
- Autism
For more information click on the following link: Skills for Care Website [external website]
E Learning Modules Available:
Zero Suicide Alliance on-line training
- For further information click on the following link: Training Directory
Council for Disabled Children - SEND Basic Awareness
- For further information click on the following link: Training Directory
SCIE Mental Capacity Act E Learning Course
- For further information click on the following link: Training Directory
The MS Society - MS Awareness Course
- For further information click on the following link: Training Directory
Safeguarding Adults & Children
For details of Safeguarding Adults & Safeguarding Children training, visit the Darlington Safeguarding Partnership Website[external link]
Training Materials & Resources
The Workforce Development Intranet pages contain a range of useful information, training materials & resources available to Darlington Borough Council staff. Search for Workforce Development.