Latest News from Workforce Development
Practice Week 2025
Practice Week will take place week commencing Monday 7 April 2025 focusing on the theme of Domestic Abuse.
The following sessions will take place throughout the week:
DAPs & CYPS
- Monday 7 April 2025 from 12.00-1.30pm in Collaboration Space Meeting Room, Town Hall. For more information click on the following link: Directory
Victim Support, IDVA & MASH Roles
- Tuesday 8 April 2025 from 12.00-1.30pm in Collaboration Space Meeting Room. For more information click on the following link: Directory
Exploring Domestic Abuse in Private Law
- Wednesday 9 April 2025 from 12.00-1.30pm via MS Teams. Meeting Room 411, Town Hall has been booked so staff are welcome to come together, have lunch and join the training as a group. For more information click on the following link: Directory
Darlington 4Kids Project
- Thursday 10 April 2025 from 12.00-1.30pm in Collaboration Space Meeting Room, Town Hall. For more information click on the following link: Directory
Email the Workforce Development Team a place on any of the sessions: Email
EXIP Briefing - Autism in Older Adults
- Monday 31 March 2025 from 1.30-2.30pm in Room 406, Town Hall
- Click on link for more information: Training Directory
Moving Forward - Challenging Behaviour
- Thursday 3 April 2025 from 9.30-4.30pm in Training Room 1, Tandem
- Click on link for more information: Training Directory
Moving Forward - The Children's Journey
- Wednesday 9 April 2025 from 9.30-12.30pm or 1.30-4.30pm in Training Room 1, Tandem
- Click on link for more information: Training Directory
Moving Forward - Challenging Behaviour
- Tuesday 6 May 2025 from 9.30-4.30pm in Training Room 1, Tandem
- 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’.
Step up to Social Work
Step Up to Social Work is coming up this year. Applications open Monday 17 February 2025 and we are looking forward to supporting another cohort! Please click on the following link for more information about the programme: Step up to Social Work [external website] for more information about the Step Up program. Authorities from across the region are supporting, but all recruitment is via North East Jobs– please see advert here: North East Jobs [external website]
Darlington's Exploitation Review
We need your help!
Have your say – help improve the exploitation response in Darlington
Sarah Pritchard, Consultant Social Worker & Trainer for Barnardos has been commissioned by Darlington Children's Services to complete an external review of Darlington’s internal and multi-agency procedures where there are concerns a child is vulnerable to exploitation.
The review will look at the themes in practice that are working well, what areas need improving with recommendations of what needs to happen next. To maximise understanding and ensure that the recommendations are realistic & useful, Sarah really needs to hear from you - your opinion really matters.
Sarah is looking at confidence levels in knowledge and practice application in working with child exploitation, She's interested in the workability of current processes and any ideas you have for the next steps. The review is time limited, so she would appreciate any precious time that you can spare.
To take part in the review please click on the following link: Survey [external website]
Unconscious Bias – Practice Briefing
We all have unconscious bias, it is a part of human nature. But its impact can be damaging and it can prevent workplaces really progressing on their inclusion journey. Here you will learn about the different types of unconscious bias, the challenges it can bring to the workplace and importantly, how to prevent it from happening. Please click on the following link: Briefing [pdf document]
Disclosure & Barring Service Disclosure Workshops
DBS Update Service Masterclass – North East Safeguarding Networks
Appropriate for those in North East Safeguarding Networks who make decisions about DBS checks and have responsibility for the management/ maintenance of staff records (such as Team Managers, HR Teams, Compliance Managers). The Masterclass will cover:
- What the Update Service is (and is not)
- Which DBS certificates can be registered with the service
- Benefits of the service to both applicants and recruiting organisations
- Status checking & interpreting the results
- Update Service and Home-Based positions
- Using the Update Service when recruitment and suitability decisions are made off site
Date: Wednesday 16 April 2025 from 11.00-12.00pm
To book a place please click on the following link: Events [external website]
Creative Life Story Work
New courses are available:
- 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]
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 |
|
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
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.