16
March 2022
Online webinar
Supporting newly qualified social workers in trusts
East London Foundation Trust, supported by Think Ahead have been piloting a trust-led Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) programme. This programme has been developed by Social Work Leads across London trusts and has an enhanced mental health focus.
In this webinar we will explore the following:
- Current ASYE provision across London trusts
- Development of mental health social work ASYE programme
- Experiences of an ASYE assessor and of a NQSW on the programme
- Initial findings from evaluation and next steps
Speakers include:
- Katie Lander , Social Worker Learning and Development Project Lead, ELFT
- Roxanne Timmis, Head of Partnerships, Think Ahead
- Karen Linde, Social Work for Better Mental Health Improvement Programme
Background
There has been significant progress in the last 3 years in progressing a stronger identity for social work including addressing the specific challenges of social work in the NHS. However, many barriers remain to parity of esteem with clinical professions and one area that has reflected these tensions is the development of the ASYE which forms a key progressive support in the early career of social workers. The direct delivery and support of the ASYE by NHS trusts for social workers they employ has been limited.
A project was undertaken by Think Ahead with Skills for Care, funded by Health Education England, to map current ASYE provision in NHS trusts in London, including a greater understanding of good practice and barriers. There were several challenges to providing the ASYE in trusts identified during the project and it highlighted a need and appetite for an accessible and robust ASYE programme, supporting readiness to work in mental health and health led settings.
The recommendation was for NHS trusts in London to work together, capitalising on economies of scale and the strength of partnership to develop a pan London NHS trust-led ASYE programme. Following this, a collective was formed between London trusts to develop this programme with East London NHS Foundation Trust as the lead organisation. The pan London NHS Trust ASYE programme is now in pilot and was developed by and with social work leads across trusts. Whilst the programme adopts the Skills for Care framework for ASYE, it has an enhanced focus on mental health and working within a health led setting.