Workforce Development offer

Children's Social Care have a dedicated Workforce Development Advisor. The WDA works very closely with Senior Leaders within Children's Social Care and with the staff to ensure the most robust learning offer is available for all. The WDA is there for all of your learning and development needs and will support or signpost to guide you in your journey.

Workforce Development are always scanning the horizon for new ways of developing learning and incorporating technology into learning. WFD ensure training is accessible and meaningful to fit across the whole service.

Workforce Development also support Social Workers through their Social Work England Registration and ensure there is ample opportunity to complete the necessary CPD.

We have an in house training learning management system called Learning Hub. Staff can access a variety of practice, safeguarding, wellbeing, EDI, corporate training in a range of different forms such as Elearning, Virtual, Podcasts, Face to Face sessions.

Where applicable and appropriate you will have the opportunity to access conferences from outside of the local authority and we ask learners to share their learning.

Every year Workforce Development take the lead on coordinating celebration events such as World Social Work day and Practice week. This includes commissioning specialist speakers, inviting lived experience guests to join us and allow our own staff to show of their skills and expertise by running sessions for us! The aim of the events are to celebrate the great practice that happens across Gateshead Childrens Social Care every day. We care about our staff and their wellbeing and we always incorporate a networking Tea and Cake session into the events. We also provide free merchandise to celebrate and reward our staff, what more could you want!

We have a dedicated training venue, Gateshead Council's Learning Centre, where the majority of face to face training provided by Workforce Development runs.