Career Pathways
Herefordshire Council is committed to developing the careers of all staff and it recognises that continued professional development (CPD) for qualified social workers is critical in facilitating progression and enabling you to take on increased levels of professional responsibility within your role.
This framework outlines the career pathway from entry into social worker to team manager, and the criteria and processes to be followed. Another way in which the progression pathway can be thought about is to consider it as a roadmap which supports your journey and the career routes you can travel from entry into social work to becoming a social work manager in Herefordshire.
Social Work Pathway
Principles of the Social Work Pathway
- Expertise in working with children and young people builds on skills, knowledge and values that all social workers have, and which are set out in the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) and the Knowledge and Skills Statements (KSS).
- All social workers have a commitment to critical reflection on self in practice, social justice, anti-oppressive practice, human rights, strength-base practice and working in partnership, underpinned by social work values and ethics.
- Learning and development is a professional and personal responsibility. All social workers have a commitment to career-long learning and critical reflection on their practice.
- CPD requires appropriate support from colleagues, educators, academics, researchers, regulators, line-managers leaders, HR and the Social Care Academy.
- CPD should be evidenced. Social work is a profession based on theory and research, and on law and policy, as well as on experience. Social workers need to understand and explain why they want to do what they want to do, as well as how they do it.
- CPD should be focused on impact not on outputs. It should be proportionate and appropriate for the role. It should be diverse and flexible. CPD is not about ticking off each capability in a level but about developing capabilities that make a difference to the lives of children and young people.
- Expertise should be recognised so that it can be maintained and shared.
- Children and young people should be fully involved in development and recognition of social workers’ expertise.
Find Out More
We have put a great deal of thought into how best to support the individuals in our teams.
If you’d like to read our full career pathways plan: