Career Pathways
Herefordshire Council is committed to developing the careers of all its staff.
Within the Community Wellbeing directorate, we work closely with our corporate learning and organisational development team, and in addition have invested in a professional team to support each service area to job specific developments.
Every year, we undertake a Training Needs Analysis with all service areas to identify the extras that each staff member attends, and then monthly for emerging trends and personal interests.
Working with the service area specialists, the team offer pastoral support, technical support and contract management support, as well as designing bespoke peer groups and action learning sets.
Keen to spot talent and help people to grow, we look at supporting people as groups and as individuals to expand depth, specialism or to undertake qualifications.
We offer
- Skills based training to increase confidence and capability, including strengths based practice, assessment skills and report writing, legal literacy, presenting at court, multi-agency working and customer service skills
- University courses for specialisms in your current field, including practice education, approved mental health professionals, assessed and supported year of employment for Newly Qualified Social Workers and Occupational Therapists)
- Training into different specialisms, including apprenticeships in social work and occupational therapy, work experience and shadowing.
Our Performance & Development Planning (PDP) process
Central to PDPs is enabling our staff to feel included and valued as a part of the team, whether they are new to practice, or continuing with us. Health and Wellbeing is vital to us all, to assist staff to thrive.
Our PDPs look at your self-appraisal and having an objective eye into that to help assure you that you are on the right path, and planning for those areas you have less confidence in. If you are struggling in any particular area, its about drawing on our wealth of support to enable further learning for you in a way that suits you. It is also taking time to get to know you and your career aspirations to support you to gain as much opportunity to achieve these.
It includes:
- Inductions and personalised learning plans
- One to one’s (planning and debriefing)
- Mentoring
- Supervision and support
- Training
- Appraisals
All employees are encouraged to take part in PDPs, which is similar to an ongoing and annual review and/ or an appraisal summary.
It is an opportunity for you and your line manager to take stock of the year; how you have found the role, what you have enjoyed and found difficult, what you have overcome or developed and what you would still like support with.
It’s another opportunity to receive feedback and recognition of your achievements; understanding whether you self-appraisal is harmonious with your line manager and colleagues in a supportive and reflective session.
It is also an opportunity to look back on previous years and notice any similarities or changes
And to consider: what support and opportunities would I like in place next year to help me develop depth; acquire a new skills; or to look the next role.
All staff will be offered training and other development opportunities to learn their roles; with a generous up-to-12 week induction programme, and ongoing supervision and support. The yearly development opportunity package is a minimum of 30 hours per year for one day courses; workshops; webinars; action learning sets; and shadowing opportunities to provide depth in knowledge and skills.
.
Thinking of switching careers?
Working in adult social care, you will make a real difference to people’s lives every day.
Working in adult social care is rewarding and flexible, one that has much diversity in terms of team types and support offered as well as a diversity of roles in each team.
We equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to empower you to make decisions and take actions to improve the lives of the people we support in your current role; and make reference to the ‘Grow Your Own’ career development initiatives that we have available in community wellbeing, and within the council and with our partners.
Your experiences and interests could be used to help someone flourish.
Experience working in customer-facing roles can provide you with the skills you need to support people. You could also apply to be a commissioning officer, a care broker, or a telecare advisor.
Experience in health settings you can provide skills you need to empower people and identify their interests, needs and wishes, you can become an occupational therapy assistant or a social care assessor, an occupational therapist or social worker.
Experience of being a carer for friends and family members, or being a paid domiciliary carer, you can provide skills you need to provide empathy, dignity and person-centred care; we value the wealth of experience you bring.
Care is one of the fastest-growing industries with people needing support every day.
Flexible hours make support work a great opportunity for students or people with young families.
Career Pathway
Adult Social Care – Un-registered Professionals: Occupational Therapy Assistants, Social Care Assessors & Telecare Advisors
For adult social care practitioners aspiring for change on the career path, we offer funding and paid release time through our study support policy to undertake either:
- Trusted Assessor level 2: Recognising need. how to recognise the need for equipment and how to measure for these.
- Trusted Assessor level 3: Assessing, Provision and Fitting of Equipment and Minor Adaptations. To assess a person and know how to obtain and get fitted the equipment they may require, or to ensure they have the safe techniques required in order to remain safe and independent at home
- Trusted Assessor level 4: Assessing for Major Adaptations. To continue that assessment and decision making to be able to consider major home adaptations.
- Or Occupational Therapy and Social Worker Apprenticeship
Registered Adult Social Care Professionals: Occupational Therapists, & Social Workers
For registered adult social care professionals, continued professional development (CPD) is critical to enable you to progress and take on increased levels of professional responsibility within your role, and we therefore have a number of specific post-qualifying qualifications to undertake:
- A preceptorship: for both newly qualified occupational therapists and newly qualified social workers, we offer a one year supported and assessed year of employment to support you with that journey from student into practitioner; supporting you to feel confident and competent in your role. Both of these courses are supported by professional body; skills for care; and ADASS (also known as the ASYE).
- The dignity with care, single handed care training is also available.
- Once the preceptorship is complete, occupational therapists and social workers can complete Practice Education Training; Best Interest Assessor Training; and Approved Mental Health Professionals Training (AMHP); moving from level 1 onto a level 2 where stages apply.
- Registered Adult Social Care professionals can also complete a qualification in Social Supervision; and become Manual Handling Train the Trainers.
All qualifications are free of charge and including usual pay when undertaking the learning; we do apply a study support programme requesting practitioners to provide back to Herefordshire community the skills available.
All qualifications and training align to the Four Pillars Framework for Occupational Therapy and/ or the Professional Capability Framework for Social Workers; and to the Local Government Association’s standards for employing occupational therapists, and standards for employing social workers.
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: