1. Innovation and Improvements in Social Work Education and CPD Ann Potter Senior Lecturer Department of Social Care & Social Work MMU A.Potter@mmu.ac.uk

2. Relevance to family justice? “Social Workers are experts…” (albeit without a capital ‘E’) Legal evaluations of SW evidence in case law Pre proceedings and PLO - performance issues and challenges. Recruiting, training & and retaining ‘good’ SWs Developing SW expertise

3. The social work education landscape

4. Teaching Partnerships Government initiative for innovation in SW education (including CPD) GM – one of 4 successful bids for Teaching Partnership early adopter status (July 2015 – March 2016) 10 GM LAs 2 GM PVI organisations 2 Mcr Universities GM Service users and carers Devolution Manchester link

5. GM Social Work Academy GM bid is an ambitious 3 year plan Delivery vehicle for training and education of SWs in GM, across services for children and adults Education and training designed and delivered by practice leaders, practitioners, service users/carers and academics GM SW Academy Professional Development Centre – a centre for pre and post qualifying learning for SWs

6. Benefits & implications GM standards for SW practice, education & training: knowledge & skills Bridging the academic –practice ‘gap’ Sustainability - links to Devo Manc Fast-paced agenda Government initiatives to strengthen a profession: do we want to be government led? whose role is it to articulate the knowledge and skills required in SW and how best can we do this?

7. Relevance to family justice? Opportunity for LFJB to support the identification of areas for learning and practice development in Gtr Mcr. To support the development of appropriate levels of expertise for newly qualifying SWs and experienced SWs in Gtr Mcr.