Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSW)

Our Newly Qualified Social Worker (NQSW) programme enables employers to offer a high quality, 12 month support package to social workers in their first year of employment working with children and families.

We are working with employers to deliver this programme of support to NQSWs that offers:

• A comprehensive induction schedule through their first year of employment.
• Easy-to-use guidance materials.

• A professional development plan designed to increase confidence and maximise capability.

Registration for the NQSW programme in 2011/12 will be open until 15 February 2012.

Requirements of the programme

To help NQSWs demonstrate their progress against eleven outcome statements, participating employers provide:

• Regular supervision.
• A managed workload.
• A training and development plan.
• 10 per cent of their time ring-fenced for training and development activity.

To enable employers to meet these commitments, we provide:

•  £4,000 for each newly qualified social worker.
• An average of £15,000 per employer to contribute to the support and development of supervisors.
• £10,000 capacity funding for employers who support 10 or more newly qualified social workers per annum.
• Access to high quality supervision training via the Support to front line Managers project.
• Handbooks and templates for employers and social workers

The NQSW support package is to ensure that newly qualified social workers receive consistent, high quality support and supervisors of NQSWs are confident in their skills to provide support. The programme aims to increase the number of people who continue their long-term career within social work with families and children. 

Further information

Find an employer that is involved with the 2011/12 NQSW programme.

CWDC has commissioned a consortium involving the University of Salford, University of Bristol and King's College, London to conduct the evaluation of the NQSW programme.  Read more about the evaluation.

If you have any questions please contact us or telephone 0113 390 7648.