Practice Educator - Social Work
Band 6
Thank you for your interest in joining us at Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
We pride ourselves in striving to be an employer of choice.
Strategic Themes
Great Care
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- Care provided at home or close to home.
- Improvement through learning, research and innovation.
- Prevention and alternatives to hospital.
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- Care teams are supported by responsive corporate services.
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Great People
- A place people love to work and feel valued.
- Living our values with staff (all voices count).
- Attract, grow and develop talent.
- Leaders with compassion, who continuously learn and listen.
Great Partner
- Encourage and enable effective partnerships.
- Joined-up community services.
- Work with others to maximise workforce opportunities.
- Reduce our impact on the environment.
At the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s job share, part time or another flexible pattern. In addition, although the role advertised may have a ‘home’ office base indicated, we remain committed to supporting flexibility around workplace locations. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
The successful applicant will be an NHS employee and may therefore have contact with vulnerable service users. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been necessary to take significant steps to protect the health and safety of our staff, service users and those attending our sites. Unless exempt, we encourage and support staff to be vaccinated as this remains the best line of defence against COVID-19.
Job overview
This post is a new role in Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust (CFT), for a registered social worker. Make a difference to new and existing colleagues and to the users of our services, as a practice educator. You will work with the Social Work professional lead to continue to develop pathways into social work in mental health, leading the organisation in supporting the training and continuing professional development of the increasing number of social workers who have chosen to work in our mental health services in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
The role will be based within the Education and Training Department, working closely alongside the existing team responsible for service and staff development. You will benefit from the support and experience of this well established team as you develop your role and positively influence systems using your professional skills and knowledge.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work within the Education and Training Department in CFT and will be responsible for the delivery of practice education to trainee and post registration social workers. This includes the development of projects including the CFT apprenticeship offer in social work, arranging placements and providing practice education for student social workers within the SW partnership area, assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE), and continuing professional development (CPD) arrangements for social workers within CFT.
The post holder will provide PE supervision, teaching and practice assessment of social work students and apprentices, newly qualified social workers completing ASYE and also support the continued professional development of social workers within the wider CFT workforce.
Other key aspects of the role will relate to participation in wider networks related to the tasks of the post. This will include but not be limited to locally, Joined Up Social Work (Practice Education) group, the Health and Social Care Academy for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, colleges and universities, and regionally with Peninsula Social Work Education Group (PSWEG), Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) moderation panel and the Social Work England (SWE) regional engagement lead.
Working for our organisation
We’re an NHS community and mental health provider Trust based in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We deliver community and hospital-based care to improve people’s physical and mental health. We also provide specialist support to people with dementia or a learning disability.
We are a people organisation and people matter to us. As part of the team, you'll help support the health and wellbeing of the people who live and visit this beautiful part of the UK.
Over 4,000 people make up the Trust. This includes doctors, nurses, therapists, plus admin and support staff.
We work in people's homes, in community clinics and bases. Some staff work from one of our 13 community hospitals. Our aspiration is to have great people, provide great care, be a great place to work and a great partner.
Approximately 568,000 people live here. A third of people who live in Cornwall are supported by acute hospital services in Devon. As a result, we also work closely with our partners in Devon. In the summer, and during other holidays lots of people choose to visit the area. This increases the numbers of people who use our services.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To view a detailed job description and person specification including the main responsibilities of this role please see ‘supporting documents’.
Person specification
Skills and Aptitude
Essential criteria
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills – able to engage and build effective relationships at all levels with stakeholders
- Competent in supporting emotional needs of social work students
- Keyboard skills/ advanced use of IT packages
- Clinically aware with high levels of practice credibility
- Problem solving skills
- Able to work autonomously where required
- Ability to implement research into practice
Desirable criteria
- Understanding of variety of routes/programmes in social work preregistration education.
Education / Qualifications and Relevant Experience
Essential criteria
- Current Professional Registration with Social Work England
- Professional qualification – Social Work
- Substantial post qualifying practice experience
- Experience of mentoring, supervising and assessing social work students in the practice setting
- Practice Education Professional Standards levels 1 and 2, or willingness to work towards
- Experience of working across professional and organisational boundaries
Desirable criteria
- Experience of developing and implementing new systems and procedures
At Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust we are proud to prioritise the development of our people. To support this, the following opportunities are available:
- Career conversations and individual development plans for succession planning and talent management
- Protected CPD time for registered staff
- Access to a dedicated central development fund supporting CPD for all staff
- Leadership and Management development programmes
- Coaching and mentoring opportunities
- A full clinical induction programme for operational skills
- Access to a care certificate programme for our band 1-4 clinical staff
- A bespoke and robust preceptorship programme to support newly qualified staff
- Individual professional development programmes
Being part of a successful NHS Foundation Trust brings a portfolio of rewards and benefits for our staff. These include:
- Suite of health and wellbeing initiatives to support our colleagues physical and mental health
- Free access to individual HARP portfolios to support revalidation for nursing staff
- Free DBS checks where required
- Discounts available from retailers, UK hotels and main attractions
- NHS Pension Scheme
- Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- The Trust reimburses all application costs for staff eligible to apply for EU settlement status.
The Trust reserves the right to close this advert once a sufficient number of applications have been submitted. It is encouraged that you complete the application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.
If you are successful at the shortlisting stage of the recruitment process you will be contacted via TRAC.jobs email regarding interview details.
We are committed to diversity and equality of employment including the employment of current and former service users.
If you are successful, you agree to Occupational Health accessing your health records from your current or previous employer to check the status of your inoculations and screening tests. Appointments are subject to full three year satisfactory references therefore please ensure you include correct contact details for your nominated referees including email addresses.
Any general recruitment queries, please contact our recruitment team on 01208 834644
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
