Social work and related services

Tender description

The Department made a commitment in Adoption: A vision for change (March 2016) — available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/512826/Adoption_Policy_Paper_30_March_2016.pdf — to develop a continuous professional development programme to enable social workers to develop the knowledge and skills they need to successfully undertake the complex assessment, analysis and permanence decision making we require of them, and progress permanence plans with urgency and skill. See Contracts Finder https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/a7f56dd4-9fe2-49b9-9e7e-84804b6be3f1 for further information. We propose to tender for a supplier to develop a CPD programme for child and family social workers involved in achieving permanence. The contract with the supplier will commence in January 2017. In mid-2017 we propose to further tender for a number of suppliers to deliver the CPD programme. We want the CPD programme to be a kite-marked course that includes some sort of test and certification. It will not be compulsory and will not be accredited. Our aim is for a CPD programme that is attractive to social workers and that their employers want them to do. We want to ensure that the programme is sustainable and makes a positive difference in the short and long-term practice of the social workers who attend. The role of the supplier will be to define target audience needs, design the content and delivery mechanism of the CPD programme and potentially refine the programme following an independent evaluation.