We are pleased to share the following update from the Social Work Education Partnership (SWEP) on the implementation of the NQSW Supported Year.
The Scottish Government is committed to the national implementation of a supported first year in practice for newly qualified social workers (NQSWs) by October 2024. Supporting NQSWs using the Definitions of employer support will become mandatory for employers and is part of the ambition to create a strategic framework from qualifying education through to advanced practice for all social workers and social work employers in Scotland.
Successful implementation of the NQSW Supported Year will require joint ownership and responsibility from all partners. The Scottish Government is working with key partners through the newly established NQSW Implementation Partnership. The Partnership will work together to ensure the necessary supports and systems are in place, including guidance and materials, in order to have the best opportunity to achieve successful implementation. Definitions of employer support have been updated to reflect learning from the early implementation sites.
The early implementation work has been vital to creating a framework for supporting our newly qualified social workers. To date we have supported 24 local authority employers and 1 independent sector employer to develop ways of supporting their NQSWs. Local implementation areas have indicated that there are benefits to the approach for NQSWs, supervisors and teams where structured oversight and organisational support is given, which requires continuing dedicated oversight of the NQSW Supported Year. Learning from local areas and wider network partners’, will help shape national rollout.
More broadly, the Social Work Education Partnership (SWEP) are undertaking work to establish national and regional infrastructure to support Social Work Education. This work aims to strengthen the routes into social work and ensure students across Scotland have access to high-quality learning opportunities, in preparation for qualification and embarking on their NQSW Supported Year. Over the coming months, SWEP will consult with partners to understand and respond to the challenges in these particular themes, capturing existing effective practice and constructive partnership working to help inform next steps. This is an important piece of work with direct connections to the NQSW Supported Year, and the NQSW Implementation Partnership will ensure that information is shared with those involved with the NQSW Supported Year.
Communications about national implementation of the NQSW Supported Year will continue to be shared on the current NQSW website, along with further learning from early implementation areas. A refreshed NQSW website will be coming soon.
The NQSW Implementation Partnership will also circulate regular updates to Chief Social Work Officers as well as through partners’ own networks.
