Retaining experienced social workers
Career pathways are important for ongoing professional development and retention.
Career pathways which offer opportunities for specialism, generativity and mobility are important for ongoing professional development and retention.
Dr Laura Cook talks about the importance of ongoing development opportunities for experienced social workers, which are distinct from routes into management, and the role that these can play in retention.
Talking Points
This video looks at:
- Opportunities to continue to develop professional identity through specialism, mobility and generativity are important to experienced social workers.
Length: 9 minutes
Reflective questions
Consider examples from your own organisations and practice:
- What opportunities for specialism, mobility and generativity are available to your experienced social workers?
- How might you embed these three elements into your existing progression pathways/workforce development programmes?
Resources mentioned in this video
- Cook, L., Carder, S. and Zschlomler, D. (2022) Retaining and supporting experienced social workers in child protection, University of East Anglia.
Professional Standards
PQS:KSS - Organisational context | Developing excellent practitioners | Developing excellent practitioners | Organisational context | Developing confident and capable social workers
Reflecting on your journey as an experienced social worker: Using your learning to support others - Practice Tool (2024)
Retaining experienced social workers is a long-standing issue for the profession. This interactive tool explores what sustains experienced social workers to continue in role, how professional identity develops over time and how organisations can make best use of their skills and knowledge.
Promoting good social work with older people and their families: Practice Tool (2024)
This resource uses insights and evidence from a recent research project exploring Social Work with Older People. It is designed to support practitioners to develop and apply the values, knowledge and skills that are important to older people, carers and families.