Social worker Clearence Ndebele thought she would be overwhelmed when she moved from a small unitary authority to join Coventry city council’s children’s services two years ago. “I’d been with the other authority since I was newly qualified, I was settled where I was, and here I was going to start at this huge local authority,” she remembers.
But today Ndebele, who came to the city after her lecturer husband took up a new post, is relishing the move and the opportunities it offers to develop her social worker career.
She says: “It’s a dynamic and diverse authority and I know that I am learning more than I would ever have done if I had stayed in a small authority. There is a clear career pathway and there are opportunities, not just for the few, but for everybody to improve.”
Ndebele, 34, is already halfway through training to become a practice educator – nurturing and supporting student social workers on the road to qualification. “I remember when I started my placements when I was a student that it was the shared knowledge I got from more experienced social workers that was so valuable,” she says. “I remember how stressful it felt and I wanted to become a practice educator because I want to help students get the best picture of what it is to be a social worker today.”
The course is delivered in partnership with Bournemouth University – reflecting the strong links the authority has with higher education institutions – and the council’s own social work academy, set up to support professional development and training. Indeed, Ofsted inspectors in their latest inspection report [pdf], published in February, acknowledge Coventry’s “good quality training and professional development opportunities”, which, they say, are helping to create a more stable workforce, “committed to improving its social work practice”. Ofsted also praised the council’s social work leaders who “understand their service well”, which is resulting in better practice.
Ndebele agrees: “Already I can see myself growing to be the best that I can be. I liaise with the academy regularly, as I need to keep up with current changes in practice and research. I feel like there are no limits in terms of my development – the sky is the limit.”
Coventry social workers adopt the Signs of Safety way of working. Developed in Australia, the model encourages social workers to recognise the existing strengths in families to help achieve better outcomes. “Often, parents feel that they are scrutinised by social workers, and without realising it we can make them feel undermined, which makes them defensive,” explains Ndebele. “But with Signs of Safety, parents take ownership of what is going on; what is critical is that we focus on what is working well in the family.”
Ofsted has also acknowledged the success of this way of working. The model, it says, gives social workers “a clear understanding of the strengths and risks in the families they work with”. Social workers, according to the inspectors, have a “good rapport” with parents, which helps “to progress work promptly”.
Professional supervision in Coventry is “valued” by social workers, says Ofsted – a view shared by Ndebele: “It takes place every four weeks without fail. It’s not just about looking at your caseload. It’s much more holistic – it’s about looking at your wellbeing, how you are feeling, as well as your training and development. It’s all so positive.”
Each social worker has an average workload of between 16 and 18 cases. But, significantly, social workers in the looked-after-children team will continue to work with the same child until their 14th birthday, when they are transferred to another team supporting them into adulthood. “It’s an amazing way to work,” says Ndebele. “In the past, you would have worked with the child through the most difficult time – removing them from their parents – and then they would be transferred to another team. Now it means that we can build a rapport and long-term relationship with the child – that is really remarkable for them. If there is a problem, I know the case in detail. It means you can build up trust and you get that consistency, which I hold dear. You can see their progress – I am looking forward to seeing one of my 10-year-olds going on into adulthood and university.”
Ndebele, whose long-term ambition is to become a social work academic, so that she can influence future policy, knows that she will continue her career at Coventry. She wants to stay in Coventry, which has been named UK city of culture 2021, and help its children’s services reach its goal of achieving a “good” ranking from Ofsted inspectors. “I love the diversity of the team, the city, and the opportunities that present themselves,” she says. “I am part of a stable team that is working well and is making things much better for children and families – 100% I’m staying.”
Find out more about social work opportunities in Coventry
