Students get help from BMBC to learn vital Childrens’ Social Care skills

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is helping to transform the lives of would-be Children’s Services workers after helping our Health and Social Care students gain vital skills.

Students were joined by the BMBC Children’s Services Team for an engaging Continuing Professional Development (CPD) workshop, guiding them through various activities and challenges.

“We’ve formed a strong partnership with the Children’s Services Team, working together to bridge the skills gap and inspire our young practitioners.”

The workshop aimed to elevate their skills and give them the expertise to embark on a Social Work career, supporting the Barnsley 2030 strategy and preparing students to meet local workforce needs.

This is the first time the college and council have collaborated in this way, with the aim of shaping well-rounded professionals who are not only academically gifted, but also industry-ready to ensure vital skills needs are met.

As part of the collaboration, the students will receive monthly sessions from the BMBC Children’s Services Team to enhance their overall development, education, and skills related to children’s services with ‘real world examples’.

The sessions provide an exciting and transformative learning experience for these students, unlike any other offered to would-be Social Workers elsewhere in the borough.

Kerry Jones, a Level 3 Access to Higher Education in Childhood Studies expressed her enthusiasm after attending the first session with the Children’s Services Team. She stated: “I loved the first session with the team, and I am very much looking forward to learning more about the role of a Social Worker.”

Emma Harvey, Childcare and Health Programme Manager, added: “We’ve formed a strong partnership with the Children’s Services Team, working together to bridge the skills gap and inspire our young practitioners.

“Starting with support during our industry week and evolving into the BMBC insight week, our collaboration now involves key practitioners shaping our curriculum and offering monthly training sessions in the dedicated BMBC academy room.”

Laura Lycett, Advanced Practitioner for Barnsley Children Social Care Service’s Practise Development Hub at BMBC, commented: “The first session was really successful – it was great to see how enthusiastic the students were and how they embraced it.

“It is really positive that many of the students are considering a career as a Social Worker, and we can support them in preparing for this.”