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Latest News from Workforce Development

Complaint Handling (Children)

Aims & Objectives/Learning Outcomes

The purpose of the training is to ensure social care staff understand the Council’s legal obligations in relation to handling complaints and have the necessary skills to investigate complaints effectively, resolving the majority of complaints as close to the point of service delivery as possible. The training will cover the law, the Council’s complaints, compliments and comments procedure(s), culture, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and learning from complaints.

Target Audience

DBC ONLY - Children's Service Managers, Team Managers & Advanced Practitioners

Dates, Times & Venues

  • Tuesday 17 March 2026 from 10.00-12.00pm in Room 406, Town Hall
  • Thursday 18 March 2027 from 1.00-3.00pm in Room 406, Town Hall

Epilepsy & Rescue Medication (Level 2)

Aims & Objectives/Learning Outcomes

  • How to recognise the signs & symptoms of the different forms of the condition
  • underpinning knowledge of the common triggers for seizures
  • diagnostic procedures – the signs to look for & what they signify
  • guidelines for the ongoing treatment of Epilepsy
  • the medicines used for the treatment of Epilepsy & their side effects and contraindications
  • the kinds of complementary therapies used in the treatment of Epilepsy & how they can help
    how & when to record seizures properly
  • effective First Aid for Epilepsy patients
  • an understanding of “Status Epilepticus”. 

Target Audience

DBC ONLY - Day Services Staff

Dates, Times & Venues

  • Thursday 26 June 2025 from 9.30-12.30pm or 1.30-4.30pm at Tandem
  • Wednesday 2 July 2025 from 9.30-12.30pm or 1.30-4.30pm at Tandem
  • Thursday 18 June 2026 from 9.30-12.30pm or 1.30-4.30pm at Tandem
  • Wednesday 24 June 2026 from 9.30-12.30pm or 1.30-4.30pm at Tandem

Hidden Sentence Awareness

Aims & Objectives/Learning Outcomes

This session will help delegates:

  • understand the impact of imprisonment on prisoners’ families
  • improve understanding of the prison system
  • understand the support needs of prisoners’ families
  • understand the needs and wishes of prisoners’ families
  • understand how to improve the coordination of services to provide more effective support for those affected by the imprisonment of a family member
  • understand how to improve own practice in supporting prisoners’ families.

Target Audience

Any practitioner working with families in Darlington who are affected by a family member being in prison

Dates, Times & Venues

  • Monday 15 September 2025 from 1.30-4.00pm at Tandem (Morton Park Business Training Centre) 
  • Tuesday 4 November 2025 from 9.30-12.00pm at Tandem (Morton Park Business Training Centre) 

Just Checking Assessment Tool Awareness Session

Aims & Objectives/Learning Outcomes

Just Checking is an activity monitoring system which helps care professionals complete objective, evidence based care needs assessments of adults with dementia, learning disabilities and autism. This session will look at what the system is & how it can inform assessments.

Target Audience

DBC ONLY – Adult Social Care - new members of staff or anyone who would benefit from a refresher

Dates, Times & Venues

  • Wednesday 16 July 2025 from 10.00-11.00am via MS Teams
  • Tuesday 9 December 2025 from 10.00-11.00am via MS Teams
  • Thursday 23 April 2026 from 10.00-11.00am via MS Teams
  • Wednesday 14 October 2026 from 10.00-11.00am via MS Teams
  • Tuesday 9 March 2027 from 10.00-11.00am via MS Teams

Young Carers Darlington 

Memorandum of Understanding

You are invited to attend an event which will will:

  • explore the MoU in more detail
  • gain a greater understanding of the Young Carers Darlington model & service offer
  • explore how we can all work together to better support our young carers.

To see more please click on the following link: Flyer [pdf document]

Social Work Week Playlist

Social Work Week 2025 brought together thousands of people including professionals & people with lived experience to learn, connect and influence the future of the social work profession. Across the week they had 58 presenters including people with lived and learned experience, with backgrounds across health, social care, education and research.

If you were unable to attend or want to revisit any of the topics, they've shared highlights from some of these sessions in a YouTube playlist. To watch please click on the following link: YouTube [external website]

Step up to Social Work

Step Up to Social Work is coming up this year. Applications open Monday 17 February 2025 and we are looking forward to supporting another cohort! Please click on the following link for more information about the programme: Step up to Social Work [external website] for more information about the Step Up program. Authorities from across the region are supporting, but all recruitment is via North East Jobs– please see advert here: North East Jobs [external website]

Unconscious Bias – Practice Briefing

We all have unconscious bias, it is a part of human nature. But its impact can be damaging and it can prevent workplaces really progressing on their inclusion journey. Here you will learn about the different types of unconscious bias, the challenges it can bring to the workplace and importantly, how to prevent it from happening. Please click on the following link: Briefing [pdf document]

Creative Life Story Work

New courses are available:

  • Communicating with Traumatised Children - Thursday 8 May 2025
  • Trauma - Thursday 15 May 2025
  • Recover - Monday 23 June 2025
  • All About Me Direct Work - Monday 7 July 2025

Courses are free to those who have an account. For more information click on the following link: Creative Life Story Work [external website]

Lunchtime Learning

The North East Children & Families Principal Social Worker Network have continued to plan & deliver a series of bespoke Lunchtime Learning Sessions which are open to all Children’s Services practitioners across the region. Below you will find an overview of the sessions. All sessions are held between 12pm-1pm on the identified dates and you can attend as many as you like! Please add the Teams Link to your calendar to join.

Authority

Date

Session

Link

Redcar & Cleveland

Thursday 17 July 2025

The Power of Language - click on the following link for more info: Power of language flyer [pdf document]

Join the Power of Language meeting now

DBC Staff - Please inform Workforce Development if you attend so we can keep your training record up to date.

Boost

The North East & Cumbria Learning & Improvement Community for Health & Social Care

The Boost learning academy offers flexible training & development. It offers a wide range of courses, seminars and events all designed to help deliver the best possible care. The learning academy is open to everyone working or volunteering in the North East & North Cumbria health & care system including all of social care.

It offers a wide range of learning opportunities from leadership & improvement courses to prevention & addressing inequalities programmes using a making every contact count approach. Learning opportunities cover a variety of topics relating to population health including alcohol, tobacco, mental health, poverty, inequalities & more. Plus, there's the opportunity to connect & learn together with like-minded people from across the region

People can join the learning academy & get on track to growing their skills & knowledge by clicking on the following link: Boost [external link]

Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Training

CAMHS run a rolling programme of training including the following awareness raising sessions:

  • Anxiety, Worries, Fears & Phobias
  • Anxious About School
  • Attachment Difficulties
  • Attentional Difficulties
  • Childhood Trauma & Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)
  • Deliberate Self Harm
  • Eating Difficulties
  • Emotional Wellbeing & Communication
  • Low Mood & Depression
  • Social & Communication Difficulties

For more information click on the following link: Training Directory

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability & Autism 

The training is named after Oliver McGowan. Oliver was a young man whose death shone a light on the need for health & social care staff to have better skills, knowledge & understanding of the needs for autistic people and people with a learning disability.  For more information please click on the following link: Oliver McGowan Training [external website]

Darlington XTRA

DARLINGTON XTRA podcasts bring you the views of sector leading professionals & the voices of families. Interviews & conversations to support learning & development across Darlington.

Learning & Skills Darlington

Welcome to Learning & Skills Darlington. They are a local training provider offering a wide range of learning opportunities for all ages. They offer a wide range of learning & training opportunities for all ages, including:

  • Adult & Community Learning
  • Functional Skills
  • English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
  • Distance Learning (DL) & Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
  • Family Learning
  • Intensive Support
  • Higher & Further Education
  • Apprenticeships
  • Study Programmes & Pre-Apprenticeship Programmes

For more information, please click on the following link: Learning & Skills Darlington

Skills for Care Tools, Resources & E-Learning Modules

Skills for Care offer a range of tools, resources & e-learning modules on various care topics including:

  • Oral Health
  • Equality & Diversity
  • Person Centred Approaches in Health & Care 
  • Modern Slavery
  • Infection Prevention & Control
  • Culturally Appropriate Care
  • Mental Health
  • End of Life Care
  • Medication
  • Pressure Ulcers
  • Dementia
  • Learning Disability
  • Mental Capacity Act
  • Supporting People with Challenging or Distressed Behaviour
  • Learning Disability & Autism
  • Autism

For more information click on the following link: Skills for Care Website [external website]

Community Care

Community Care has lots of information available on the issue of social care/social work on their website. Click on the following link: Community Care [external website]

E Learning Modules Available:

Zero Suicide Alliance on-line training

Council for Disabled Children - SEND Basic Awareness

The MS Society - MS Awareness Course

Safeguarding Adults & Children

For details of Safeguarding Adults & Safeguarding Children training, visit the Darlington Safeguarding Partnership Website[external link]

Training Materials & Resources

The Workforce Development Intranet pages contain a range of useful information, training materials & resources available to Darlington Borough Council staff. Search for Workforce Development.

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