Latest News from Workforce Development
New Podcast Episode
Healthwatch Darlington
Healthwatch Darlington is your local independent health & social care champion. If you use GPs and hospitals, dentists, pharmacies, care homes or other support services, Healthwatch Darlington want to hear about your experiences. As an independent organisation delivering statutory duties, they have the power to make sure NHS leaders and other decision makers listen to your feedback and improve standards of care. Please share with colleagues/partners.
To listen please click on one of the following links:
- Buzzsprout [external website]
- Spotify [external website]
Darlington Safeguarding Partnership
May Newsletter
Please click on the following link to see the latest news from DSP: Newsletter [pdf document]
Substance Misuse/Self Medication
- Wednesday 4 June 2025 from 9.30-4.30pm in the Stephenson Suite, Dolphin Centre
- For more information click on the following link: Training Directory
Moving Forward - Post Training Impact Analysis & Virtual Check in
- Friday 6 June 2025 from 10.00-12.00pm via MS Teams
- For more information click on the following link: Training Directory
Rethink Formulation
- Thursday 12 June 2025 from 9.30-4.30pm in the Stephenson Suite, Dolphin Centre
- For more information click on the following link: Training Directory
Developing Awareness of ADHD in Adults
- Tuesday 17 June 2025 from 9.30-4.30pm in the Stephenson Suite, Dolphin Centre
- For more information click on the following link: Training Directory
Team Teach Level 1
- Wednesday 25 June 2025 from 9.30-4.30pm at Tandem (Morton Park Business Training Centre)
- For more information click on the following link: Training Directory
Anti-Racist Practice
- Tuesday 24 June 2025 from 9.30-4.30pm in the Stephenson Suite, Dolphin Centre
- For more information click on the following link: Training Directory
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]
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:
- 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] |
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
- Subscribe to Darlington Xtra Spotify: Click on the following link: Subscribe to our Spotify [external website]
- Subscribe to Darlington Xtra YouTube: Click on the following link: Subscribe to our YouTube [external website]
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
- For further information click on the following link: Training Directory
Council for Disabled Children - SEND Basic Awareness
- For further information click on the following link: Training Directory
The MS Society - MS Awareness Course
- For further information click on the following link: Training Directory
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.
The Children's Society
#LookCloser: Building Positive Relationships with Children and Young People
We continue to hear from children & young people that the interactions they have with professionals can have a profound impact on how they view their experiences of abuse and the support they receive. We’re often asked for guidance on how to best engage with children and young people, and whilst this should always be an individualised approach, this session shares some general ideas and tips based the voices of victims, survivors of exploitation and children and young people more generally.
In June 2025 we will be launching our new resource 'building positive relationships with children and young people' which focuses on a trauma-informed and child-centred approach. This will create the foundation for the session. In this session we will:
- explore how to embody the key messages within the resource
- consider aspects of identity and why this is important when working with children and young people
- explore what cultural humility can look like when working with children and young people
- identify and celebrate examples of building successful relationships with young people.
It will be held on Tuesday 17 June 2025 from 1.30-3.00pm. To book please click on the following link: Book [external website]