PK Learning & Development

PK Learning & Development

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Community of Practice 

The Community of Practice is made up of social work and social care staff employed by Perth and Kinross Council and Dundee University staff teaching on the social work and social care educational programmes. 

Perth and Kinross Council Logo University of Dundee Logo

Our aims

Our main aim is to help improve practice and inform service delivery. A further outcome is that all practitioners from across the Council can access this group as an integral resource to supporting their Continuous Professional Learning and their Employee Record of Development. 
Develop Links  Develop links across the social work disciplines (Children and Families, Criminal Justice, Adult Services, Community Care) and academia to help inform and improve service delivery and development of profession. 
Shared Learning and Shadowing Opportunities

Shared learning and shadowing opportunities to enhance the knowledge and skills base of front-line practitioners and University staff.  This will also involve accessing University resources such as lectures, seminars and research and Council facilities and frontline services.   
Enhance the Evidence Base 

Enhance the evidence base for defensible decision making across the social care profession through accessing research and implementing critical reflection and analyses.  It was also discussed how staff from the University could provide independent feedback at a strategic level if fully involved in the Local Authority’s’ strategy groups (carers, keys to life, mental health and wellbeing, see hear, physical disabilities, older adults, transitions and Autism).  This will help to inform and measure the effectiveness of service implementation and to identify potential barriers.     
Research 

Having the opportunity to be fully involved in the identification, progression and implementation of methodologies and knowledge base and in the collation and corelation of quantitative and qualitative data to help improve practice at national and localised levels. 
Leadership Knowledge, Skills & Values 

We will work collectively to help support and enhance the competency and confidence of the workforce as a whole.   
Resources 

Working together we are sharing facilities and resources to support our learning and development for example access to meeting rooms, building facilities online research materials and policies.   
Peer Support

Regular meetings are held through Microsoft teams as we understand the workload pressures and time commitments of front line practitioners.  Meetings are held every 4 to 6 weeks and individuals are welcome to attend when they can.  Meetings are recorded so all participants of the group can access updates and relevant information. 

The peer support sessions provide practitioners with a safe space to talk, time to reflect, share ideas and plan events and collaborative projects that we can take forward to support our development as a profession.  Any ideas and suggestions that you have for improving practice is always welcome. 

If you would be interested in being part of the Community of Practice, please email lcarse@pkc.gov.uk  

Upcoming Events  
  • Nurturing Hope in Social Work Practice - Thursday 10th April 9.30am – 11.30am at Perth and Kinross Council, Civic Hall, 2 High Street.

 

Your Community of practice is holding an event on 'Nurturing Hope in Social Work Practice' on Thursday 10th April 9.30am – 11.30am at Perth and Kinross Council, Civic Hall, 2 High Street. With guest facilitator Rachel Natanson.  

 

Event Overview: 

This event is designed to delve into the importance of hope in social work. Participants will explore how fostering hope can transform client outcomes and enhance their own professional resilience. 

 

Key Objectives:

  • Defining Hope: Understand what hope means and its relevance in social work.
  • Theoretical Foundations: Examine key theories related to hope, such as Snyder’s Hope Theory.
  • Practical Applications: Learn practical techniques to instil hope in clients, including goal-setting, positive reinforcement, and strength-based approaches.
  • Self-Care for Social Workers: Discuss strategies for maintaining hope and resilience as a social worker.
  • Case Studies: Review real-life examples where hope has significantly impacted client progress.

 

Please Save the date in your diaries and email HSCP Learning HSCPLearning@pkc.gov.uk to confirm your attendance. 

 

 

  • Perthshire Women's Aid - Thursday 4th September 2025 1.30pm to 4.30pm at the City Chambers, Perth High Street, Perth & Kinross Council.                                                                                                                                                          

 

Your Community of Practice is facilitating a learning event on Thursday 4th September 2025 1.30pm to 4.30pm at the City Chambers, Perth High Street, Perth & Kinross Council.

 

This event is intended to raise awareness of the valuable work undertaken by Pethshire Women's Aid over a 50-year period working towards the prevention of domestic abuse. 

 

Expect to leave with an improved understanding of the dynamics of domestic abuse. the short and long-term impact on women, children and young people, and an awareness of the practical and emotional support available to them. 

 

Event Programme:

  • Hear the narratives and experiences of front-line practitioners
  • Find out about the valuable work of the Perthshire Women’s Aid at a Local and National Level.
  • Our Vision – be part of it!

 

"Perthshire Women’s Aid's vision is of a society in which women, children and young people are full and equal participants and live free of the threat of domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women.""

 

Please Save the date in your diaries and email HSCP Learning HSCPLearning@pkc.gov.uk to confirm your attendance. 

 

  • Prebirth Assessment with the Perth and Kinross Council First Steps Team and Dr Cally Bleasby -  Thursday 6th November 2025 9.30am to 12pm at Civic Hall, Perth, High Street Office

    Your Community of Practice is facilitating a learning event on Thursday 6th November 2025 9.30am to 12pm at the Civic Hall, Perth High Street, Perth & Kinross Council:

     

    Prebirth assessment with the Perth and Kinross Council First Steps Team and Dr Cally Bleasby, Associate Head of School of Social Sciences and Social Work at Sunderland University

     

    Event Programme:

    • Hear the narratives and experiences of front line practitioners
    • Find out about the work of the First Steps Team and what is involved in a pre-birth assessment
    • Dr Calley Bleasby will be sharing her knowledge and experiences and disseminating the findings of her research: “Nobody wants to remove a baby... That’s the crux of it”: Social Workers’ Experiences of Undertaking Pre-Birth Assessments

     

    First Steps

    The First Steps Team undertakes assessment and provides support to expectant parents where there are concerns for the wellbeing and safety of their unborn child. The First Steps Team works with a range of complex issues with expectant and new parents.

     

    Dr Cally Bleasby biography: 

    "I have worked in health, social care and education for 18 years. Prior to becoming a social worker, I worked in a range of health and social care settings including inpatient and community mental health settings, and early intervention services. Working with young people who had disengaged from education sparked my interest in social work and led me to study to become a qualified social worker.

     

    Before moving into higher education, I worked as a child and family social worker for several years before working at another educational institution in the North East for 5 years where I completed my teaching qualification and taught across a range of health, social care and childcare degree programmes. I joined the University of Sunderland in 2020 as Programme Leader of the BA (Hons) Social Work. In 2023 I became Associate Head of School in the School of Social Sciences."

     

    Please Save the date in your diaries and email HSCPLearning@pkc.gov.uk to confirm your attendance. 

Critical Thinking  - 3rd April 2025 

This learning exchange was open to practitioners from Perth & Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP).   This session was a follow up to the assessment and recording of information workshops that Learning and Development facilitated throughout 2024 for all the HSCP Social Work Teams. 

Biography:   

The keynote facilitator was Dr Melanie Durowse who is a Lecturer in Social Work with Dundee University who began her Social Work career with Criminal Justice Services as a Social Work Assistant before qualifying as a Social Worker. Whilst a student Melanie worked in residential resources for both young people and older adults.  On qualifying Melanie worked in a statutory child care setting before moving to a duty team, which allowed her to work in the community developing resources with families. Melanie also worked in a foster care agency before moving to a child protection policy team. During this time she completed an MSc in Child Care and Protection with a dissertation around the journey through an HMIe Child Protection Inspection.  A change in direction took Melanie into an Adult Protection Committee, initially to develop the multi-agency adult protection training, which led to a quality assurance and evaluation role, developing multi agency audit processes. She then returned to practice as a Team Manager within Adult Services. Melaine completed her PhD in 2021 with a thesis entitled Financial harm in the context of adult protection: the complexity of factors influencing decision making. She joined the University in April 2022, where she now work as a Lecturer in Social Work and remains passionate about the learning and development of the profession.

Content of the session: Critical Thinking (Please see powerpoint attached that is to be uploaded)

The session covered critical thinking and the theoretical concepts that inform decision making.  This involved considering the following through linking our learning to our own practice and case scenarios: 

Feedback

In total 27 front line practitioners attended the sessions, and we received positive feedback. 

Staff asked if you Melanie could “come and deliver training every week” and “liked the fact that she is independent from the council but brings her own academic experience and front-line practice knowledge” 

They also said that it was helpful to consider the different components of critical thinking to help inform their own practice and that of other professionals and senior management in decision making roles.  They fed back that the session will help them in their decision making and ensure an evidence-based approach to practice. 

Slides

critical thinking pk april.pdf

 

Critical Thinking

 

Advocacy: Human Rights in Practice - 5th December 2024 

Human Rights in Practice and Advocacy, we asked:

This event was facilitated by INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY PERTH & KINROSS.

Positive Behaviour Support - 6th September 2024

Positive Behaviour Support - Community of Practice in person learning event Friday 6th September 2024, 9am - 1pm at the Civic Hall 2 High Street Perth.

This session provided some insight into the positive behaviour support (PBS) framework used to design the support for people in many different contexts. Consideration was given to different forms of communication between supported people and their team of caregivers be they family members, staff teams or health and social care professionals. We acknowledged the potential types of behaviour that is challenging both for the person and their caregivers. In the second part, we talked about PBS plans and the tiered strategies approach taken in positive behaviour support. 

The event was facilitated by Trainee Clinical Psychologist Alison Milne.   

Human Rights and Residential Care - 29th August 2024

Human Rights and Residential Care - Community of Practice in person learning event took place Thursday 29th August 2024, 9.30am – 11.45pm at the Civic Hall 2 High Street Perth. 

The event was facilitated by the Community of Practice with guest speakers from the Enhanced Care Home Team Rebecca Steinbach and Jan Ray, Scottish Care Dave Henderson and Fiona Clark from Dundee University. 

Fiona Clark is a qualified social worker and lecturer in social work at the University of Dundee. Prior to joining the University, Fiona was a front-line practitioner in children and families. Later experience in early years regulation, training and planning roles led her to spend a number of years working at a national level. This included a secondment to Scottish Government to support the developing childcare partnerships, involvement in social work regulation and finally a workforce development role at the SSSC. Fiona is currently undertaking a PhD researching the human rights of older people in residential care homes in Scotland.

The event covered: 

45 people attended in total from across Health, Social Work, Social Care, Advocacy, Scottish Care and third sector and the event was a great success.  Thanks to the facilitators and all the participants for making the event so interesting and thought provoking.

 

Below you will find Fiona Clark's presentation on 'Researching human rights in care homes for older people'

pk community of practice 29 08 24 fiona clark .pdf

 

Below you will find Dave Henderson's presentation on 'Large Scale Investigation (LSI) review - Perth & Kinross'

dh lsi review presentation aug 2024.pdf

 

Below you will find the 'Adult Support and Protection - National Large Scale Investigation Framework' by Jeanette Sutton (published June 2023)

iriss lsi framework.pdf

 

Below you will find the presentation that was given by the Enhanced Care Home Team

presentation echt final 29th aug 2024.pdf

 

 

 World Social Work Day - 7th March 2024

World Social Work Day takes place on 19 March 2024. This year’s theme is ‘Buen Vivir: Shared Future for Transformative Change’, which is rooted in the Global Agenda and emphasises the need for social workers to adopt innovative, community-led approaches.   Please click here to read more about the background of this theme.

The Community of Practice held an event on 7th March 2024 to celebrate the fantastic work that our caring and compassionate social care workforce undertake daily, recognising the commitment that they show challenging inequality and promoting social justice.  Sixty-five people attended the event in total from a diverse range of Adult Social Work and Social Care and Children and Families teams from across Perth and Kinross Council.  We were also joined by Dr Gillian Ferguson our guest speaker, Arun Singh Chief Social Work Officer and Kenny Ogilvy Interim Head of Service with the Perth & Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership.   

world sw day write up 2024 002 .pdf

 

Photo of Dr Gillian FergusonDr Gillian Ferguson

Professional biography

Gillian Ferguson is a lecturer in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS) and is currently involved in work on the Social Work professional programmes and Health and Social Care modules. She has worked in a broad variety of settings including direct practice, workforce development, advisory and regulatory roles, including as a social worker, community learning worker and academic. Gillian worked in her early career as a support worker in the Rape Crisis movement, subsequently working as a youth worker, adult learning worker and health promotion practitioner. She managed a third sector addictions counselling service for many years, remains involved in supporting learning and continues to undertake direct practice in this field. Gillian has also worked in local authority roles and was an associate lecturer with The Open University for about sixteen years.

 

Research interests

Gillian is an educational researcher integrating different areas of her own learning and professional experience. 

Gillian is interested in research into learning, education and practice in social work and other professional areas including service and project evaluation. Her doctoral thesis focused on workplace learning in relation to social workers: titled, “When David Bowie Created Ziggy Stardust” The Lived Experiences of Social Workers Learning Through Work. The study explored the unique lived experiences of social workers’ learning in the course of their work activities, through an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study. The findings from this qualitative study sit at the intersection of knowledge about workplace and professional learning, offering new insights into how social workers learn through daily work. The thesis shows the nature and complexity of individual social workers’ experiences and how understanding these can help design more effective workplace continuing professional learning opportunities. 

Gillian's current research projects include:

  • Developing an experiential learning pathway for social work child protection,
  • Exploring effective workplace practices that support social workers' learning,
  • Writing in Professional Social Work Impact Phase with Dr Lucy Rai, Ann Flynn, Lindsay Giddings,
  • Knowledge Landscapes a PRAXIS funded project exploring how professional doctorate researchers negotiate academic and professional epistemologies led by Dr Azumah Dennis,
  • Responsibility to act on climate emergency: a Document Analysis of social work educational and professional standards across the UK with Lindsay Giddings.

Gillian is actively involved in supporting doctoral research at the Open University with support for learning around methodologies and supervision of doctoral students. She is open to contact in relation to examination of doctoral work and external examination roles. Gillian is a member of the Lifelong Learning Research Group, Social Work Research Group, a lead for the Climate Justice and Social Work Special Interest Group. Gillian is also a lead for the OU Social Work and IPA Research Network (SWIPA). Gillian is also involved in supporting the Open Societal challenge Existential Dis/Connections (open.ac.uk).

Recent Iriss publication The Importance of Workplace Learning for Social Workers

Gillian is currently a peer reviewer for:

  • Qualitative Social Work,
  • Children and Society, 
  • Journal of Practice Teaching and Learning,
  • Social Work Education.

 

Teaching interests

Currently Gillian is Practice Lead for Social Work and is involved in production and presentation of social work and health & social care modules at The Open University. She has previously been an Associate Lecturer and been involved in teaching across a broad range of modules, including widening participation, social work, health and social care, working with children and families.

Previously Gillian led the delivery of the Practice Learning Award for a partnership in Scotland. She remains interested in learning through and in professional practice, and how this can best be facilitated. 

 

Impact and engagement

Gillian's professional experience in third sector and local authority settings continues to inform her teaching and learning activity. She remains close to professional practice through involvement in services in Scotland in direct work.

Below you will find Dr Ferguson's Thesis - “When David Bowie created Ziggy Stardust” The lived experiences of social workers learning through work.

gillian ferguson d bowie ziggy stardust.pdf

 

The lived experiences of social workers learning through work:

Dr Gillian Ferguson is proud to be Perth born and bred and it was a pleasure to have her as our guest speaker.  As a collective we reflected on and explored the following: 

 

Below you will see Dr Ferguson's PowerPoint presentation from the event

world social work day perth march 2024.pdf

 

 

What Matters to You? (WMTY)

In the second half of the session we took time to reflect on:

We also received feedback from 72 staff in total from across all areas of social work in Perth and Kinross Council around “What Matters to You”. 

Overall findings:

Overall, the feedback highlights the importance of a supportive work environment, adequate resources, opportunities for professional growth, and the ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance. These elements are essential for job satisfaction and the ability to provide effective and compassionate social work service. 

Key areas that matter to social work staff:  

The feedback from respondents highlights several key areas that matter to them:

1. Work-Life Balance and Personal Wellbeing:

    • Many respondents emphasize the importance of maintaining a good work-life balance, ensuring they have time for family, pets, and personal activities.
    • They also stress the significance of having time for self-care and managing the emotional impact of their work.

 2. Supportive Work Environment:

    • Having a supportive team and management is crucial. Respondents value working in teams where they feel supported both personally and professionally.
    • Effective supervision and the presence of good role models are also important.

 3. Job Satisfaction and Professional Development:

    • Job satisfaction is closely tied to helping others and making a positive difference in the lives of children, young people, and their families.
    • Respondents want opportunities for professional growth, training, and career development.
    • They also desire recognition for their work and the ability to reflect and improve their practices.

 4.Resources and Work Conditions:

    • Adequate resources, including staffing and care provisions, are critical. Respondents express frustration over limited resources and the impact this has on their ability to provide effective support.
    • There is concern over budget constraints leading to the loss of valuable team members and the added pressure on remaining staff.
    • Suggestions for better workspaces and the ability to work flexibly (hybrid working) are mentioned.

 5. Making a Difference:

    • Many respondents are motivated by the desire to make a meaningful impact on the lives of the people they support. They value building positive relationships and empowering families and individuals.
    • They also want social work to be seen as a supportive rather than intrusive service.

 6. Autonomy and Responsibility:

    • Being able to work autonomously while having the support of their team and management is important.
    • Respondents feel a strong sense of responsibility in their roles and want to ensure they can meet the demands placed on them.

 7. Community and Team Dynamics:

    • Working in a cohesive and collaborative team is highly valued. Respondents appreciate teams that pull together and support one another.
    • Building resilience in communities and working towards common goals are important aspects of their work.

 8. Personal Aspirations and Values:

    • Beyond professional concerns, respondents share personal aspirations such as owning a home, financial stability, and personal health and wellbeing.
    • They value personal relationships, including family and friends, and activities that bring joy and relaxation, such as spending time with pets and engaging in hobbies.

We want to thank everyone who participated and helped in making the event a success!

 

At the celebration event on 23rd May 2024 the WMTY team were very proud to launch the publication 'Celebrating People.' This was made in collaboration with the wonderful people at ALLIANCE Scotland and chronicles the work that has been conducted across Perth and Kinross over the past year around WMTY. This is a wonderful publication, please take time to have a look through as it was informed by work that was highlighted at this event.

EMBEDDED_PDF_{/docs/Celebrating_People_Perth_28_Pages_Digital.pdf}

 

We were also able to record our session via teams so that anyone who couldn't make it to either is able to view it at their leisure. You will find this recording below. 

 

Advocacy: Human Rights in Practice - 7th December 2023

Human Rights in Practice and Advocacy

This event was facilitated by INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY PERTH & KINROSS who are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. 

More updates coming soon from this session....

 

Financial Harm in Context of Adult Protection - Applying Research in Practice - 27th October 2023

This learning exchange was open to practitioners from Perth & Kinross, Angus and Dundee who have a vested interest in safeguarding adults at risk of financial harm. The keynote speakers were Dr Melanie Durowse who is a Lecturer in Social Work with Dundee University and Susan McVean, Social Worker and Council Officer with Perth and Kinross Council.  The session was been developed in collaboration with the Perth and Kinross Adult Support and Protection peer learning forum.  

Biography of the keynote speakers

Melanie started her social work journey as a social work assistant in CJS, before obtaining my DipSW in 1998 and BA SW the following year, which included a dissertation about the impact of domestic violence on children. As a social worker she worked with a children and family team, moving to a duty intake team after a couple of years and became a practice educator. She then assessed, trained and supported foster carers with a fostering agency and completed a child protection certificate during this time. She joined a Child Protection Committee to develop a programme of multi-agency evaluation and undertook an MSc in Child Care and Protection which gave her the explore multi-agency child protection evaluation processes.

She then moved across to the world of adults, initially with an Adult Protection Committee before becoming a team manager with an Adults Social Work Team. During this time she completed a PhD, Financial harm in the context of adult protection: the complexity of factors influencing decision making. Last year she secured a secondment to University of Dundee as a lecturer and is currently teaching on the social work course.

Susan McVean graduated from Dundee University achieving a Masters in Social Work.  She has worked for Perth and Kinross Council in the Perth City Adult Social Work and Social Care Locality Team since 2021.  Susan is involved in the violence against woman Perth and Kinross strategy and volunteers for RASAC promoting inclusion.  Susan is especially interested in Adult Support and Protection and the area of financial harm.  She is an active member of the Peer Learning Adult Support and Protection and Adults With Incapacity forum.  Through the forum, structural barriers have successfully been challenged working in collaboration with Perth and Kinross Council Legal Team and the Office of Public Guardian.  These developments have supported front line practice and improved outcomes for individuals.   Susan strives for excellence in practice, placing human rights and dignity at the centre of her work.       

Photo from event of Dr Melanie Durowse talking Photo of Susan McVean (one of the speakers) talking Photo of group discussions at event
Photo of attendees listening to one of the speakers Photo of Iain Wilkie (PKC) talking at event Photo of Laura Carse talking at event

 

p k finanical harm joint working with dundee uni 19th october 2023 susan and laura final.pdf

 

 

 

Family Group Decision Making - 7th September 2023

 

Here we have some words that were spoken at the start of this event from Tracy Ross, the senior practitioner with the CREST team :

"Warm welcome to this Community of Practice event on FGDM. My name is Tracy, and I am the senior practitioner with the CREST team who deliver the service to children, young people, and their families. Thanks to Laura for giving us this opportunity, to share our work and to give you the opportunity to hear about FGDM. We really hope by this afternoon you will have a good understanding of what FGDM is, the benefits and where it works and to also think about where it does not work, like everything else it does not work for everyone and it's important to acknowledge this as well as the many benefits. Before we start, I would like you to participate in a little exercise:

Exercise

Everyone close your eyes. Think about someone whom you love, someone who is special and very important to you, this could be a child, a parent, a close family member or a close friend. Now that you have this person in your mind, I would like you to imagine that they need support. They may need support to be safe, support with their care, it might be decisions about where they will live or who can care for them or support them. So, thinking about this person and that important decision need to be made, to make sure they are happy, they are safe and have the care they want and need. Who would you want to be involved in making those decisions, who do you think should be involved in planning their care and support. Who knows them best? Who do they love and trust? Who would they want to be involved? So, I will just give you a minute to think about all that then when you are ready open your eyes.

(Once everyone starts to open their eyes she asked the following)

Can I ask everyone to raise their hand if their initial though was that they along with other family or friends would like to be involved in making those decisions and plans. Was anyone’s first though that they would like a social worker or other professional to make those decisions?

Since FGDM/FGC stared in New Zealand in 1989 the method has spread around the world. It has been developed into a number of varying practices and adapted to local context over time. Here in PKC we have had FGDM in children’s services for nearly 5 years, provided by the CREST team and around 1 year in the SCOPE team. CREST is now a stand-alone team providing FGDM across the whole of children’s services with four coordinators, FGDM started off with one family worker as part of the REACH team only providing to this team, so we have grown considerably in the last five years. This morning we are going to start off with hearing from Elena and Sarah who are FGDM coordinators in the CREST team. Elena and Sarah are going to give us information about the model and the process involved. In the CREST team we work with families of unborn babies right through to teenager, because we only have this morning, we are not able to cover everything so we will focus on the outcome of one specific area. Sharlene who is also a coordinator in the CREST team is going to share the outcomes of the first 25 babies we worked with. These were families who were referred to us through the First Steps Team. The team that used to be called CIAM and work with families where there are concerns for UBB and babies up to six months old. All families held by this team are now offered FGDM.

Then we will hear from Danny

Danny is currently the senior practitioner in the First Steps Team and he is going to share his perspective as a lead professional who has made several referrals to the CREST Team. Danny’s is starting a new post this month as Team Leader of the SCOPE team, so it is fantastic he can take this knowledge and experience over and continue to support the work in adult services. We will then share some of the feedback the CREST team have had from families and professionals using the service before having a break and then moving onto experiences in adult services. There are some differences in how FGDM is used in children and adult services which you will hear after the break. Over the last year or so CREST has supported the implementation and development of FGDM in the SCOPE team and Esther and Lauren from SCOPE are going to share their journey and experience with you. Lauren has worked hard and done very well.

We are very lucky to have Kareen and Kathryn join us today from Edinburgh who have experience implementing FGDM within adult services as well as children services and they are going to share with us some of the difference, where it has worked and where its been a bit more difficult to implement. What we all have in common is that we are accredited FGDM coordinators and weather we work in children’s services or adult services we are true to the model and the standards which you will hear more about through the morning. We are also grateful to have James with us today. James was a key person in setting up the service in Edinburgh and now works as a lecturer in social work at Dundee university. There is not a lot of research about FGDM, it can be difficult to get a controlled group as it is used in so many different circumstances. The strongest evidence from different sources of research with children and families is that it increases the likelihood of children being placed with relatives as opposed to foster care or residential care, and furthermore it increases the likelihood or reunification with parents or other family members. James is also going to talk a bit more about FGDM being used in kinship and to support transitions. There are also the economic considerations of FGDM, which senior managers understandably have an interest in. FGDM does save on resources as the family or network take on more responsibility. It activates resources in the family and out of home placements can be prevented or reduced. However, it should not be about saving the money, it’s should be about doing the right thing. FGDM has more potential than other methods to engage and empower families, to restore relationships, facilitate communication and a tool to problem solve. Families are more likely to engage in their own plans. It’s about doing with rather than to or for. It should be about values. Human rights The principles of democracy. Because we only have the morning, and have so much to fir in, there won’t be an opportunity to ask or answer questions as we go, however, there will be that opportunity at the end."

Below you can see Tracy's Presentation

community of practice fgdm presentation final welcome.pdf

 Here you can view the presentation that was given from the SCOPE team at the event

fgdm cop scope sep 2023 presentation.pdf

Family Group Decision Making : signposts, bridges and cliffs - Presentation by James Cox - Independent Social Worker/University of Dundee

fgdm perth community of practice 7923 j cox final.pdf

 City of Edinburgh Council FGDM Adult Service, Presentation by Kareen Caldwell , Kathryn Campbell

kareen and kathryn perth family group decision making final.pdf

 

 

 

National Care Service - 22nd June 2023

 Below you can see the slides that Professor Smith shared with us at this event

slideshow_{16043}

 

Unlike our first session this was an in person only event, however we did film the session once again and you can find this recording below. 

  

Trauma Informed Practice - 2nd March 2023

We were very luck to welcome Professor Mark Smith who you can find out more about below:  

 

Education 

 

Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy, 2015 → 2016 

Doctor of Philosophy, Social Work, University of Edinburgh, 2007 → 2013

Master of Education, Education, University of Edinburgh, 1987 → 1991 

Social Work, Dip SW, (CQSW), University of Stirling , 1985 → 1987 

Master of Arts, Modern History, University of St Andrews, 1977 → 1981 

 

Professor, Education and Society 

 

Teaching

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). My current teaching is around policy development. I have broader teaching interests is residential child care, ethics and social work theory and a particular interest in professional education.

 

Biography

I was a practitioner and manager in residential child care settings for almost 20 years before entering academia. My first academic post was at the University of Strathclyde, where I set up and taught a Masters programme in residential child care. In 2005, I moved to the University of Edinburgh as lecturer, and subsequently, senior lecturer, in social work. I served as head of social work there from 2013 - 2017. I joined the University of Dundee as Professor of Social Work in 2017. My wife and I are respite and foster carers, which maintains a link with direct care practice.

 

Research

I have a broad range of research and writing interests. I have published three books on residential child care, one of which is translated into Japanese, and two edited volumes on moral panics and on social work in a changing Scotland. I am writing a further book on the stories of boys (now men) who were brought up in a residential school in the 1980s. I regularly publish articles in high ranking journals. My writing and research interests lie in the areas of care and upbringing, social pedagogy, social work ethics and theorising social work. I have a particular current interest in historical abuse in residential child care.

I would be interested in supervising PhDs in any of the above areas, or more broadly, through negotiation.

 Below you can see the slides that Professor Smith shared with us at the event

Community of Care

 Due to the demand for our first session we were also able to offer a live online session via teams which enabled us to record the session in full so that anyone who couldn't make it to either is able to view it at their leisure. You will find this recording below. 

 

 

Common Weal

Common Weal is a people-powered think and do tank in Scotland. We develop policy on and campaign for social and economic equality, for wellbeing and the environment, for quality of life, for peace and justice. Click here to visit their site.  Common Weal - All of us first.

Common Weal Policy on "What is care?"

what is care.pdf

 

Please see the link in relation to One Deal for Social Work Campaign Launched by SASW: One Deal for Social Work Campaign Launched by SASW | BASW

“In the face of burnout and high vacancies, the Scottish Association of Social Work calls for a set of nationally agreed terms and conditions for social workers across Scotland”.

A national approach to pay and conditions should include:

Social Work Toolkit - your one stop shop for resources:

 Social Work Toolkit - your one stop shop for resources:
Scottish Government Trauma Informed Practice Toolkit