A NEW partnership has been launched to develop social work education in Bradford.

The Bradford Teaching Partnership will see Bradford Council, Bradford College and University of Bradford working together to provide high quality training for social work students and qualified practitioners.

The Department for Education introduced Teaching Partnerships to help improve the quality of practice, learning and continuing professional development amongst trainee and practicing social workers who work with both children and adults.

Students in the partnerships benefit from a curriculum that relevant to social work practice.

Councillor Adrian Farley, Bradford Council's Executive Member for Children and Families, said: "Our social workers are all committed to helping the most vulnerable in our district and this partnership cements our commitment to them. It will strengthen the training and development that we can offer our current social workers and ones coming to work for us in the future."

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: "This is a great opportunity to cement the partnership working we already do and offer even more support to our social workers so they can grown and develop professionally."

Students within the partnerships benefit from a curriculum relevant to and informed by social work practice. They also benefit from practical statutory placements.

Fully qualified social workers get access to many more CPD opportunities and have the opportunity to share best practice via the Partnership structure.

Robert Strachan, Head of Social Work at the University of Bradford, said: “The Bradford Teaching Partnership offers University, the Division of Social Work and our professional social work students, tremendous opportunities to build upon the already strong links with Bradford College and Bradford Council. The establishment of Teaching Partnerships is a new development which is at the vanguard of professional social work education and one which The University is justifiably proud of successfully achieving.”

Richard Thomas, Provost for Bradford College, said: "Bradford College has a long history of training social workers and we are delighted to be partners with the council and the university in this new initiative to provide high-quality training and development for social workers. It represents an exciting opportunity for the future in terms of partnership working.”