LOCAL authorities in Greater Manchester and Cheshire have enlisted the support of Salford University in a bid to plug the regional shortage of social workers.
This summer, the university is running 'Thinking of returning to social work?', an innovative course designed to attract them back and bring them up to date with recent developments.
Salford University's Steve Pugh, Director of Pre- and Post-qualifying Social Work explained: "Social workers are in short supply, yet at the same time there exists a vast pool of untapped ability and experience outside the profession.
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"We'd like to tempt these people back into what is an extremely valuable and very rewarding profession."
Salford University has been running the 10-day course since 2005, when it was the first of its kind in the country. Councils regularly field calls enquiries from qualified former social workers and already many of them have returned to work with hundreds of vulnerable people across the region.
Fellow co-ordinator, Wigan Council's Sue Furness added: "People often take career breaks due to family circumstances or have qualified abroad. If this applies to anybody out there who feels the need to update their professional knowledge, we'd like to hear from them.
"The course will update professional knowledge in areas such as child care, mental health, and physical and learning disabilities. You can return to social work feeling confident and informed about current thinking and practice."
The next free to enrol course will be run June 2-6 and on the evenings of June 12, 19, 26 and July 3, 10, 17 and 24.
For more information contact Sue Furness on 01942 833484 extension 2028 or Steve Pugh on 0161 295 2375. Application forms are available from Caroline Davies on 0161 295 2026 (email c.davies@salford.ac.uk).
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