Step Up to Social Care

Kent County Council has awarded a contract to the University of Kent to provide the Step Up to Social Care educational services in accordance with the requirements of Kent County Council (KCC) which includes:

1. Provision of appropriate educational services inline with the Professional Standards for Education and Training", for a maximum of 20 students to produce high calibre social workers conversant with the necessary Knowledge and Skills Statements as set out by the Chief Social Worker, utilizing both theoretical classroom-based education and practice placements.

2. To ensure methods of teaching are carried out in a hybrid approach of in person and virtual learning opportunities.

3. Create, manage and execute, in partnership with the Council and its partners, an agreed admissions process, including DBS checking.

4. To achieve and maintain any and all standard both internal and external to the Provider required to provide the services, inline with "Social Work England Education and Training Standards 2021"

5. To provide Practice Educators for a maximum of 20 students for both 70 and 100 day placements and ensure that all expectations of their role are carried out including appropriate reporting of students progression of their learning and work via their assessments of their capability at each stage;

6. To undertake the programme within 14 months.

7. To ensure that the services are provided by appropriate, qualified staff at all times.

8. To provide all appropriate, agreed and otherwise necessary and reasonably expected student support services.

9. To provide all agreed and other reasonable required reports

10. To maintain the minimum service levels.

This services will be delivered to the Kent County Council and Medway Council, delivering social worker training that will produce qualified social care workers for both Councils. KCC as lead is commissioning services for both Councils.

The funding for the services for KCC and Medway Council is fully provided in the form of a grant from the Department for Education (DfE).

The services are light touch services (CPV code 80000000-4) , and the contract is awarded by KCC to the University of Kent as a direct award given the importance of continuing the provision of these services with the same provider, as was envisaged from the outset in the original contract with the provider which reserved the right for the Council to procure additional repetitions of similar training for additional cohorts from the Provider in the event that additional funding was forthcoming from the DFE. DFE funding has since been obtained and is being utilised to commission these repeat similar services.