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About us

What is the North East Lincolnshire Social Work Academy?

A place based Social Work Academy hosted by Focus in partnership with Navigo and Care Plus Group (CPG) and NE Lincs council. The Academy’s aim is to provide a clear, structured and consistent apprenticeship programme for adult Social Work in North East Lincolnshire, no matter which of the partner agencies the apprentice works for. This includes ensuring all adult Social Work apprentices have access to high quality support, education and development opportunities throughout their apprenticeship programme and beyond.

The Academy structure ensures that all apprentices within adult’s services are able to access good quality support and supervision throughout the apprenticeship programme and beyond.

Academy Purpose and Vision

The aspirations for the Academy are:

  • To grow own staff within North East Lincolnshire via the apprenticeship scheme
  • To provide a culture of learning no matter what level / experience
  • To ensure the retention of staff through having clear, structured career progression options

Meet the team

The Academy is made up of a core team of five team members.

  • Steph Tyson – Lead Social Work Practitioner, Best Interest Assessor and Practice Educator
  • Katherine Eddington – Senior Social Work Practitioner, Best Interest Assessor and Practice Educator
  • Sarah Emsley – Social Work Practitioner, Best Interest Assessor
  • Candice Foster – Social Work Practitioner and Practice Educator
  • Christina Johnson – Social Work Practitioner and Practice Educator

Academy Partners

Focus Independent Adult Social Care

Focus is a Community Interest Company, not-for-profit organisation that provides Social Work for adults who reside in North East Lincolnshire on behalf of the local Council. Based at Heritage House in the centre of Grimsby, Focus was established in 2013 and works in partnership with the Council and Integrated Care Board (ICB). The overall mission statement for Focus is ‘Empowering individuals to live independent lives.’

Our social workers provide advice and guidance, assess people’s needs, arrange for services to meet their eligible needs, periodically review each individual’s needs and adjust support plans and services accordingly. Focus is rooted in the local community of North East Lincolnshire; employing 160 staff, working with local charities, other social enterprises, the Council and health organisations to help improve the well-being of local people whilst delivering an ethical and caring Social Work service.

Navigo Health & Social Care

In April 2011, North East Lincolnshire mental health services became a not-for-profit social enterprise called Navigo. Most people who use our services will continue to access them through the NHS. Navigo is about continuing to provide the mental health and social care services that the people of North East Lincolnshire have come to expect: innovative services in a variety of settings, including people’s homes, GP practices and community-based buildings.

This social enterprise is about working together with local people to create services that are owned by the community, controlled by it, supported by it, loyal to it. We are only interested in delivering services that we would be happy for our own families to use.

Care Plus Group

Care Plus Group is a CIC in North East Lincolnshire, delivering community health and social care services for adults of all ages. Care Plus Group have a wide range of services from community nursing to neurodiversity to palliative care. Our social workers are based within several teams, and we also have social workers operating at management level leading services.

All our social worker posts work as part of a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT). Some of these areas include the Community Urgent Care Team who support people in times of crisis, the Community Inpatient Unit supporting people to regain their independence and rehabilitation in an inpatient setting and the hospice who also support children who are experiencing grief and loss or who are young carers to parents or caregivers who are palliative. Social work roles are creative and fluid across the organisation.

Principle Social Worker

Hello, my name is John Allen and I am the principal Social Worker for adults in North East Lincolnshire.

The role of principal social worker was established as part of the Care Act 2014. The Act states that all local authorities must have a Principal Social Worker to represent the social work and social care work force, and the communities that those professionals support.

The Principal social worker has a key part to play in quality assurance and practice governance in all areas of social work and social care practice across the system. This means to ensure practice is the best that it can be for its community, and where there are areas that don’t meet expected standards, a plan is made to improve or develop practice.

As principal social worker, I am passionate about supporting and progressing professional development of the social work and social care staff group ensures that we have a work force in North East Lincolnshire that has the right skills, knowledge and tools to be able to support the community in the right way, at the right time, with the right resources. With the apprenticeship programme, you will develop skills in the workplace which enable you to bring real life experience to your learning and develop you as a Social Work practitioner.