About us – Social Work Academy

What is the Social Work Academy?

A place based Social Work Academy hosted by Focus. The Academy’s aim is to provide a clear, structured and consistent apprenticeship programme for adult Social Work in North East Lincolnshire. 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

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.

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.