Inverclyde Health and Social Care Partnership continues to bolster its social work team through an innovative recruitment model.
Chief officer Kate Rocks has provided an update on the ‘Grow Our Own’ initiative which has been developed over the past two years.
The scheme offers structured development pathways into professional social work roles for its existing paraprofessional staff.
An update report, which will be considered at the integration joint board on Monday, explained: “Members will be aware of continuing work to strengthen the social work workforce through a clear and ambitious focus on sustainable recruitment, retention, and career progression.
“This reflects local and national challenges around social worker recruitment, where vacancy levels can be particularly challenging, especially around the capacity of services to fulfil their statutory duties.
“Within Inverclyde, the ‘Grow Our Own’ initiative developed over the past two years, offering structured development pathways into professional social work roles for existing paraprofessional staff.
“So far, a total of 15 paraprofessionals have been supported, including three postgraduate and 12 undergraduate candidates, from across children and families, justice social work, adult services, new to Scotland, homelessness and alcohol and drug recovery services.
“This includes three staff members who are expected to qualify by May 2026 and a further six employees who were accepted onto the programme following a competitive selection process prior to the summer who will commence their studies in October 2025.”
The programme has also introduced peer mentoring, dedicated learning support and structured study time to ensure students are well-prepared for both academic achievement and professional practice.
The report added: “A key performance strength of this initiative is its dual impact.
“It addresses recognised barriers to qualification, such as loss of income and job insecurity, while investing in staff retention and professional advancement.
“Course fees are fully funded, and participants maintain their substantive posts and salaries, removing critical financial obstacles that have historically limited access to qualification routes.”
