For National Apprenticeships Week, the Minister for Children and Social Care met with former apprentices to hear how an innovative scheme helped them qualify as social workers in Rhondda.
Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) council’s Social Care Academy offers training and apprenticeships for staff members who want to gain qualifications in social work.
96% of staff supported by the Academy have stayed within the council, with many becoming experienced social workers in children and adult services.
27-year-old Naomi Frere was a looked after child in RCT, and thanks to their apprenticeship scheme, she is now a qualified social worker helping to safeguard children and keep families together.
Naomi started off as a finance assistant in the council in 2015 but was always passionate about working in children’s services.
As a corporate parent, RCT supported her through their Care2Work scheme where she accessed a range of training and employment opportunities and resources.
In 2017, she secured an apprenticeship within RCT’s Miskin services, which promotes placement stability for children facing difficulties in their lives.
She then graduated from her social work degree in 2022 and has been a social worker for nearly 3 years.
Naomi said:
“I knew from a very young age that I wanted to work with and help children. Being care experienced, I wanted to understand the decisions that were being made for me and other looked after children.
“The apprenticeship scheme helped me in many ways. I couldn’t afford to go back into education and RCT supported me to pursue my dream role.
“The council invested their time in me and helped me grow over the last 10 years.
“I wanted to give back to the community that raised me, and now I can help children who had similar experiences to me.
“I would encourage anyone to do an apprenticeship, the support and training I received was phenomenal.”
In 2022, the council received the Princess Royal Training Award for its commitment to developing staff and success in employing nearly 400 apprentices in RCT.
Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden said:
“Social care can be a career for life.
“By providing career progression and comprehensive training opportunities through apprenticeships, we can significantly strengthen our social care workforce. It was inspiring to witness this in action in Rhondda Cynon Taf, where individuals are thriving and applying their skills to support local communities.
“We will continue to work with local authorities to see how we can scale innovative practices like this across Wales.”
Councillor Gareth Caple, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care in Rhondda Cynon Taf said:
“I understand how important it is to support children and young people in Rhondda Cynon Taf to thrive and achieve their career goals.
“Supporting apprentices and schemes like Care2Work are instrumental in the council’s approach to achieving a stable, skilled and well supported workforce. I am proud to see this fantastic initiative helping individuals and strengthening our community by fostering skilled and dedicated social workers.”
