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The Cafcass Social Work Academy offers specialist entry-level social work professional development tailored to working in a family court setting. Through our structured learning pathways, training programmes, mentoring and evidence-based practice, we equip new social work practitioners with the skills to make impactful recommendations that safeguard children's welfare. Join our supportive community dedicated to excellence in family justice social work.
Social work is a challenging and demanding profession, yet it is also incredibly rewarding. Here at Cafcass we understand the importance of equipping you with the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to build meaningful relationships with children and families to do the best work possible. At the Social Work Academy, we provide a wide range of resources and services and offer engaging opportunities for all Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs), Practice Educators (PEs) and Pre and Post qualifying Social Work practitioners through a range of diverse and customised programmes.
We are proud to be the largest employer of children’s social workers in the country at Cafcass. As a large national public sector organisation, we have a responsibility to support and contribute nationally to the sector to ensure we play our part in facilitating developments, training and opportunities within the social work profession.
The academy also ensures we have a pipeline of high-quality social workers who can be trained and developed to deliver the quality standards that we expect and require within the profession. The work of the academy also makes it easier for us as an organisation to recruit in areas where it is traditionally hard for us to attract qualified talent.
All of this amazing work simply could not be possible without the skills, experience and personal insights of our supportive Social Work Academy team. As you learn, develop and progress within the Cafcass Social Work Academy, you will be supported and empowered by our experienced team of practitioners who will guide you with their exceptional expertise and lived social-work experience. At present, this team is comprised of:
We are all here to oversee and support practitioners at every stage of their learning and development journey in social work, including: established and aspiring Practice Educators, student social workers, Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs), mentors, managers assessing NQSWs and any other practitioner who wishes to enhance their professional development.
The Cafcass Social Work Academy aims to develop good practice, inspire new ways of working and shape the training, recruitment and retention of social work staff. We want Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs) to feel confident in their skills, and this takes time and support, which is why we created this dedicated Social Work Academy in the first place.
Over three years, NQSWs will develop their practice in a safe environment alongside an empowering network of peers. During this time, they gain hands-on experience and a respected qualification (with credits towards a Master’s degree). However, we know that it takes much more than this to achieve professional maturity. And that is why the Social Work Academy also offers outstanding support through mentors and a wider team that includes 78 Practice Educators that support our students with continuing professional development.
Social work is a diverse career, and we know that starting out within this rewarding and transformative profession can be challenging. This is why we have developed our Social Work Academy training programmes, which provide comprehensive curricula that introduces the fundamental principles of effective social work practice. These detailed programmes offer a structured and supportive environment designed to empower students and prepare them for future success. Below, you will find an overview of each programme to clearly outline the expectations at each stage of career development:
Student Programme: The Cafcass Student Programme provides final year university social work students with a rich learning experience over 100 days, including condensed induction core training during their first two months. It features eight practice sessions covering a breadth of crucial topics like roles and responsibilities, welfare checklists, professional curiosity, safeguarding, and reflective practice. Students must complete 3-4 direct observations, gather feedback from children, families and professionals, and submit portfolios while meeting family court deadlines, with ongoing support from our helpful Social Work Academy team, Practice Educators and the Cafcass Library Service throughout.
Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) Programme: The Cafcass ASYE Programme is a comprehensive year-long development programme for newly qualified social workers, running from December to the following November each year. It includes over 20 workshops covering topics such as anti-racist practice, risk assessment, safeguarding, legal training, trauma-informed practice, and reflective practice, with sessions delivered both online and face-to-face. The programme concludes with a portfolio submission, internal moderation, and a celebration of completion, supporting NQSWs through their transition from students to qualified practitioners. A highlight of this year is the collaborative work with the university who guide NQSWs and externally moderate their portfolio. NQSWs also gain university academic Master’s-level credits to enhance their growing career portfolios.
Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSW) Second Year Training Programme: The second year of the Newly Qualified Social Worker Programme is focused on further developing skills for newly qualified social workers by providing bespoke practice workshops to help participants build upon their understanding of safeguarding within the organisation and wider child protection practice and procedures, working with our partners and the judiciary as well. Using the Cafcass 'Together' Practice Framework, which defines and underpins the Cafcass way of working, the programme focuses on managing complex private law work while maintaining relationship-based and restorative practice.
The Social Work Academy also champions continuous professional development, providing all social work practitioners with essential tools and resources for continued success. Whether you're an early career newly qualified social worker in the ASYE programme or an experienced practitioner seeking specialised training, we offer tailored support to help you grow professionally while delivering exceptional outcomes for children and families.
Our comprehensive Continuing Professional Development (CPD) approach includes in-person training, e-learning, self-directed study, team knowledge sharing, and mentoring opportunities. We also collaborate with Social Work England to help practitioners document and reflect on their learning’s impact. Additionally, for those pursuing advanced qualifications, we have opportunities to partner with universities who offer funded Master's-level modules, enabling more experienced professionals to achieve an MA in Professional Practice over six years in certain circumstances.
The Social Work Academy is also dedicated to supporting colleagues in delivering exceptional service through our comprehensive talent management, career pathway and learning and development frameworks. At Cafcass, we take immense pride in recognising exceptional practice both internally through our Employee of the Month programme and externally via awards like Social Worker of the Year (SWOTY). Recent achievements include our newly qualified social worker winning 'NQSW of the Year', a student receiving runner-up for the 'Student of the Year' award, and a Practice Educator winning a 'Practice Educator of the Year'’ prize. This demonstrates the many opportunities to be recognised and celebrated for outstanding achievement at Cafcass.
As an organisation, Cafcass also recognises the importance of staff dedicating time to practise much-needed self-care. As a result, organisational Wellbeing Days have become a key feature of our workforce wellbeing offer, with all staff supported to take four Wellbeing Days per year. In addition to these extra Wellbeing Days, our staff also benefit from a holistic health and wellbeing package. We also provide a host of supportive policies and processes that are designed to help you thrive as you work and progress with us in a Social Work Academy training scheme; from flexible working to a generous holiday allowance.
Hear directly from our entry-level colleagues as they explain how the Academy has enhanced their professional practice and personal development, and why Cafcass is such a great place to work as an NQSW:
“During my time as a Newly Qualified Social Worker I have had the opportunity to attend numerous types of training which I believe have assisted in enhancing my development as a practitioner. I have been given the opportunity to work with diverse families, circumstances and proceedings. The programme also enabled me to build links and relationships with other Newly Qualified Social Workers, which built a helpful support network of other individuals going through the same programme. Finally, when working for Cafcass you are working alongside some extremely knowledgeable and inspiring practitioners which helps increase your knowledge and experience through shadowing and learning from others.”
— Scarlett, Newly Qualified Social Worker
“My experience of the ASYE programme over the past eight months has been overwhelmingly positive. Everyone in the team was welcoming and happy to share their knowledge if I had questions and I have had plenty of opportunities to shadow interviews, hearings and duty. Starting work at Cafcass has been a steep learning curve for me as I had very little experience with court work previously. However, I have found that there is a strong culture of welcoming research and being open to learning, even for experienced social workers. Expectations are high, but the support that’s offered and the positivity and openness I’ve experienced has made my first year a positive one.”
— Lisa, ASYE programme student
“The support has been great, there’s always someone on hand to help, with lots of supervision, lots of coaching and checking over our reports, it's been brilliant. For me, the flexible working that Cafcass offers has been great, it gives you the opportunity to have a work-life balance. It’s great for personal wellbeing as well. I would definitely recommend the Social Work Academy. If anyone is thinking of applying, go for it.”
— Lily, Newly Qualified Social Worker
“The flexible working is such a huge benefit, especially for any prospective applicants who may have a family. For myself, it’s really beneficial for me to still be able to spend time with my children first thing in the morning and after school as well. That is a huge benefit for me.”
— Esther, Newly Qualified Social Worker
Open opportunities to apply for our social work training programmes happen annually, so keep a close eye out on this page and our social channels for the very latest information. At present, we are not currently accepting applications for the Academy, but if you would like to provide us with some basic information and register your interest, we can contact you when this changes. Just fill in our online form to register your interest!
