SOMERSET County Council’s adult social care learning and development team has been crowned winner of a prestigious national Skills for Care Accolade.

Now in its 13th year, the Skills for Care Accolades celebrates the achievements of organisations committed to boosting the skills and knowledge of the adult social care workforce.

The adult social care learning and development team collected the award for ’best employer support for continuing professional development for regulated professions’.

The judging panel was impressed with the team’s newly qualified frameworks for social workers and occupational therapists and, in particular, the innovative way these have been integrated.

The team was also praised for the involvement of service users in the development of training programmes and the introduction of a ‘grow your own’ scheme.

The scheme allows non-qualified staff to go forward onto professional social work and occupational therapy training – supporting the next generation of newly qualified staff.