A PROGRAMME led by Somerset County Council aimed at recruiting graduates to become a social worker for children has been praised by the Department for Education (DfE).

The county council is the lead authority for the Step Up to Social Work programme in the South-West.

Its Children and Families Learning and Development Team has been working with other councils in the South-West to search for talented graduates who could become Somerset’s next generation of Children’s Social Workers.

Assessment centre days took place recently in Taunton and Gloucestershire for the shortlisted candidates.

John Hall, from the Social Work Reform Unit at the DfE, attended one of the assessment centres and said: “We have been impressed by the level of planning, commitment and collaboration across the region that Somerset has led.

“This showed in the quality of the assessment centre days that Somerset and its partners held for potential candidates.

“Being the lead organisation for the Step Up programme across a region is not an easy task, but Somerset has clearly risen to the challenge and we congratulate everyone involved.”

As the lead authority, Somerset County Council also had to provide members for all interview panels.

Cllr Frances Nicholson, Somerset County Council’s cabinet member for Children and Families, said: “It is very encouraging to hear such praise from the DfE for the Step Up to Social Work Programme so early on in the process.

"This work with our partners in other authorities will help ensure Children’s Social Care is well equipped with talented social workers across the region.

“The assessment centre days were just the beginning and a lot of work will follow to ensure that the successful candidates qualify as fully fledged Social Workers in early 2017.”

A final selection of 26 candidates will be picked this month with eight of the trainee being based in Somerset.

They will then start the programme in January 2016.