An evaluation of the Social Work Online Team Training (SWOTT) Toolkit: Proof of Concept Project. Final Report.

This report details the piloting and evaluation of the Social Work Online Team Training (SWOTT) Toolkit project. The aim of this project was to create and evaluate a new model of CPD for social work. Each SWOTT toolkit is designed upon a team-based peer learning model for which there is a robust evidence-base. In addition, there is evidence to suggest that training that involves peer learning in some form is more effective than that which does not. The evaluation integrated three workstreams including: a pre-intervention survey; online or telephone semi-structured interviews with team managers (facilitators); and a post-intervention survey (for training participants). A total of eight teams from children's social care across the Teaching Partnership took place. Ethical approval was gained from the University of Sheffield (number 043434). Findings were overwhelmingly positive including: the ability to refresh knowledge of core theory (e.g., the ladder of participation) and acquire new theoretical and evidence-informed knowledge; the ability to undertake up-to-date, research-informed training; access to online learning material which had a good mix of material, including non-reading (videos) and reflective activity; the opportunity to apply learning from the online training to a case study; the opportunity to learn from others; and the opportunity to share knowledge with others.