Being a social worker is both a rewarding and challenging job. How do you stay safe, motivated, resilient, informed and heard?

We invite student and newly qualified social workers to the Forum to debate what matters to YOU and to identify what we can do together. It will offer discussion, peer support and sustenance! (Pizza and coffee will be available from 6.30pm).

This free event will provide attendees with the opportunity to share their experiences in a safe and honest space independent of local authority and university. It will support:

Audit Scotland recently concluded that social work in Scotland is at a ‘watershed’, with fundamental decisions needing to be taken on how services are provided in the future. They stressed that the public and people who access the range of social work services provided across Scotland must be more involved in shaping future provision, with a debate required 'on the level, the nature and affordability of services.'
 

David Wiseman has completed his term of office on the Iriss Board.

David brought experience from his previous roles as Head of Older People’s Services, South Lanarkshire Council, Director of Strategic Services and Depute Chief Executive of the Care Commission.

We would like to thank him for his outstanding contribution to supporting Iriss over the years. It's much appreciated and we wish him all the best in the future.

Social Services Knowledge Scotland (SSKS) is a website and digital library dedicated to social care. Content relates to policy, practice and personal development within social services in Scotland. It was originally developed in partnership with Iriss and other sector organisations, and is built on NHS Education for Scotland 's long-established information technology, The Knowledge Network.

From November 2016, there will be improvements to the website. These include:

We're looking to capture and showcase inspirational examples from across the social services sector in Scotland on how the translation of evidence into action is being effectively supported within organisations. This could include structures, processes or supports (such as resources, roles or initiatives) that are in place to implement change using this evidence, and the impact that this has generated.

This week, at her party conference, First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon accepted the Who Cares? Scotland's pledge to listen to 1,000 care experienced young people over the next two years. We were really pleased to hear this  - our Relationships Matter work has been around supporting continuing relationships for young people leaving care, which we believe is really important. 

A Scottish Government led engagement event that will support the workforce to meet the challenge of translating knowledge into practice. It will introduce a range of knowledge and improvement tools and techniques to help in delivering transformational change in the workplace.

Participants will leave the event with a set of tools, services and support options to help you to use knowledge and deliver improvement in frontline practice and service delivery.

Who should attend?

At Iriss, we’re often asked about what’s worked and what hasn’t in our projects. On October 3rd, we hosted an event to share the learning from two co-design projects that we’ve run recently - one with older people and practitioners who worked together to improve the pathway from hospital to home; and the other with people who access, or may in the future access, self-directed support (SDS) and practitioners - Pilotlight. 

Come along to the first workshop of our new SEEDS group. SEEDS is a refresh of the Iriss champion network which we set up in 2010.

One of the most vital aspects of the champion network was the dialogue, networking, advice, insights and inspiration it generated. Our champions have been a great sounding board, helping to guide our direction and spark project ideas.