Kirsty Ayakwah

Posts by Kirsty Ayakwah

Foster carers and children services staff training and learning together. © LCC.

Working in long-term teams enhances the peer-to-peer learning experience

Lincolnshire County Council is an outstanding authority with a high level of engagement with foster carers. The authority has developed a lively fostering community, which is reaping benefits for...

Members of Wokingham Borough Council's children's services workforce Ⓒ Wokingham Borough Council

How social workers impressed Ofsted with examples of their good work with children and families

Social workers at Wokingham Borough Council demonstrate the benefits of working in an ambitious authority with a culture of support, challenge and learning 

Image credit Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

“We know our workforce is our greatest asset”

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council is driving workforce improvements that are led by social worker recommendations. Principal social worker Rebecca Sutton explains why the authority is committed to...

Hertfordshire support worker Jane Souroukides and Priya Majmadur, whom she supports

'I find what I do rewarding and it really comes to life when you’re doing it'

Supporting adults to maximise their independence is more than just a job for support workers at Hertfordshire County Council. It is a vocation and one that has helped them build strong relationships...

Photo: AnthonyJess/Adobe Stock

Podcast: A new career pathway for social workers

The London Borough of Newham has introduced an additional career pathway that supports how social workers deepen their understanding of practice.

Young people during a skateboarding session ©Barnardo's

'Working in child exploitation is not just a job for me, it’s about changing the lives of young people'

The City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council's children's services is building on existing work to tackle the exploitation of children and young people with the roll out of a new hub. We find...

Photo: iStock

“We work to people’s strengths to bolster their confidence and nurture the best in them.”

Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to career progression, Lincolnshire County Council’s adults’ services believes in the power of the individual to shape their career. We speak to some...