Social Work Training Collective
Delivering training and learning events through creative, relational and progressive means
Who we are
Cynthia Tobierre and Lake Gledhill co-founded SWTC. We have extensive experience in child protection, the family court, training and presenting. We provide high quality training with a relational and empowering approach.
Cynthia Tobierre
Cynthia qualified as a Social Worker in 1999 and has continued to work within statutory Child Protection since then in various roles within Local Authorities, the voluntary sector and with Cafcass since 2009, most recently as an Assistant Service Manager.
Cynthia has a particular interest in the need for preventative work and early intervention with children and families and the need for parents/carers of children to see the world though their child’s eyes. Towards this aim, she has been involved in planning and running Parenting Sessions within a community context.
Cynthia also sits as an Independent Member on a Fostering Panel for a Private & Voluntary Fostering Agency.
Lake Gledhill
Lake has worked in child protection since 2001. Initially within Local Authorities as a social worker, then for Cafcass in various roles latterly as a Service Manager. She was chosen to represent CAFCASS and the Foreign Office on a test case in Bermuda.
Lake completed research into children's experiences of giving evidence in the family court, through which national change was implemented by a report template and direct work tools for children.
Currently, Lake works as a Service Manager at the London Borough of Camden. Alongside being the Co-Ordinator for the South London Care Proceedings Project.
Lake sees the bedrock of social work as a deep sense of equality, respect, and understanding.
Our Mission Statement
Creating dynamic, innovative training and reflective spaces for all levels of social work professionals. With an ethos of relational and decolonised practice predominately in the field of family justice.
Our Approach
Together we provide training that gives voice and space to the diverse families we work with, helping social workers to reflect on who they are, what they bring to their work, and how to fully hear and understand the children and families they work with, to better support them.
What we offer
We offer a range of training and consultation packages to suit your needs. These include day courses, or online webinars, along with reflective spaces to think through complex cases in court. This ranges from how to prepare cases for court, how to present evidence, how to analyse harm to children, and how to develop confidence in court.
Consultation and Practice Development
Perhaps you wish to develop your reflective supervision or planning for your court work; or you wish to develop support for parents going through pre proceedings; or you wish to develop your practice policies. We can offer a range of practice development and consultation packages. Please contact us for more information.
Testimonials
“The session brought a significant number of social work professionals from each of the six boroughs that constitute the North East London Social Work Teaching Partnership.
The session's content, both engaging and teachable, and the opportunity to work in a cross-organisational group indicated the high popularity of the session, resulted in the complete booking of all available places in the first two days. .
The strengths of the session included dynamic group discussions, interactive facilitation and case studies as key to creating a platform for a sustainable and meaningful workshop."
Anna Jakobczak ,The North East London Social Work Teaching Partnership
“Social Work Training Collective have a wealth of experience and knowledge and it's clear they are experts in their field. That is why I wanted their input in our Skills Days.
The Court Skills skills day for London Metropolitan University BSc and MSc social work students have been so successful due to their engaging, informative style. The learning resources they share are thoughtfully put together and excellent learning tools, and they incorporate experiential learning in our Mock Court Room to bring the learning alive."
Donna Jones, Head of Subject,
London Metropolitan University
“Everything went really well and both trainers were really good and provided a very informative session.
I got to understand how cases are dealt with in family courts, the emotions & feelings that arise through proceedings and the impact verdicts have on parties involved”
Student Social Worker,
Training Packages
These are examples of what we can provide. Please do contact us if you have bespoke requirements.
Court Skills Training
1 Day
An interactive training day setting out the principles of court; understanding the welfare checklist; how to apply the law; understanding case law; thinking through how to present cases; growing in confidence with being in court and practice at giving evidence
'Neglect and Lived Experience
2 hour
This session can be delivered in person or online. An interactive examination of how to evidence chronic neglect from the child's lived experience. Thinking about case law; risk of immediate significant harm; and developing child focused analytical evidence
'How To' Series
1 hour
A series of 1 hour sessions looking at 'how to' issues for court, such as: how to give evidence; how to write a good SWET; how to prepare for court hearings; how to prepare for PLO meetings. These can be bought singularly or as a package, and delivered in person or online.
CONTACT US
We’d love to hear from you. Please email on: info@socialworktrainingcollective.co.uk or send a message using the form below we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
