West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership

What West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership does

The West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership is a publicly funded collaborative consortium established around 2019 in Coventry, England, that coordinates social work education and professional development across the West Midlands region. It brings together 21 partner organisations — 12 Local Authorities, 9 universities, NHS Trusts, and Sandwell Children's Trust — under the strategic oversight of the West Midlands Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) and the Association of Adult Social Services (ADASS). The partnership is led by Principal Social Workers, Workforce Development Leads, and Senior Academics, and aligns its work with Social Work England, the statutory regulator.

Its core products and services centre on a CPD Framework, Training and Events programme, and a suite of downloadable resource modules including PEAT (Practice Educator Assessor Training) materials, Anti-Racist Resources, Social Work Tools, and the SW Supervisor Programme. The partnership also coordinates qualifying social work degree pathways across the 9 partner universities, all accredited by Social Work England, with practice placements delivered through Local Authority and NHS Trust partners. Underlying technology is minimal: the entity operates as a coordination and facilitation body on a Wix-hosted website with no proprietary platform, API, or AI/ML capability.

The business model is non-commercial. The partnership is funded by contributions from its partner organisations — Local Authorities, Children's Trusts, NHS Trusts, and universities — under what is effectively a recurring subscription-style model, but without pricing or external revenue generation. Go-to-market is community-led and partnership-driven rather than sales-led: services reach end users (social work students, practice educators, qualified practitioners) through the embedded network of partner universities and local authorities, supplemented by public-facing engagement via website, email newsletters, and social media channels.

Name

West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership

Legal name

The West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership

Website

https://wmteachingpartnership.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership is a publicly funded consortium coordinating social work education and professional development across 21 regional partners — 12 Local Authorities and 9 universities — in England's West Midlands, delivering CPD frameworks, practice educator training, and qualifying degree pathway coordination.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Work Education and Workforce Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships (EDADALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Engagement & Service-Learning Partnerships (EDALAOAI), Education Partnerships for Equity, Inclusion & Gender (EDADALAF)

Keywords

• Social work education
• Practice educator training
• Continuing professional development
• Workforce development partnerships
• Anti-racist practice training

Headquarters

HQ city

West Midlands Region

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Partnership Funding: The partnership is funded by its partner organisations including Local Authorities, Children's Trusts, NHS Trusts, and universities. This is a public sector initiative without commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership is a regional collaborative consortium that coordinates social work education, practice education training, and continuing professional development (CPD) across 12 Local Authorities, 9 universities, NHS Trusts and Children's Trusts in the West Midlands of England. It delivers a CPD framework, training events, downloadable practice education resources (including PEAT materials), anti-racist practice resources, a supervisor programme, and pathways into accredited social work degrees, all funded collectively by its partner organisations.

Product overview

The West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership operates as a collaborative educational consortium rather than a single product company. It coordinates social work education and professional development across 21 regional partners (12 Local Authorities and 9 universities). The core offering comprises a CPD Framework and Training & Events programme that deliver continuing professional development to practitioners. Supporting these are resource modules including Practice Education Resources, PEAT Resources (downloadable frameworks like 4x4x4 Supervision and GROW Model), Anti-Racist Resources (including Shades of Bias and Gypsy/Roma/Traveller training), Social Work Tools, and the SW Supervisor Programme. The partnership also facilitates routes into social work through university degree pathways accredited by Social Work England.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CPD Framework Continuing Professional Development framework providing structured training and development opportunities for social work practitioners and students across the West Midlands region.
• Training and Events Calendar of professional training sessions, workshops, and events for social work education and practice development delivered across partner organizations.
• Practice Education Resources Suite of resources supporting practice education including PEAT (Practice Educator Assessor Training) materials, supervision models, assessment tools, and professional development frameworks for practice educators.
• PEAT Resources (Practice Educator Assessor Training) Downloadable training materials including 4x4x4 Model of Supervision, Bloom's Taxonomy, CLEAR model, GROW model, Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle, SMART Objectives, SWOT analysis, and other assessment frameworks for practice educators.
• Anti-Racist Resources Curated collection of anti-racist practice materials including Shades of Bias framework, Gypsy/Roma/Traveller training modules, culturally appropriate care guides, and Wayne Reid's anti-racism resource pack for social workers.
• Social Work Tools Collection of professional tools and resources for social work practice including assessment frameworks, case study templates, and practice guidance documents.
• SW Supervisor Programme Structured programme supporting social work supervisors with resources, training, and professional development opportunities for effective supervision practice.
• Social Work Degree Pathways Partnership coordination with nine universities providing qualifying social work programmes (BA/MA) accredited by Social Work England, with practice placements across children and adult services.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Birmingham City UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine university partners providing social work education programmes. Birmingham City University has over 45 years' experience working with social work students and is one of the largest providers of social workers in the UK.
• Coventry UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner with research-inspired, practice-led approach to social work education located within the School of Psychological, Social and Behavioural Sciences.
• Keele UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner with over 20 years' experience providing social work education. Ranked No.1 in England for Course Satisfaction in Guardian University League Table 2019.
• Staffordshire UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner known for its Connected University approach with strong employer partnerships and emphasis on skills development and simulation.
• University of BirminghamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRussell Group university partner committed to social work education since 1908. Core member of School for Social Care Research and provides social care research leadership in the Applied Research Collaboration West Midlands.
• University of WarwickcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner recognised for excellence in research and teaching with acknowledged reputation for innovation and links with business and industry.
• University of WorcestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner with well-established qualifying programmes and strong reputation for student support. Home to the IMPACT service user and carer group involved in co-production.
• University of WolverhamptoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner with TEF Silver award, 96% graduate employability, and strong business links providing social work education across the region.
• West Midlands Local Authorities (12)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner12 Local Authorities across the West Midlands including Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Dudley, Solihull, Staffordshire, Telford, Walsall, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire providing practice placements and workforce development.
• Sandwell Children's TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's Trust partner providing practice education placements and workforce development opportunities for social work students.
• NHS TrustscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS Trust partners providing practice placements and employment pathways for social work graduates in health and social care settings.
• Social Work EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe regulatory body for social workers in England. Representatives provide updates on Education and Training Standards and upcoming curriculum guidance for practice education.
• BASW (British Association of Social Workers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association for social workers. Partnership includes anti-racist resources, professional identity development, and events such as the Diaspora SIG Conference.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Frontline: UK charity training social workers through a structured two-year programme leading to a master's degree and frontline council roles. Comparable mission in developing social work talent and addressing workforce shortages.
• Think Ahead: UK charity that runs a fast-track leadership development programme placing graduates into local authority social work roles. Operates in the same social work education/workforce-development space with a more focused, selective model.
• Step Up to Social Work: Government-funded, postgraduate social work training programme providing bursaries and placements into local authority children's services. Operates in the same qualifying social work pathway space as the WMSWTP's partner universities.

Direct peers

• Greater Manchester Social Work Teaching Partnership: Regional Social Work Teaching Partnership covering the Greater Manchester area, operating the same DfE-recognised partnership model between Local Authorities and universities to coordinate social work education, CPD, and practice placements. Directly comparable in structure, mandate, and offering.
• East Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership: Regional Social Work Teaching Partnership for the East Midlands, jointly funded by Local Authorities and universities to coordinate qualifying social work programmes and CPD. Same partnership model, same funding structure.
• South West Social Work Teaching Partnership: Another regional Social Work Teaching Partnership covering the South West of England, structured around Local Authorities and universities to deliver qualifying pathways and practice education. Operates an essentially identical mandate and service mix.
• London Social Work Teaching Partnership: London's regional Social Work Teaching Partnership, bringing together London boroughs, universities, and Health Trusts to coordinate social work education and workforce development. Directly comparable regional partnership model.
• Yorkshire and the Humber Social Work Teaching Partnership: Regional Social Work Teaching Partnership covering Yorkshire and the Humber, structured around Local Authorities and universities for social work education and practice-based learning. Same DfE-recognised partnership structure.

Others

• Social Work England: The statutory regulator for social workers in England, setting Education and Training Standards and accrediting qualifying programmes. Not a competitor but a critical ecosystem participant whose standards directly shape the WMSWTP's curriculum work.

Broad incumbents

• Skills for Care: The workforce development body for adult social care in England, focused on training, CPD, and workforce planning across the social care sector. Broader remit than the WMSWTP but materially comparable in workforce-development function for adjacent social care occupations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RWMSWTP
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPFVavbXvGfVfcxMvTNEIHw?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/RWMTP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rwmswtp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership