Workforce - Skills for Care Updates

Skills for Care key updates – Feb 2024

Keep up to date with all news and developments from Skills for Care (items below and our much wider work too) – enews, data and specialist topic newsletters can each be subscribed to: https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/news-and-events/Keep-up-to-date.aspx

Social Care Workforce Strategy – the development of this key strategy is being led by Skills for Care. This will be key in setting out the workforce that we need for the next 15 year, including how we will recruit, retain and develop them. The strategy will align with the governments reform agenda and the NHS long term workforce plan too.

Find out more and register your interest in this here: https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/About-us/A-workforce-strategy-for-adult-social-care.aspx

Read the latest blog: https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/news-and events/blogs/an-update-on-the-workforce-strategy-for-adult-social-care

Government workforce direction and initiatives including changes to funding - The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) recently announced their plans to develop the adult social care workforce in England as part of ongoing reform work. This includes:

a new level 2 adult social Care Certificate qualification, with the intention that over time this new qualification will become the baseline standard for all new care workers to work towards when they join the profession (see more info on this below)
learning and development, including training courses on healthcare interventions to support delegation, learning disabilities including autism, dementia care and leadership
continuing professional development for registered nurses and other eligible regulated professionals
digital skills training and development of a new leadership qualification based on the recently updated Digital Skills Framework (from Digital Social Care).

New level 2 qualification – Care certificate. The new qualification aims to launch in June 24 and is embedded into the Care Workforce Pathway. Awarding Organisations are currently developing the qualification and further details regarding the programes and also the funding will be shared in the coming months. Whilst this work is underway the Care Certificate standards should continue to be used. https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Developing-your-workforce/Care-Certificate/Level-2-Adult-Social-Care-Certificate-qualification.aspx

The Care Workforce Pathway – phase 1 launched. The care workforce pathway outlines the knowledge, skills, values and behaviours people need to work in adult social care. This first part of the pathway focuses on direct care and support roles at four levels with each level relating to a role category, they are:

role category A: new to care
role category B: care or support worker
role category C: supervisor or leader
role category D: practice leader

Contained within each role category is a defined set of behaviours, knowledge and skills expected of someone to work at that level. The care workforce pathway also demonstrates how someone can develop within each category, building on their knowledge and skills to provide the best possible care to the people who receive their support.The new care certificate qualification is embedded in this pathway.: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-workforce-pathway-for-adult-social-care

You are invited…..

Skills for Care: Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) demo & Workforce Development Funding information session - your questions answered!

Thursday 22^nd February 3-4pm on MS Teams

The Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) helps providers to manage their workforce data and provides crucial intelligence to key decision makers such as Government, DHSC, CQC and local authorities. It also gives employers access to safe and free management of staff and training records and the ability to benchmark your workplace against similar providers.

The Workforce Development Fund supports the provision of high-quality care and the continuing professional development (CPD) of staff across the adult social care sector by providing a contribution towards the costs of vocational learning. The fund allows you to claim back money towards the costs of paid staff completing a broad range of adult social care qualifications, learning programmes and digital learning modules.

If you are interested to know more about ASC-WDS, are planning to update your account, haven’t looked at it for a while or want to claim Workforce Development Funding and meet the eligibility criteria this is the session for you! Come along to have a live guided tour and hear all about the many benefits and ask any questions. The session will be hosted by Rachel Reid, Marianne Davis Skills for Care locality Managers in Surrey, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire and Liz Bailey Workforce Development Funding local lead.

This is a local session for providers across the Berks, Ox, Bucks and Surrey area. To book your place email rachel.reid@skillsforcare.org.uk