A optimistic route for social care
I’m happy we have begun 2024 with the Government’s announcement of this workforce reform package. This consists of the primary model of a Care Workforce Pathway (‘Pathway’) and a brand new Care Certificates qualification.
Each developments shall be important in supporting studying and improvement alternatives for individuals who work in grownup social care, in addition to boosting recruitment and retention, that are persistent challenges for employers.
Beforehand, there was no constant profession construction or clear articulation of the extent of data, expertise and ability required to ship high-quality, personalised care and assist.
The Pathway will assist to articulate what a profession in social care means and what’s anticipated of these supporting individuals who draw on care and assist.
Critically, it should make sure that colleagues working in social care are recognised because the expert and dedicated professionals they’re and supported to develop of their long-term roles.
The sector desires this
From discussions and responses to the decision for proof, it is clear there was enthusiasm throughout the sector for the brand new Pathway. It’ll develop a common understanding amongst individuals working in care, these drawing on care and assist, employers, and commissioners, concerning the roles that exist in social care and what they provide.
Following the Name for Proof final 12 months, the primary part of improvement is now full. The DHSC and Expertise for Care partnership benefited from invaluable assist from and collaboration with:
This preliminary part centered on articulating the information, abilities and behaviours related to roles offering direct care; from these new to care, to these main in specialist areas of observe. Importantly, it additionally articulated the values individuals working in care must reveal. I’m now very excited to see the subsequent part of this work carried into different elements of the workforce.
I’m additionally actually happy to see the event of the brand new Care Certificate qualification. We suggest everybody new to social care completes the Care Certificates as a part of a sturdy induction course of. We all know from our data that 65% of direct care offering employees who’ve began work within the sector since January 2015 have engaged with the Care Certificates.
Its additional improvement will rework the certificates right into a recognised qualification, one thing the sector has needed to see for a very long time.
Expertise for Care has been engaged on creating the content material of the qualification, in collaboration with the sector by means of a collection of focus teams and stakeholder conferences.
The work goes on
Over the subsequent few months, awarding organisations shall be utilizing the content material to create and launch their {qualifications}. We count on these to be out there to the sector in the summertime.
The brand new qualification displays the present content material of the Care Certificates requirements, with some updates based mostly on rising themes, akin to private wellbeing, digital abilities and equality and variety.
The intention is to enhance portability of the Care Certificates between completely different employers by making a extra sturdy supply, evaluation, and standardisation course of.
Expertise for Care is trying ahead to supporting DHSC with the subsequent steps in each items of labor and seeing the advantages they’ll deliver to the sector in 2024 and past.
Expertise for Care is at the moment operating a marketing campaign to assist the sector to #KeepLearning. Discover out extra on the Skills for Care website.
