News

The Training section of the Scottish Care website is in a formative stage and will evolve through time.  The current main items of news for members are noted below:

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UPDATE FEBRUARY 2008
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rnAs reported in the last edition of the Scottish Care Bulletin, Stage one of the Workforce Development Project has now concluded.
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rnThe second stage of the Project is to develop a workforce strategy for the sector, that is, a plan agreed with the key stakeholders including The Scottish Government, the Care Commission and the Scottish Social Services Council, to develop the care home workforce in a sustained, coherent and cohesive way with the necessary funding and access to training provision to allow real progress to be made. To this end, a seminar was held on 13 December in Edinburgh with the above organisations and the other key agencies which impact on the work of the sector, to consider the development of such a strategy.
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rnThe seminar was very successful and it resulted in an agreed strategy and associated initial tasks to implement it for the sector, outlined below.
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rnA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR CARE HOMES
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rnThe development strategy for the workforce in care homes for older people must:
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rn• sufficiently articulate a vision for the sector drawing on the relevant legislation, policies and reports
rn• use the vision to determine the likely range and structure of future services
rn• create a workforce profile consistent with anticipated future services
rn• develop the capacity, commitment and resources to shape and skill the workforce
rn• have a consistent and co-ordinated approach to workforce development across the sector to meet service needs and requirements.
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rnThe process of implementation entails engaging key stakeholders to:
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rn• seek the most productive collaborations in delivering on strategic goals
rn• take ownership of the vision for the future
rn• develop a ‘road map’ for up-skilling the workforce which incorporates the main systems, processes and parties
rn• contribute to the shaping of future job roles and accountabilities across the sector
rn• employ a joint approach which seeks to agree and take forward a workforce development agenda across health and social care services
rn• develop and support models of good practice in workforce development, with particular reference to the private sector
rn• support the development of workforce supply through contributing to local and national recruitment and retention initiatives
rn• contribute to the gathering, analysis and best use of workforce data and intelligence to inform both local planning and government strategy and policy
rn• argue for the resources necessary to develop the required workforce development capacity
rn• create an infrastructure within Scottish Care to support the above.
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rnInitial tasks to action the above will include:
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rn• reviewing the models used, reports written, policies created and their outcomes & conclusions to predict service needs and workforce implications
rn• creating a ‘road map’ for the process and outcomes
rn• exploring mental health collaborations, including dementia services, across NHS and the care homes sector
rn• discussing specific ways to collaborate with the Voluntary Sector Social Services Unit to ensure supports for the private sector complement and augment the existing supports for the voluntary sector workforce
rn• shaping the Sector Learning Strategies for Skills for Care & Development and Skills for Health
rn• assessing the impact of the Continuous Learning Framework and the issue of clustering competences in realistic and practical ways, particularly for support workers and practitioners
rn• developing reciprocal learning opportunities between NES and the independent sector
rn• consideration of NHS workforce planning models as a benchmark for the care sector
rn• exploring the opportunities for greater inter-professional training for health and social services
rn• working with providers of care home services to ensure the private sector is fully connected, engaged and contributing to the vision for the sector
rn• exploring the most effective methods of ensuring that the whole of the sector has a workforce which is fit for purpose in meeting changing service needs
rn• proposing an infrastructure for Scottish Care to support the independent sector and progress the above through the provision of: qualitative, targeted, up to date information, advice and guidance; research and analysis which informs workforce development; relevant networks, events, publications and website; and a means to be consulted on and to contribute to the local and national policy agenda. Activities would include having effective links which may be formalised to other key stakeholders e.g. the Learning Networks, NHS Education, Sector Skills Councils, Voluntary Social Services Sector Workforce Unit
rn• convening a Steering Group to co-ordinate the implementation of a sector-specific Workforce Development Strategy.
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rnThe seminar came to the following conclusions in summary of the key areas of consensus:
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rn1. The seminar discussion was positive and served to endorse the main findings and conclusions of the Scottish Care Workforce Development Survey (as detailed in the Scottish Care December Bulletin)
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rn2. It was agreed that significant joint and concerted work is necessary to articulate a shared vision for the care services of the future and to shape a workforce which is fit for purpose
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rn3. The independent sector and in particular the private sector in Scotland require continued support and resources to enable them to meet the workforce demands into the future
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rn4. Scottish Care will propose to the Scottish Government that it hosts a resource to carry forward the workforce intelligence and development strategy
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rn5. The actions and outcomes arising from seminar will be monitored, reviewed and reported on as appropriate over the coming months
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rn6. It is proposed to convene a Steering Group to coordinate work on the strategy and to hold a further stakeholder seminar in the autumn of 2008 to review progress.
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rnThe above tasks, arising from the strategy, will form the basis of Scottish Care’s workforce development activities during the latter stages of the currently funded project to end March 2008. Discussions will take place between Scottish Care and The Scottish Government about how the overall strategy can then be taken forward, funding permitting.
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rnFurther information can be obtained from David Rennie, Workforce Development Consultant, at:
rndavid.rennie@scottishcare.org or at 07946 607532 

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UPDATE NOVEMBER 2007

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The Scottish Care Workforce Development Project is now moving into a phase of analysing further the results from the questionnaire, and a number of focus groups are being held around the country.  These are considering the overall results from the survey, and also looking at the results based on comparing and contrasting some variables, vis:

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• Urban/Rural Comparison.  Taken from the overall responses to the questionnaire and comparing any significant differences existing between workplaces which are in urban or in rural settings
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• Private/Voluntary Comparison.  As above, this time comparing the differences in response between organisations which operate in the voluntary or in the private sector
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• Comparison by Size of Home.  As above, this time comparing the differences in response between care homes of varying sizes.
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Following these events, the final report on the various outcomes form this initial part of the project will be prepared and made available.

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Strategy for developing the workforce
rnIn relation to the project aim to create a strategy for the workforce of care homes for older people a seminar of invited individuals and organisations is to be held in Edinburgh on 13 December.  The event is to be chaired by Garry Coutts the Convener of the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and the seminar is to be jointly hosted by Scottish Care and the SSSC.  Its purpose is:

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"Building on the information gathered through the Sector Skills Agreement and the Scottish Care workforce development survey, to look at the development of a strategy and the infrastructure necessary to deliver on the learning and development requirements of care homes for older people; consistent with government policy, service development needs and the funding available."

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The invited organisations are:

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rn Scottish Social Services Council

rn Scottish Care rn

rn Scottish Care Executive Committee rn

rn Care Commission rn

rn Scottish Government rn

rn COSLA rn

rn Association of Directors of Social Work rn

rn Community Care Providers Scotland rn

rn Voluntary Sector Social Services Workforce Unit rn

rn Scottish Social Services Learning Networks rn

rn Dementia Services Development Centre rn

rn Scottish Qualifications Authority rn

rn Sector Skills Alliance Scotland rn

rn Skills for Health rn

rn NHS Education Scotland rn

rn Scottish Voices rn The outcomes of this seminar will be reported to members. rn

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UPDATE OCTOBER 2007

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Workforce Development Project
rnArising from the Scottish Care Workforce Development Project (See TRAINING ‘WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT’) the Questionnaire is now completed and the Result Tables from the Questionnaire is now available and the Draft Executive Summary is being finalised. When this is available it will be placed on this website.  A full report is also in process.  The next stage is to take forward some of the responses to the questions and run focus groups to consider some issues in more depth; to respond to some of the initial key outcomes (i.e. the learning & development needs – see TRAINING ‘COURSES’) of the survey; and to consider a strategy for developing the workforce. 

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Review of Funding for Training
rnThe Scottish Executive (now Scottish Government) is currently undertaking a review of funding for training the social services workforce in Scotland.  A Discussion Paper was prepared and is available the Scottish Care website, www.scottishcare.org, under NEWS.  Comment and feedback on this paper was given by Scottish Care members and these comments were fed into the Scottish Executive’s Changing Lives Workforce Group. (See attached paper on “Scottish Care Response on the Review of Funding”).

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The current situation is that the new administration is still considering funding for social services learning & development and developments will be posted on the website as they arise.

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UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2007

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The Result Tables from the Questionnaire is now available (See attached "Results Tables") and the Executive Summary is being finalised. This will shortly be available and it will be placed on this website.  A full report is also in process.  The next stage is to respond to some of the outcomes (i.e. the learning & development needs – see TRAINING ‘COURSES’) of the survey and to consider a strategy for developing the workforce.  Ongoing news is on the TRAINING ‘NEWS’ menu.