Skills for Care
Skills for Care ensures that England's adult social care workforce has the appropriately skilled people in the right places working to deliver high quality social care. To achieve this, we focus on the attitudes, values, skills and qualifications people need to undertake their roles.
- Updated:
- 8 May 2019
- Location:
- National
- Sectors:
- Communication, Health, Care, Membership Organisations
- Local Alliances:
- East Midlands Regional Board , Manchester Dementia Action Alliance , Bury Dementia Action Alliance, Salford Dementia Action Alliance , Tameside and Glossop Dementia Action Alliance, York Dementia Action Alliance, Yorkshire & Humber Dementia Action Alliance
1. Action Plan
1. The National Dementia Declaration lists seven outcomes that the DAA are seeking to achieve for people with dementia and their carers. How would you describe your organisation’s role in delivering better outcomes for people with dementia and their carers?
Skills for Care is uniquely positioned across the adult social care sector to consider workforce and skills development needs. We also have a strong model of joint working with Skills for Health to ensure cross sector issues are considered and addressed jointly to support people who use services and patients across the two sectors.
2. What are the challenges to delivering these outcomes from the perspective of your organisation?
Volume and diversity of workforce:
One of the key challenges Skills for Care is addressing in England is the number of social care workers and employers there are in the sector needing access to dementia related learning and development opportunities. As part of the Sector Skills Council we work with 1.6million social care workers, 38,000 'traditional employers' and in the region of 115,000 micro employers all with varying information needs from general awareness to detailed specialist knowledge.
Dementia crosses traditional sector boundaries with individuals passing between health care and social care service provision. Each sector has very different structures, professions, cultures, languages and service funding arrangements. We need to ensure that the workforce is equipped to support individuals moving between health and social care through truly integrated services.
2. Actions
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Developing products
Skills for Care is committed to review its range of projects and products to identify opportunities to build dementia specific relevance, as appropriate, into the work streams- Status:
- Delivery
2019 - First Quarter Update
Skills for Care is working with social care providers and partners to ensure resources are available to support the sector to provide high quality care for people living with dementia.2017 - First Quarter Update
Skills for Care have developed a range of products and resources to suypport people working in social care who are providing care and support to people living with dementia. Please see our webioste under dementia to access the resources.
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Leading the development of the social care workforce supporting people living with dementia on a daily basis (Tier 2 of the Dementia Training Standards Framework)
Currently 50% of the social care workforce have a qualification / training equivalent to tier 2 on the dementia training standards framework. The system across England need to work in conjuntion with our colleagues in health to ensure the development of the rest of the workforce to the tier 2 standard.
SFC are working with partners including the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure this aim is supported and resourced.
- Status:
- Being implemented
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Ensuring the needs and views of the social care workforce and social care providers are represented at all levels
Skills for Care have a key role across England to ensure the views and needs of the social care sector (particularly linked to workforce support and devlopment) are understood and effectively represented to Government, Civil Service, and Lead Organisations supporting the improvement of dementia care and support.
This work is ongoing.
- Status:
- Being implemented