welcome to skills for care's enews

The enews includes news from Skills for Care and information you may find useful from across the sector.

Apprenticeships boost for business
Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced new measures to ensure more young people benefit from an Apprenticeship, and help employers gain the skilled workers they need to grow their business.

To encourage thousands of small firms that don't currently hire apprentices to take on a young apprentice aged 16 to 24, the Government will offer employers with up to 50 employees an incentive payment of up to £1,500. This will support up to 20,000 new apprenticeships in 2012/13. An initial payment will be made two months after the individual has started their apprenticeship; the balance will be paid after the Apprenticeship has been completed and the trainee has progressed into sustainable employment.
BIS

Skills for Care encourages every social care employer to invest in Apprenticeships to help with their recruitment and retention needs. An Apprenticeship is a combination of on and off the job training and learning. They are designed by employers for employers to reflect the changing needs of the sector and can be used as a way for 16-18 year olds to demonstrate competency in personal care. Apprenticeships have the scope for any specialist employer requirements to be included.

For more information and to view Skills for Care's updated employer guide to implementing an apprenticeship programme visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/apprenticeships.

Practical guide to workforce redesign
Skills for Care has launched a practical guide to using the Principles of Workforce Redesign to help adult social care employers manage the huge challenges our sector faces.

The guide offers a series of practical steps to manage fundamental shifts in the services that organisations provide and to transform those services to meet current needs and expectations of people who use them. It includes a range of tools to help work through change constructively.

Its publication is timely, coming during a period when all providers of social care services are facing the dual challenge of reshaping their services and managing significant budget cuts.

Order now and also receive a free copy of the accompanying 'notes and resources' publication - visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/workforceredesign.

Accolades finalists announced
The finalists for this year's Accolades have now been announced. Achieving an Accolade proves you are improving the lives of people using social care services through workforce development. We received an excellent standard of nominations this year so thank you to everyone who entered. To see who is an Accolades 2011/12 finalist visit: Accolades 2011/12

The winner of each category and the overall winner of winners will be announced at the gala event on 8 March 2012 - good luck to all finalists!

Self Care Week 2011
Skills for Care was proud to support Self Care Week 2011 (14-20 November). The aim of the campaign was to make people aware of the importance of self care and think of ways to embed it into daily life.

During the week Skills for Care launched a questionnaire to help identify the most important ways that workers can help an individual to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing and to be as independent as possible. It can be used by individuals with their carers and care services, including care managers/assessors and personal assistants.

This and other self care resources including assistive technology case studies, a Self Care Training Manual and the Common Core Principles to Support Self Care can be found on our website - www.skillsforcare.org.uk/selfcare.

- in your area -

Invitation to attend an open meeting in Surrey
The integrated health and social care worker role
12 January 2012, 10am - 12.45pm
Leatherhead Golf Club

The Surrey Workforce Development Network will be holding an open meeting to consider the integrated health and social care worker role, and workforce development implications for such roles. The meeting will feature guest speakers on various topics relating to workforce development opportunities and the Gold Standard Framework for end of life care within domiciliary care services.

The meeting is open to stakeholders across the country. If you would like to attend or find out more about the network and Skills for Care's activity in Surrey please contact Marianne Davis, Skills for Care Area Officer for Surrey: marianne.davis@skillsforcare.org.uk or call 07779 352039.

- events -

Skills for Care annual conference 2012 - workshops announced
The value of workforce development in tough times
Thursday 8 March 2012, Hilton Manchester Deansgate.

Confirmed speakers include:
Paul Burstow MP, Minister for Care Services
Sharon Allen, Skills for Care CEO

Early bird offer - book before 1 January 2012 for £180 +VAT

In tough times it is critical the people who work in adult social care have the skills, knowledge and qualifications to deliver high quality social care.

The conference will bring together a mix of keynote speakers and workshops to demonstrate continuing to invest in the development of a well trained and flexible workforce is essential for every social care provider to not only survive but thrive.

Workshops include: employing the very best, reforming social work and the benefits of workforce planning.

To book your place and for more information visit: www.skillsforcare.org.uk/conference2012.

- consultations -

Feedback on draft revisions of National Occupational Standards (NOS)
Health and Social Care NOS are the authoritative National Occupational Standards for people who work in health and social care settings with adults and/or children across the UK.

Revisions are being made to the NOS in the light of feedback from surveys and events held in May and June this year. The review is the joint work of Skills for Care and Development (a partnership of Skills for Care, Children's Workforce Development Council, General Social Care Council, Care Council for Wales, Northern Ireland Social Care Council, and Scottish Social Services Council).

We now want to check that the revisions are on track by inviting feedback on a sample of the revised NOS. For more information visit: www.skillsforcare.org.uk/consultations.

Call for evidence - Innovative practice in delivering personalised care
The National Market Development Forum (NMDF), part of the Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) Partnership, has established three task and finish groups focused on key areas of work.

One of these is looking at good practice in developing personalised services and supporting innovation in new models of care and support. The group is chaired by Sharon Allen, CEO of Skills for Care and includes directors of adult services, commissioners, provider chief executives and provider associations.

The group is initiating a call for evidence to gather examples of innovative practice in delivering fully personalised care and support. In particular they are looking for examples of:

• Personalisation in residential and nursing homes
• Personalisation in specialist services, including dementia and autism
• Personalised services for carers, and
• Personalisation in domiciliary care services
• Personalisation in end of life care

For more information and to submit your innovative practice visit:
Call for evidence - Innovative practice in delivering personalised care.

- tenders -

Workforce Development for assistive technology
Skills for Care is seeking experienced researchers to develop three case studies across England focusing on workforce development and Assistive Technology to inform thinking around a more strategic and co-ordinated approach to learning and development in this sector.

Assistive Technology (AT) is increasingly part of the range of solutions that practitioners offer individuals to maintain independence and quality of life at home. Skills for Care has recently completed a rapid scope on workforce development in this area and concluded that there are several models of delivery being used by social care, health and other agencies to assess, install, support and review the use of AT.

For more information visit:

Skills for Care works to ensure the adult social care sector has a modern, flexible and highly skilled workforce to deliver quality care. We are committed to working with employers and other key stakeholders to ensure we are supporting their needs and those of people who use services and carers.