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Workforce
update for
services
that support people
with a
learning disability
and/or autistic
people
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Welcome to this workforce development update for adult social care services
that support people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
It shares the latest news, resources, events and funding opportunities from
Skills for Care and partners, and you can find previous newsletters here.
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Updates
from Skills for Care
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New
core capabilities frameworks for supporting people with a learning
disability and autistic people
Skills for Care was involved in developing two new core capability
frameworks to support workforce development for those working with people
with a learning disability and/or autistic people. The ‘Core Capabilities
Framework for Supporting People with a Learning Disability’ and the ‘Core
Capabilities Framework for Supporting Autistic People’ outline the skills
and knowledge that health and social care workers need to ensure that
people can access high-quality care and support. You can use the frameworks
to support the development and planning of the workforce, and to inform the
design and delivery of education and training programmes. Download them, here, from the Skills for Health website.
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Mandatory learning
disability and autism training for health and care staff
In November 2019, the Government announced the introduction of mandatory
training in learning disability and autism for all health and social care
staff, relevant to their role. This was in response to a consultation on
the proposal of mandatory training, that was was held following the second
annual report of the Learning Disability Mortality Review (LeDeR)
Programme, which recommended that mandatory learning disability training
should be provided to all staff, delivered in conjunction with people with
a learning disability and their families.

There will now be a series of trials to design and test a new training
package, ahead of a wider roll-out. Health Education England and Skills for
Care are working with the Department of Health and Social Care to find
partners for these trials. We'll be appointing a number of training
partners/partnerships who will develop and test training methods and
materials. An evaluation provider will also be appointed.
We're currently developing specifications for the trials and evaluation and
intend to publish an invitation to tender soon. If you're interested in
participating, please submit your expressions of interest via the
‘Supplying to the NHS’
Portal no later than 18.00 on Friday 14 February 2020. It is not
essential to register an interest, but it ensures that you will be notified
when the tender is published.
If you have any questions about this work, please email
us.
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Skills for Care
expert group for people with a learning disability and/or autistic people
Skills for Care is setting up an expert group of people with a learning
disability, autistic people and family members and/or carers. We want to
develop true co-creation and collaboration - and work together in new ways
that really make a difference! We are thinking that the group will get
involved in different parts of Skills for Care’s work and support us to get
better at what we do.
The next meeting is on Friday 14 February 2020 in Leeds. There'll also be
opportunities to get involved via email and Skype. Find out more about you
can get involved here.
If you work for an adult social care or other organisation that supports
with people with a learning disability and/or autistic people, please share
this invitation with them.
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Events
for learning providers: Best practice in learning disability and autism
training
This event is for learning providers that deliver training about learning
disabilities and autism to health and social care providers, and learning
and development teams in adult social care organisations that support
people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. It will share the
latest updates, resources and funding opportunities to keep you up-to-date
with best practice in training for services that are used by people with a
learning disability and autistic people.
Find your local event and book your place on our website.

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Clarification
about Restraint Reduction Network Training Standards (2019) and
certification for adult social care providers
Skills for Care has received some queries from adult social care employers
about these Training Standards, particularly around certification. The
standards provide a national benchmark for training in restrictive
practices, and RRN encourages learning providers working in the education,
health and social care sectors to become certified against the standards.
Certification against the standards will be mandatory for all learning
providers (commercial and in-house) working with the NHS or NHS funded
services from April 2020. We’ve updated the guidance on our website which
explains when service providers need to be certified and when they need to
be registered as an affiliated organisation. Read the guidance under the
‘Restraint Reduction Network Training Standards’ tab here.
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Updated guide to
arranging and paying for training in PBS
Skills for Care has updated this guide for people involved in designing,
delivering and/or commissioning positive behavioural support (PBS) training
in adult social care organisations. It explains what workers need to know
to deliver high-quality PBS, outlines standards for PBS training and gives
you tips about commissioning and/or designing PBS training. The learning in
the guide will help you to arrange training that meets the needs of the
people you support, your staff and your service. Download the free guide here or email us for a printed copy (limited copies available).
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Active
Support: a new way of working – case study from Association for Real Change
(ARC)
Last year, ARC used Skills for Care’s Workforce Development Innovation Fund
to run a project to implement and support personalisation in services that
support adults with a learning disability and autistic people. It aimed to
change organisational culture and practice across ten adult social care
services, to help staff to work as ‘enablers’ rather than ‘carers’ to promote
great independence, empowerment and personalisation. At the end of the
project, staff reported that they felt more confident to work in these
ways, and that it made them feel like they were fulfilling the true purpose
of their job. Read the case study here.
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Events to support
recruitment in services that support people with a learning disability and
autistic people
Skills for Care is funding a number of events for adult social care
services that support people with a learning disability and autistic
people.
Values-based interviewing
§ Tuesday 28 January 2020 – Leeds
§ Wednesday 12 February 2020 – York
This seminar will teach you a
proven interviewing technique that will help you to uncover a candidate’s
personal values during interviews.
Valuable
conversations
§ Tuesday 25 February 2020 – Hull
§ Tuesday 10 March 2020 – Leeds
§ Tuesday 17 March 2020 - York
This seminar will give you tips
and recommendations to help you to have ‘valuable conversations’ with your
staff, that will help you to retain them, including through day-to-day
conversations, supervisions, probationary reviews and performance
management.
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News
from the sector
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Health
Education England support in the Midlands and East of England
Health Education England has commissioned the following training and
resources for individuals, including health and social care staff, parents
and carers that support autistic people in the Midlands and East of
England.

Download the leaflets below to find out more. If you want to find out more,
please email
Health Education England directly.
§ CYP
Supporting Parents: courses for health and social care professionals
supporting parents of teenagers with autism
§ Pilot
Families Peer Support: courses for parents of children and young people
with Autism who are interested in becoming peer supporters
§ Positive
Behaviour Support: courses for health and social care professionals who are
involved in developing support plans for people with Autism
§ Positive
Behaviour Support: one day courses to raise awareness of PBS for staff
involved in implementing these programmes (details to follow)
They’re also developing new
resources about ‘Forensic Essentials’, ‘Autism Awareness’ and ‘Promoting
Physical Health’ which will be available in April 2020.
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Public Health
England has a Learning Disabilities Health Intelligence Network
You can sign up to a regular newsletter with updates and resources from the
network. The latest update included information about national statistics
that have been published by the Government and links to recent webinars
about prescribing psychotic drugs, reducing hospital emissions and oral
healthcare. Sign up to receive bulletins here - if you're new to gov.uk bulletins, create an
account and select 'Learning Disability' from the list.
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BASW launches
Capabilities Statement for Social Work with Autistic Adults
The Capabilities Statement provides guidance for professionals, managers
and other stakeholders involved in delivering social work to autistic adults.
It outlines expected practice standards for social work. The Statement was
commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care and developed by
the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), and co-produced with
autistic adults, their family and carers.
Download the Statement here.
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The Together
Project: understanding and improving support for people with learning disabilities
who are pregnant or caring for a baby (Health Education England and
University of Surrey)
This project brings together people with a learning disability, their
family and carers, and social care and health professionals, to develop a
toolkit for people who work in maternity services. They want to hear from
individuals about their views and experiences, and use this learning to
improve support for people with a learning disability when pregnant or
caring for a baby. Find out more about the project and how you can get
involved here.
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Skills for Care Ltd, West
Gate, Grace Street, Leeds LS1 2RP
Registered company no.3866683. Registered in England
Registered charity no. 1079836. Group VAT no. 135 5383 15
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