The National Skills Academy for Social Care:
Background

The development of National Skills Academies began in 2005, and is a programme currently sponsored by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). The academies are described as “A network of employer-led world-class centres of excellence delivering the skills required by each sector of the economy.”

The Skills Academy for Social Care achieved recognition as a National Skills Academy on 7 October 2008. 

More information about the overall programme can be found on the National Skills Academy website.

A steering group has been taking forward the development of a Skills Academy for Social Care since Ivan Lewis, the former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Care Services, announced Department of Health support for an academy.

A requirement for National Skills Academy recognition is that it has an independent structure which is not-for-profit. During the business development phase the Academy is hosted by the Social Care Institute for Excellence.

Bid documents

The following documents were produced to support the bid for National Skills Academy status in 2008.

Core documents

• The Skills Academy for Social Care: Briefing paper (50kb PDF file)
• The Skills Academy for Social Care: Briefing paper summary (25kb PDF file)
• Expression of Interest in a National Skills Academy (210kb PDF file)
• Appendix 1: Skills requirements for the social care workforce (63kb PDF file)
• Relationships between social care agencies (18kb PDF file)

Presentations

Ian Mallinson Memorial Lecture - 9 September 2008

• Doing a good job and knowing it – the value of supervision, Jennifer Bernard (49kb PDF file)
• Doing a good job and knowing it - the value of supervision, Jennifer Bernard (49kb PowerPoint presentation)