Endorsement: excellence in training and development
Why is the Skills Academy focussing on Endorsement?
Employers tell us that they want to take on well-trained and committed people, and to develop their staff so that they can offer service users the best possible care. Yet they don’t always know how to find training provision that will meet their needs at a time and place that fits with the work patterns of care delivery.
The world of education and training is confusing and complex, with changing qualifications, a range of funding available through a variety of different routes, and an array of badges and quality marks whose message is not always clear.
Politicians and regulatory bodies tell us that there is some excellent practice in care services. But we know that it could be even better if the status of social care was improved so more people choose it as a positive career decision. Raising the status and changing the way in which work is organised and delivered requires excellent leadership and management as well as an excellent front-line delivery workforce.
What is the Skills Academy doing?
It is the role and the vision of the National Skills Academy in Social Care to identify and build on excellence.
This means we want to be able to make sure that employers can find excellent training and development for their staff.
It means we want employers to use training and development for their staff, and as a result offer excellent care services.
It means we want to develop the leaders and managers of the future so care services in England continue to improve and are equipped to meet the changing needs of the current and future population.
How will we get there?
The journey we are about to take is based on our commitment to excellence and to a strong commitment to co-production and the values which underpin the social model of care. We will use this as a platform on which to work with employers and education and training providers to:
- Describe and identify and excellent practice in education and training in social care
- Develop a process to endorse the best education and training organisations and their programmes – from Skills for Life to Management and Leadership
- Create Centres of Excellence in Social Care Training
- Define and promote a set of leadership behaviours and values
- Commission leadership and management programmes for current and aspiring leaders
- Develop networks of ‘leaders of leaders’
- Produce a framework of career pathways linked to qualifications
What's next?
We have already started work on all these activities. You can see how far we have travelled by visiting our website. We hope to have something tangible in place across all of these areas of work early in 2010.
Between now and then, there will be plenty of opportunity for everyone to get involved by reviewing our documents, telling us what you think excellence looks like, and where you have found it. You can volunteer to test out our processes and contribute to our programme planning and review by e-mail us:endorsement@nsasocialcare.co.uk
Please download the Endorsement Prospectus to find out more.