Welcome to the December edition of the Voluntary Sector Social Services Workforce Unit's e-bulletin.
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Our bulletins will keep you up to date with the latest voluntary sector social services workforce development issues. If you have a workforce development event or initiative you would like to publicise please let us know and we will include it in future editions. If you think a colleague may be interested in the bulletin then please forward it. If they would like to sign up for the bulletin, they can sign up online.
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Laura Weir
Administrator
vswu.admin@ccpscotland.org
Content
The Workforce Unit's research report "Personalisation and its implications for work and employment" was launched the CCPS Conference on 25th November.
Issues covered in the research include:
We're aware that voluntary sector organisations have come under increasing pressure to reduce costs and make efficiency savings.
This survey aims to find out:
The survey will help us gather evidence that can then be presented to policy makers.
Thanks to everyone who has taken part so far – we’ll keep you updated with initial results in the New Year.
14th December 2010, 10am - 12pm
Glasgow
If you’re interested in promoting SSKS within your organisation, and would like to know more about the new key features and resources of SSKS, sign up for this workshop, which is being hosted by IRISS.
The Scottish Institute for Human Resources is running a series of five seminars exploring organisational dynamics. Seminars will take place in Edinburgh between January and May 2011.
1 & 2 February 2011
Glasgow
At a time of rapid change in demographics, technology and demand for health and social care for adults and children, this conference, organized by Skills for Care and Development, gives senior people in research, policy and strategy an opportunity to come together to learn and examine workforce challenges in health and social care.
For full details, visit the Skills for Care and Development website.
The Scottish Government launched “Self-directed Support: A National Strategy for Scotland” on the 23rd of November.
The strategy outlines the Scottish Government’s commitment to driving a cultural shift around delivery of care and support in Scotland, with Self Directed Support (SDS) becoming mainstream. The aspiration is that “self directed support should be available to everyone but imposed on no-one.”
Visit the Scottish Government website for more information. Or download the strategy here.
Once social service workers are registered, the SSSC has a responsibility to investigate any allegations of misconduct it receives about them. The Conduct Rules set out how the SSSC will deal with allegations of misconduct against registered workers and sanctions that can be imposed where misconduct is found. The SSSC is consulting on proposed changes to these rules. Find out more on our consultations page.
The Scottish Government has announced that the SSSC will open its register for Managers of Housing Support and Care at Home services on 17th January 2011.
The ‘end date’ for registration of existing managers will be 31 January 2014, after which date it will be an offence to employ a non-registered worker in these roles.
It is now a requirement that any new member of staff i.e. one who has never worked in the sector before or in a registerable post before, and is not registered with another regulatory body, must achieve registration within 6 months of commencing employment. This requirement will apply to any new member of staff, in the prescribed groups for registration, who commences employment after 17th January 2011.
For clarification what this means is that when the register opens on 17th January 2011, anybody appointed to the post of housing support and/or care at home manager will have to achieve registration within six months of the date of appointment.
For more information about what this means for new and existing staff, click here.
The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) would like to hear your views. There are two surveys – one for employers, and one for employees who have gained a qualification in the last 5 years.
The Flexible Training Opportunities fund gives businesses the opportunity to apply for up to £5,000 towards employee training costs. The fund is now open to businesses across Scotland with 75 employees or fewer. The deadline for applications has been extended until early March 2011.
The Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services has published a report looking at the challenges and opportunities of using social media within social services.
The aim of the report is to:
Scottish public services could save money and improve outcomes for citizens by taking a radically different approach to reform, according to a report published by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA).
The report highlights a number of innovative approaches in Scotland that can save money by better managing demand and preventing problems (see Notes to Editors for examples). In the areas of health, social care and justice alone, even a small shift towards more effective approaches could make substantial savings, for example:
A number of changes have been announced that will affect the Sector Skills agenda across the UK. It has been confirmed that both the General Social Care Council and the Children’s Workforce Development Council in England will cease to exist after 2012. Skills for Care and Development will also face funding cuts of 25% over the next four years.
SWIA is developing a guide to leadership for voluntary and private sector organisations, with assistance from the Workforce Unit, CCPS and others. A draft document is now available, and SWIA would like your input. The guide deals specifically with strategic leadership, and takes you through the process of using self evaluation material, producing an action plan, and evaluating performance.
SWIA would particularly welcome suggestions for amendments to the text, including comments on the terms and definitions outlined on page 4 of the guide.
Please send responses to Nina.Barrett@swia.gsi.gov.uk by 17th December.
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