Welcome to the November edition of the Voluntary Sector Social Services Workforce Unit's e-bulletin.
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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Lisa Pattoni
Information and Communications Officer
lisa.pattoni@ccpscotland.org
Content
On 27th October the Finance and Resources Committee at Edinburgh City Council considered a report detailing their re-tendering recommendations for contracts for the provision of Housing Support and Care at Home services for the period 1st Feb 2010 to 31st Jan 2013. The recommendations in the report included:
No decision was reached at the Finance and Resources Committee meeting. The final decision on these contracts was deferred this week to a meeting of the full council on 19 November. More information will be provided following this meeting.
In the meantime, staff working in effected serices will have questions about the impact of this on their employment. Accordingly, employers may find the Workforce Unit TUPE Guidance for Managers helpful.
16 November, Bathgate Social Work Centre (Strathbrock Partnership)
69 Whitburn Road, Bathgate, EH48 1HE
26th November, Midlothian Arts Centre
2-4 White Hart St, Dalkeith, EH22 1AE
Re-tendering is one of the biggest issues facing voluntary sector organisations. In June 2009, The Workforce Unit launched a research report investigating the effects of re-tendering on voluntary sector social services staff.
In partnership with Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) and the South East Learning Network; the Workforce Unit is pleased to invite you to attend this event which will focus on the research findings from this report and gathering your own experiences of the re-tendering process. Come along to this workshop which will also look at what organisations can do to help support staff during a re-tender, highlighting the recently launched "TUPE for Managers" guidance from the Workforce Unit.
Click here for more information and booking details.
23 November, 1.30pm-4.00pm
Inverness, Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Stadium
Following the success of the recent event for housing support providers in Dumfries, the Workforce Unit and Housing Support Enabling Unit are pleased to present a further event for housing support providers to be held in Inverness. This event will provide an opportunity for providers of housing support to:
Click here for more information and booking details.
17 November, 10am-12pm
The Stirling Room, Mitchell Library, Glasgow
In partnership with ENABLE Scotland, the Workforce Unit are pleased to present 'Personalisation - A Dream or Nightmare for the Social Care Workforce?' at Glasgow Social Care Providers Forum (GSCPF) Festival of Ideas.
This workshop will focus on a key topic of current concern to social care provider organisations, staff and people who use their services - what personalisation means for the workforce. We will present early research findings and share some learning from practice based on implementation in the Glasgow East End pilot. Places are limited to 20 spaces. So, book online now to avoid disappointment!
ENABLE Scotland have also produced a variety of information materials regarding self- directed support which applies to anyone caring for or supporting a child or adult with learning disabilities. You can view these materials online. You can also order hard copies from ENABLE Scotland, Information Service, 2nd Floor, 146 Argyle St, Glasgow, G2 8BL.
10th November 10.00am-1pm
Mitchell Library
The November Workforce Development Network meetings will focus on the following:
Download the full event programme. Sign up online now.
Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) has developed the ‘Care Training Needs Analyser’ that answers just this question.
The Care Training Needs Analyser is a useful online tool to help managers at a local level to manage and produce reports on care and non care staff/volunteer learning and development. This includes collation and analysis of staff learning such as information about registration, disclosure processing, mandatory qualifications, soft skills learning and continuous professional development. It also assists in keeping a record of staff participation in training.
And now through a project funded by the Big Lottery, the South East Scotland Workforce Development Project (of which the Workforce Unit is part), small organisations (with less than 250 employees) providing care services in East, West, Mid Lothians, Scottish Borders & Edinburgh will have free use of the Care Training Needs Analyser until March 2011.
To register complete the application form online. Please contact Trisha Gow, 0131 555 9100, or visit the EVOC website for any specific questions regarding your application. More details are also available on the Workforce Unit website.
3rd December
Edinburgh Training and Conference Venue, 16 St Mary's Street
SCVO are pleased to present this event which aims to provide an opportunity to discuss how new arrangements and recent developments in skills could help third sector organisations in Scotland to be as effective as possible and to fulfil a crucial role in contributing to Scotland’s economy. The programme for the day includes speakers such as Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and Helen Tyrrell, Director, Voluntary Health Scotland & Vice Convenor, SCVO. Topics such as: the Future Jobs Fund Third Sector Consortium and Councils for Voluntary Service / Third Sector Interfaces.
For more details and to book a place please click here.
Friday 13th November - Aberdeen
Monday 16th November - Inverness
Tuesday 17th November - Helensburgh
Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th November - Glasgow
Friday 20th November - Edinburgh
For more than 30 years, David Hingsburger has fought to reduce the sexual victimization of people with disabilities. A prolific author, lecturer and therapist, Hingsburger has campaigned fearlessly for greater awareness of the sexuality of people with disabilities while also coaching individuals with disabilities how to recognize and deal with problematic sexual behaviour. David has now been inducted into the Canadian Disability hall of fame.
The Scottish Social Services learning Networks are therefore pleased to provide you with the opportunity to hear from Dave in a series of inspirational events being run across Scotland. To find out more or to book a place, please contact your regional Learning Network.
20 November (registration 8.30am)
Hilton Hotel, 1 William Street, Glasgow
The Scottish Care Annual Conference will include input from some notable speakers including Shona Robison (Minister for Public Health), Alan Miller (Chair of the Scottish Commission for Human Rights), Jackie Roberts (Chief Executive of the Care Commission), Alexis Jay (Chief Executive of the Social Work Inspection Agency) and Mike Martin (Chief Executive of the Joint Improvement Team).The theme of the day is "Challenge & Change" and will include the following topics:
Places are going fast! So complete the booking form online today. For further information please speak with Cath Balmer at 01292 270240.
30th November 2009,
University of Edinburgh
The Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health (SDCMH) is pleased to announce a date for its conference ‘Risks and Opportunities’, which is set to explore some of the relationships and connections between mental health and the online world we now live in.
They are keen for this event to discuss both the ways in which the internet can affect mental health, and how e-health and online strategies can be developed both to promote mental health and to assist with supporting people with mental health problems to recovery. Using the internet and new technology may well be a way in which health services and the third sector can deliver more for less in a challenging financial climate. Using the web is certainly a way in which some of Scotland’s geographical barriers can be negotiated.
A programme for this challenging event is currently in development, with speakers invited from Scotland, the UK and beyond. Organisations already planning contributions include Breathing Space, The Samaritans, Depression Alliance Scotland, and NHS Lothian. For more information please visit the sdcmh website. If you would like to pre-register for this conference please e-mail events@sdcmh.org.uk.
The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) will start registering managers of a care at home services from December 2010 and will consult with the sector before publishing the qualifications criteria for these workers. The consultation is from Monday 2 November 2009 - Monday 18 January 2010.
A series of consultation events will provide an opportunity for you to give your views about the function of a care at home manager, the qualifications needed to carry out the work as well as comment on related issues. The events will be of particular interest to providers and managers of care at home services. The events are being held in November and December. Download the event flyer.
Read the consultation documents here.
Tuesday 8th December 2009
The Hilton Edinburgh Grosvenor Hotel
Grosvenor Street, Edinburgh EH12 5EF
The Housing Support Enabling Unit is joining forces with the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and the Scottish Housing Best Value Network to deliver this national forum to:
To reserve a place please go to the Housing Support Enabling Unit website and complete the booking form.
As you will be aware, the Scottish Government has created a number of additional places (1,400 in total) for Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) in Health & Social Care in Scotland, across SVQ Levels 2, 3 and Leadership & Management for Care Services at Level 4.
For a complete directory of the training providers who have been allocated Modern Apprenticeships in Health and Social Care please visit the Workforce Initiative website and view the training directory tables. These tables show the training providers that have been awarded contracts to deliver MAs by geographical area. They highlight SVQs at Level 2 & 3 (although it is possibly that the training providers may be able to offer the MA in Health and Social Care at SVQ Level 4). The information tables also indicate if the training provider has a contract to deliver the MA in Leadership and Management. This is an award at SVQ 4, not at SVQ 3 as the table states.
Skills Development Scotland is keen to ensure that local employer needs are considered as far as possible. Please ask your training provider to accommodate your needs. Please also note that the MAs are Scottish Government funded. Final decisions on the cost to the employer rests with the training provider, but you should expect that if a charge is made it should be a "relatively small" amount.
SQA Approved Centres
For information on all SQA approved please phone SQA directly on their Care Scotland Helpline: 0845 2135471.
Please also see Workforce Unit Guidance on ‘Choosing an SVQ Provider'.
Personalisation has the potential to transform the experiences of people with learning disabilities- going from passive recipients of services to being in control of their lives. But, will it also transform the voluntary sector?
SCIE has produced this “At a glance” guide to explain just some of the implications of the personalisation agenda for our sector. Voluntary sector service providers should:
For more information on the implications of personalisation for the workforce specifically, please consider attending the 'Personalisation - a Dream or Nightmare for the social care workforce' Festival of Ideas event.
In 2010 the Scottish Government will introduce a new membership scheme called The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to improve upon the current disclosure arrangements for people working with vulnerable groups. The aims of the scheme are to:
The Scottish Government produce regular bulletins about the progress of the PVG scheme to keep people who work with vulnerable groups up to date with developments and plans in the run up to the PVG Scheme going live in 2010.
The latest issue includes an update on guidance and training plans, secondary legislation and an article about the policy direction on regulated work with children and adults. Read the progress update
The Joint Improvement Team (JIT) and Scottish Government’s Procurement Directorate (SPD) are jointly leading the preparation of guidance and good practice materials on social care procurement. This second newsletter follows a further meeting of the National Reference Group, which has reviewed the consultation programme to date and considered the outline guidance framework developed.
The JIT-SPD programme team is now working on draft guidance material to present for further discussion with some members of the Reference Group and key agencies, and with the intention of a fuller consultation process later in November. Following endorsement by Council Leaders and Scottish Ministers, the programme team aims to publish the final guidance in February 2010.
In October 2008 the Scottish Social Services Learning Network Tayforth commissioned research to improve the Network’s knowledge of the workforce, workforce planning and learning provision in social services and learning provider organisations in Tayforth. The project sought to develop a picture of workforce planning activity, with particular reference to registration.
So what did it say about workforce planning in Tayforth?
The project outcomes suggest that if workforce planning is to be used effectively for improved service delivery, there are specific challenges to be met. Read the full report for more information.
There are also another two other documents resulting from the project: A Guide to Learning Provision in Tayforth and a Literature Review which are available at http://www.learningnetworks.org.uk/tayforth.php. The Network Project Manager is Anne Tavendale, who can be contacted on 01382 504194.
The Scottish Child Care and Protection Network draws together academics, researchers, policy makers and practitioners to increase access to evidence for best practice in child care and protection. The network is multi-agency, and membership includes those working in education, police, social services and health as well as representation from voluntary organisations.
Read the first SCCPN E-bulletin produced focusing on ‘connecting research and practice’ and sign up to receive their bulletin in future.
If you would like to get involved or to find out more about the network and its activities, please contact Fiona Mitchell on 01786 466434
The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) are calling to work together with employers of social workers. They are seeking voluntary sector employers to sign up to a 5 point of engagement, which asks you to:
Read more information about BASW and their 5 star appeal.
Contact BASW on 0131 221 9445
Getting to Grips with Writing - Workers Educational Association
Social Care TV - New Online Channel
Make SSKS Work for YOU
Sector Skills Councils Update - Relicensing Decisions Announced
Dementia News - New Dementia Charter & JIT resources
New Scrutiny Bodies Update
SSSC Needs Your Views
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