Welcome to the February 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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Lisa Pattoni
Information and Communications Officer
lisa.pattoni@ccpscotland.org
Content
This year, the Workforce Unit is commissioning innovative research regarding the personalisation agenda and the voluntary sector social services workforce.
‘E-briefing 5: The Personalisation Agenda: Implications for Work and Employment’ gives an overview of the current research and thinking in this area. It considers some of the likely consequences and emergent issues following the introduction of personalized approaches, particularly focusing on workforce development challenges e.g. the provision of appropriate skills to support personalization and potential implications for terms and conditions of employment.
It is anticipated that this e-briefing will be added to and edited as time goes on and more information in this area is collated.
Venue to be confirmed, Aberdeen,
16th March
The Spring Workforce Development Network Event will introduce you to 'Information Literacy', a set of skills to help you find and share information relevant to your work.
Come along and hear from Ian Watson from the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS) who will talk not only about ‘Google’, which most people will know something about, but also about how you can access other information that can enhance your learning and improve your practice.
In particular, we will look at Social Services Knowledge Scotland www.ssks.org.uk which is an online information portal that offers access to high quality digital information. Being able to use this tool will be a useful skill for lifelong learning, and can be a good way to contribute to your Post Registration Training and Learning requirements (PRTL).
Read the full programme
Book now to reserve your space. Places will go fast, so get in quick!
Scottish Youth Theatre, Glasgow
30th March
The Workforce Development Network Event in Glasgow will be run a little differently this time round.
In partnership with Learning Network West, Loretto Care and the Private Sector Workforce Initiative, the Workforce Unit is pleased to provide you with unique access to many different types of learning and information under one roof. Our event, ‘Putting Learning into Practice’, will provide you with the opportunity to engage in hour long themed conversations with the experts. These conversations will focus on: Registration, Procurement, Employability, Leadership and much, much more.
The following organisations are confirmed to facilitate conversations with you:
The day will be split into two with the morning session from 10am – 12.30pm and afternoon session from 1.30pm-3.45pm.
There will also be an additional workshop providing a practical approach to information literacy, a set of skills to help you find and share information relevant to your work. Developing these skills can be a useful tool for lifelong learning, and can contribute to your Post Registration Training and Learning requirements (PRTL). You can book for this separately.
We anticipate demand for this event will be high and places will be offered free of charge on a first come, first served basis. Save the date in your diary now! For more information, please contact any of the following:
Lisa.pattoni@ccpscotland.org
Julie.thomson@btconnect.com
glennh@lorretoha.co.uk
David.rennie@workforceinitiative.co.uk
The Workforce Unit has submitted its response to the consultation on Scottish Statutory Instruments relating to the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act.
Our response is primarily concerned with the fees regulations, explaining that providers will find it hard to meet the increased costs and questioning some of the financial assumptions made in the Regulatory Impact Assessment. Read the full response on the Consultations section of our website.
Thank you to members of the Workforce Development Network and Policy Advisory Committee for your useful thoughts, suggestions and insights.
Helensburgh, Afternoon, 16th March
Fife, Afternoon, 24th March
Due to the success of our events for Housing Support providers last year, the Workforce Unit, in partnership with the Housing Support Enabling Unit, is delighted to announce another round of events to be held in Helensburgh and Fife.
Topics to be covered on the day include:
This event is open to housing support providers in voluntary, statutory and private sectors. A full programme and booking form will be released on our website soon. For more information, please contact Laura Weir at vswu.admin@ccpscotland.org.
South Hall Complex, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh
17th March
NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS) are pleased to announce the launch of 'Sharing Knowledge, Improving Practice, Changing Lives', the Knowledge Management Strategy for Scotland's Social Services.
At the launch, representatives from local authority, voluntary and private sectors will describe how the new knowledge management tools and skills are helping, in a very practical way, to deliver care and support in their organisations. The launch will highlight how you can get involved in using these knowledge services to embed the use of knowledge at the heart of your organisation.
Read the full programme for the day here. [doc-1.1MB]
If you would like to book a place, please enter your details into the online booking form
Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), Edinburgh
18 - 19 February
The Gathering is the largest voluntary sector event in the UK so make sure you and your organisation are part of it! Thousands of people will attend over the two days – there is something for everyone. You'll have a chance to hear cutting edge debate, meet the sector's movers and shakers and find out what's going on in Scotland's vibrant voluntary sector at the popular exhibition.
Of particular interest may be:
As part of The Gathering event, SCVO and the Scottish Government are pleased to invite you to attend the launch of the Third Sector Employability Forum. The Forum will provide an opportunity for the Third Sector to influence the employability policy and practice agenda at a Scottish, UK and local level. The launch will take place between 2 - 4.00pm on Thursday 18th February.
The Third Sector Consortium has been delivering the Future Jobs Fund across Scotland since October 2009. The Future Jobs Forum provides a unique opportunity to bring together practitioners and members of the public, to showcase this exciting initiative, and demonstrate the benefit it brings to individuals, Third Sector organisations, and local communities across Scotland. The forum will take place between 2pm – 4.30pm, Friday 19th February.
To reserve your place at any of these events, or to find out how you could get involved, please contact Nicola Hanley on (0141) 225 8010 or email Nicola.hanley@scvo.org.uk. For more information on the wide variety of events taking place, please visit the SCVO website.
SECC, Glasgow
19th February
This Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) conference will show how workforce development and planning, registration and the involvement of service users and carers adds value to services and benefits the sector.
20:20 Vision - The social services workforce fit for the future, will take place on 19th February at the SECC, Glasgow and will focus on:
The conference is for everyone with an interest in workforce development. Click here for more information, costs and booking details.
Places are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.
COSLA Conference Centre, Edinburgh
13th April
The Social Services Research Group (SSRG) are running this event to look at the knowledge that is available to inform practice and improve outcomes for vulnerable children. The knowledge base is derived from a number of sources, for example research, inspections, local good practice and the views of young people themselves. Effective dissemination of such knowledge is also of great importance!
Confirmed Speakers include:
The full programme will be available in early February. It is anticipated that this event will attract a lot of interest and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. A booking form is available on the SSRG website
John McIntryre Centre, University of Edinburgh, 25th February
This event, run by the Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health, aims 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.
This event will be of particular interest to health promotion specialists, voluntary and statutory service providers, youth work organisations, academics, online service providers, social networks, and online organisations. Click here to view the conference programme
Adelphi Centre, Glasgow
Various dates - January – April 2010
ENABLE Scotland, SCLD and Values into Action Scotland are running, in partnership, a series of training events to help anyone involved in the field of supported employment for people with learning disabilities. The aim is to help you meet the requirements set out in the Scottish Government's National Framework for Supported Employment. By combining their efforts, they are able to offer you this comprehensive package of training at a greatly reduced cost.
For more information contact john.s@scld.co.uk or see www.scld.org.uk
Lovat Hotel, Perth,
25th February
During the Tayforth Workforce Planning Project 2008/9, it became apparent that many organisations recognised the critical role that adminstration processes have in contributing to effective workforce planning. This was an area identified for further development, and consequently Tayforth Learning Network has organised a one day workshop to encourage further exploration of this topic.
The workshop is intended to be of interest to administration workers and managers who have responsibility for workforce planning processes, and who may also manage the administration function and workers.
View the event flyer on Learning Network Tayforth Website. To book a place please contact Isobel Ovens on 01382 504194 or email iovens@tayforthsssln.co.uk
Scottish organisations of all sizes and in all sectors are to be given the opportunity to receive £1000 to take on a new apprentice. There are 4000 of these apprenticeships available for Scotland. This scheme is open to our sector for all ages of apprentice in both health and social care and childcare, however, and is available for exisiting employees.
Skills Development Scotland (SDS), Scotland's national skills agency, will play a leading role in taking forward the delivery of the initiatives that ScotAction will deliver for Scotland at this time. If you are interested, please contact SDS on 0808 100 8095, for more information, or simply download an application form. Successful employers will then be linked with a local training provider who will deliver the modern apprenticeship training for you.
Please note, this scheme is time limited and will run from 11 January to 26 March 2010.
AARP recognizes employers around the world for innovative workplace practices that help create an effective labor market for people age 50 and older. Take advantage of this opportunity for your organisation to receive international recognition by completing an application for the 2010 AARP International Innovative Employer Award now.
Every year AARP honors forward-thinking companies that benefit from the experience of the 50+ workforce by sponsoring the International Innovative Employer Award.
This award focuses global attention on managing an experienced workforce and helping workers age successfully. These leading-edge companies and individuals have discovered the real business advantages of retaining and hiring mature employees.
CLICK HERE for the 2010 AARP International Innovative Employer Award application.
This Charter sets out the key principles on which volunteering is organised and how good relations between paid staff and volunteers are built. It has been developed jointly by Volunteering England (VE) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and has been endorsed by the wider volunteering and trade union movements.
The Charter sets out the key principles to help underpin good relations in the workplace. These principles should be used as a guide by individual organisations to develop more detailed policies and procedures, which reflect local needs and circumstances. This should be done, wherever possible, between local union representatives, employers and volunteering managers.
Read more information
The latest bulletin about the creation of the two new scrutiny bodies due to start in April 2011 has been published by the Scottish Government. These newsletters cover key updates and developments on work relating to the establishment of the Improvement and Scrutiny Bodies for Healthcare and for Social Work and Social Care. Information in this edition includes:
The website http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/Scrutiny contains the latest information for the project and includes a frequently asked questions section. If you have any comments or suggestions, please send them to the project team at NSB2011@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.
The chances of an individual actively seeking to increase their skills level depends, research suggests, on a number of ‘intrinsic’ and ‘extrinsic’ factors. People with few qualifications, those who are not employed or who work in smaller or non-unionised workplaces tend to be less likely than others to engage in, or demand, skills development.
Research highlights a number of barriers to the take-up of skills development that are experienced by different groups of people. These include financial constraints; limited access to information, advice or guidance; negative influence from family or peers and in some cases negative early experiences of education or training. For those in work, the attitudes and practices of their employers can play an important role in stimulating or inhibiting skills development.
This paper outlines a broad policy framework around which initiatives designed to increase individual investment in skills development might be built and be particularly targeted at those least likely to participate in skills development.
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