Welcome to the July 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
In March 2010 the Care Commission published it's 'Making the Grade' report which clearly demonstrated the outstanding performance of the voluntary sector for adult services - who present with the highest concentration of highly performing services for housing support, with a similar pattern for care homes for adults and care at home services.
The Workforce Unit is pleased to present our Summer Newsletter which focuses on sharing the practice from some of these highly performing organisations. In this edition:
The next edition will be published in the autumn. If you would like to showcase good practice examples from your organisation, please get in touch. We would be delighted to interview you and present this information on our website/newsletter.
The Workforce Unit aims to keep you informed of current knowledge about the voluntary sector social services workforce.
Following new data available from the Sector Skills Assessment and the Reshaping Care for Older People workforce report, we have updated our ebriefing ‘What do we know about the Voluntary Sector Social Services Workforce?’
The new report has a slightly different structure that before focusing on the following three sections:
Download the updated report from the Workforce Unit website.
21st October - Commodore Hotel, Helensburgh (1-4pm)
28th October - Inverness (1-4pm)
4th November - Cairndale Hotel, Dumfries (1-4pm)
11th November - Dunfermline Carnegie Library, Dunfermline (1-4pm)
In collaboration with the Housing Support Enabling Unit, the Workforce Unit is pleased to present a number of events for housing support providers. Please save the dates of these not-to-be-missed events in your diary today!
The focus of the events will be on national housing support issues, including the following:
If you would like to reserve a space at these events, please do not hesitate to contact Laura Weir at: vswu.admin@ccpscotland.org. More information will be posted on our website soon.
2nd September - Edinburgh
3rd September - Glasgow
In collaboration with Maclay Murray & Spens (MMS), the Workforce Unit, Housing Support Enabling Unit, CCPS and GSCPF are pleased to announce two events with a unique focus on the legal implications of different models of collaborative working. Including:
* mergers and acquisitions
* clusters
* partnerships
* collaboration
* consortia
Working collaboratively can carry risks as well as benefits. This event will help you to explore many of the issues involved when considering working in this way. Download a full programme and booking form for the event on our website.
Thursday 2nd September
Macdonald Holyrood Hotel, Edinburgh, 9.30am - 4.00pm
Since the launch of the Continuous Learning Framework (CLF) in December 2008 the SSSC have been working with key partners to raise awareness of the CLF and support individuals and organisations to use it.
This FREE conference aims to celebrate what has been achieved and remind us why the key concepts of the CLF are central to good practice in social services. As well as key speakers, there will be a number of workshops exploring different ways in which the CLF is being used in practice.
If you would be interested in attending please view conference flyer and booking form.
4th - 5th November
Stirling Management Centre, Stirling
How can we work together more effectively in getting it right and improving childhood for every child and young person?
Children in Scotland’s 2010 annual conference will challenge your thinking about the way we organise and deliver our services, how we work with families and whether we can develop workforce roles and qualifications which reflect smarter thinking. At the conference, delegates will:
Download the event programme. Book online today!
Places are available on a course being offered by UHI called the Professional Development Award in Practice Learning (SS) (PDA in Practice Learning). This award is a qualification for those working within the field of social services and other related occupations. The programme replaces the earlier Practice Teaching award and has, at its base, 8 units which have been approved by the Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Scottish Social Services Council. The 8 units are covered in 5 knowledge blocks which focus upon the following themes:
The 4 month course will start in August and will be delivered by open learning. Those wishing to access funding can do so via ILA (up to £500 towards the course). Should you need more information, please read the information flyer or contact Eleanor Brown, Course Manager and Coordinator, on 01738 877858.
21st September
This course, presented by a respected fundraising trainer, is fully subsidised by the Institute of Fundraising's Trusts Special Interest Group as a commitment to skill-building in Scottish charities and we are particularly keen to include newcomers to fundraising and small organisations.
Prospective participants should submit a short paragraph outlining why they and their organisation would benefit from affordable training in making Trust applications. Deadline for submissions is 30th July to lindsey.spowage@aberlour.org.uk. You will be contacted with a decision in August.
Thursday 22nd July & Thursday 19th August
Ingliston Country Club & Equestrian Centre, Bishopton (9.30am-4.30pm)
This one day training course is aimed at preparing HR/Occupational Health Managers, Mental Health Practitioners, Faith Leaders or others who may be deployed to, or manage Major Incidents, Business Continuity and Community Resilience. The course is designed to help you:
Please contact Jean Cumming on 0141 812 8474 to find out more or make an enquiry (please enquire about discounts and group bookings). Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment!!!
Getting it right for every child is a national programme to improve outcomes for all children and young people in Scotland. It threads through all existing policy, practice, strategy and legislation affecting children, young people and families. The approach and National Practice Model have been designed to address any issue affecting a child and young person.
The Scottish Government has produced a range of implementation guides for strategic managers, operational managers and practitioners. These are available to download from the Scottish Government website.
The National Development Team at the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability (SCLD) carried out a mapping survey of Local Area Co-ordination in Scotland in 2009. The report of this study has now been published and you can read it here.
Alongside the National Reference Group, the Team have also designed a new leaflet to raise awareness of Local Area Co-ordination. You can have a look at the leaflet now.
In 2001 the Joseph Rowntree Foundation embarked upon a programme of research that explored the problem of illicit drugs in the UK. The research addressed many questions that were often too sensitive for the government to tackle. In many cases, these studies represented the first research on these issues.
This study gives an overview of the projects in the programme. The topics covered include:
Download the full research report here.
SCVO’s Strategic Review is being undertaken in the context of a new UK government, the prospect of a Scottish election in May 2011, and the most severe public expenditure restraint of recent times. In this context SCVO want to know what you think; and how they can best help their members, the wider sector and their partners to meet the challenges of the months and years ahead. They have created a comprehensive online survey that allows you to: give an overview of your opinions on a range of issues and engage with them in more depth on specific issues that you are passionate about.
Please click here to access the survey. The survey will remain open until 6 August 2010.
Earlier this month, Keith Brown, Minister for Skills and Lifelong Learning, launched 5000 Flexible Training Opportunities to help small businesses invest in learning and development for their employees.
The programme, available through Skills Development Scotland and supported by the European Social Fund, aims to help small businesses become more resilient through the current period of economic recovery by providing funding for the uptake of skills that will contribute to business productivity and success.
Flexible Training Opportunities gives Scottish businesses with 1-50 employees the opportunity to have up to 50% of their employee training costs paid for with an overall maximum of £500. Eligible training opportunities include learning based on national occupational standards, industry recognised qualifications, first line supervisory management and workshops. Funding is available for up to 10 employees per business and the money is not a loan so there's no need to pay it back. SDS will refund up to 50% of each episode of employee training up to a maximum of £500.
The Sector Skills Council for social services in Scotland is currently checking the eligibility in realtion to this programme.
To find out more about the programme and how to apply click here. Applications will be dealt with on a first come, first served basis.
Scottish Human Rights Commission database of organisations
The Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) are compiling a new database of organisations which help, campaign for, or support vulnerable people in all parts of the country. If you would like to be included in the database, or would like more information contact c.whitfield@hull.ac.uk and she will send you a short questionnaire.
The Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG) is set to commence on 30 November 2010. The PVG Scheme is a new membership scheme that will replace current disclosure arrangements for people who work with children or vulnerable groups.
Guidance and training materials on the PVG Scheme for organisations, individuals and personal employers are now available on the Disclosure Scotland website. A modular training package and an assessment tool to help employers to determine whether a post is within the scope of the PVG Scheme will shortly be developed. A dedicated PVG Scheme helpline, operated by Disclosure Scotland can be reached on 0870 609 6006 or by e-mail: pvg.enquiries@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.
The Central Registered Body in Scotland is running a number of free awareness raising sessions on the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act. For further information and to reserve a place visit www.crbs.org.uk.
In 2009 In Control undertook to improve the guidance available to local authorities to develop the policies and procedures needed when implementing Self-Directed Support. There are now a number of resources available which may also be useful for providers of social care. The first of these documents cover:
- Support planning
- Workforce
- Commissioning
- Direct payments
- Social work
- Real jobs
- Whole life
To view the documents, click here
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