Training for Workers on Carers Project

Training for Workers on Carers Project

We are pleased to announce that we are sponsoring Carers Week 2010. (14th – 20th June)

Skills for Care and Skills for Health are working in partnership to strengthen health and social care workers understanding of the importance of carers in the delivery of health and social care.

The project is part of the implementation activity for ‘Carers at the heart of 21st century families and communities - a caring system on your side, a life of your own.'
 
Progress so far?
Following the development of nationally agreed common core principles we have now developed a draft national learning/training framework with supporting resources to ensure that key workers can receive nationally agreed training to better support carers

The framework is not an 'off the shelf' training package, but rather the tools that enable training to be commissioned or developed to reflect local workforce needs, local settings and context. It aims to be flexible enough to be delivered in a variety of ways to meet differing working and learning needs.

The common core principles of good practice, developed earlier in the project in consultation with carers, people working directly with carers, and interested parties across health, social care and other key sectors, are embedded within the framework and supporting resources.

A wide range of pilot sites have volunteered to help shape the framework by using the resources to develop and deliver training in their area in order to ensure it is fit for purpose prior to making them nationally available.

Our Summer 2010 Bulletin is now available here

Skills for Health is working in partnership with Skills for Care and the Department of Health on an initiative that aims to increase understanding of the important role carers play in the delivery of health and social care services and the challenges that carers face.

A specific commitment was made to ensuring that workers across the board from social care, health, and all other relevant sectors would be able to receive training to better support carers.

The work will be relevant to public service, independent and voluntary employers and is;

• developing a framework and supporting resources that can be used as a basis for providing or commissioning of training
• designing a plan for awareness raising
• evaluating the impact of these resources on the knowledge and skills of the workforce and their application when dealing with carers.
  

Early Implementer sites needed
We would like to see a few more organisations joining us from the East of England, South West and South East as early implementer pilot sites.

As early implementer pilot sites, you will get the opportunity to be the first to try out the finalised guidance and supporting resources. You will also help us to gather evidence about how the new resources and materials have made a difference to you, your staff and most importantly the lives and experiences of carers.

You can be part of a national piece of work and potentially become a case study or even feature in the guidance as examples of good practice and be acknowledged for your support.

We are particularly keen to find some non health or social care employers or non traditional settings to join this group or those offering less traditional opportunities to try the resources out. Perhaps using the framework with the fire service, or pharmacy? There is some financial support offered to become involved. If you are interested please contact kim.long@skillsforhealth.org.uk or diane.buddery@skillsforcare.org.uk

Want to hear more from us?
We have a virtual stakeholder group for this project that is open to anyone who wishes to contribute or simply keep up to date with the progress on this piece of work. If you would like to join please contact: carersstrategy@skillsforcare.org.uk

Please also visit our partner Skills for Care’s website