SKILLS FOR LIFE – GOOD FOR BUSINESS!

We are seeking a volunteer from each of the sub-regional partnerships to oversee implementation of the National Skills for Life Strategy regionally and ensure that implementation of the regional strategy reflects Employer needs.

Why basic skills matter

We know that if employees providing care possess good literacy, numeracy and computer skills the quality of that care can be significantly enhanced.  Applying these skills well enables safe, high quality care. Not applying these skills well may lead to critical errors of care and breakdowns in communication within and beyond the care team, threatening safety and damaging quality.

Because of the importance of improving basic skills, Skills for Care has published a National Strategy to identify the basic skill needs of care staff over the next three years and develop an action plan to meet those needs.

So what are we going to do in the North West?

The first thing is we aim to keep it simple! The second is to ensure it is sympathetic to Employer needs.

The problem is there are so many initiatives it gets many employers confused about what each is or involves. But to be honest it really doesn’t matter which initiative is chosen each have their own merits and end up at the same place – what is that place – the place where an employer has a whole organisation approach to skills for life with commitment from the top, support from managers and the willingness of employees to improve their skills. In other words skills for life is embedded within  workforce and service planning processes.

The Regional Implementation Strategy

Building on the progress that Skills for Care North West has already achieved it is now intended to bring the initiatives together in one strategy to make it easier for employers to understand what the benefits are, to help them develop their own skills for life strategies as part of their workforce planning activities and identify which is the best vehicle of all the initiatives available that would suit them. The strategy involves:

1.    Bringing together the various approaches that can be used to support the development and implementation of a Skills for Life strategy within an organisation enabling employers to choose the one that suits them best. The following initiatives can be used to develop an internal skills for life strategy:

• The skills pledge

• Get – on award

• Move-on initiative

• Sisco Induction package

• Investors in People Award

2.    Raise the awareness of employers to the resources that are available and the financial and other support that can be used to develop their own skills for life strategy as part of their workforce planning process.

3.    Develop a business case supporting the development of a skills for life strategy as an initiative that develops the business/organisation as well as its employees.

4.    Develop a regional steering group of employers to oversee implementation of the strategy and seek out those organisations who are prepared to champion skills for life and showcase their good practice.

5.    Develop links with key regional agencies that can support implementation of this strategy

6.    Facilitate the bringing together of employers and key agencies who can support them in the development and implementation of a skills for life strategy

7.    Identify areas of joint work and collaboration with the NHS which will be of benefit to Social Care employers.

Want to know more?

If you would like to find out more about this initiative please contact Vic Hewitt on 17802 562762 or e-mail v_hewitt@sky.com