SCTP news

The partnership is constantly working to identify more training opportunities for members, so please check this page regularly for anything new that may interest you.

This news page holds information on current news, events and initiatives. For information on previous news items visit our news and events archive page.

NMDS-SC

As you are aware it is very important that you continue to input establishment and employee data on the NMDS-SC online facility. It is still the case that organisations need to be 90% compliant with NMDS-SC in order to attract Skills for Care funding for training.

We will be contacting you shortly to prompt you about this and to offer support to organisations where necessary. Meanwhile, we would advise that you maintain your data 'as you go', making changes as they occur e.g. as someone completes an award or as new recruits commence employment, etc.

Partnership event

The first partnership meeting of 2012 took place on the 23 January at Moores House.

We invited Alex Knapp from The Grey Matter group to give a presentation on the latest assessment tool, which could help organisations meet the CQC requirements and save money on training. The feedback from partners who attended felt that this would be a very useful tool to have in the workplace. We are now looking at how we can help our partners gain access to this tool. Further details are available on the CIS Assessment website.

Promoting quality through the workforce

The National Care Forum and Voluntary Organisations Disability Group in partnership with Skills for Care are holding two free events in February 2012 for frontline managers of voluntary and non-for-profit organisations.

• 21 February - London
• 23 February - Manchester

The aims of these events are to:

• provide managers with an understanding of the wider social care policy context and tools to assist them in supporting frontline staff improve the quality of service delivery
• promote an understanding of the new regulatory and monitoring framework and its implications for staff development.

For more information download the flyer below.

Free dementia workshops

Skills for care are working in partnership with Skills for Health to offer free workshops to assist people leading and supporting the workforce who are working with people who have dementia.

The workshops are aimed at social care managers and training leads within employer organisations who want to support their teams to deliver high quality care to people with dementia.

The design of the workshop reflects best practice in workforce development - to enhance the cascade of materials by managers and training leads. The content of the workshops also utilises the good practice outlined in the "Common Core Principles for supporting people with Dementia" (published in May 2011).

Double musical treat for old folk

The activity co-ordinators from Beech House, Laburnum Court, Arden Court, Pendleton Court, Worsley Lodge and Swinton Hall Care Homes dressed up as Santa and performed carols and festive songs for the residents of each of the homes. The residents were also entertained by youngsters from various schools near the homes.

The activity co-ordinators have recently completed the Certificate in Provision of Activities in a Care Setting (NAPA), and wanted to stay in touch with each other and took this opportunity as a way of utilising the skills gained to enhance the lives of the residents at the homes. The activity co-ordinators that took part are Linda Huntingdon, Sue Jones, Julieann Bennett, Anthea Austins, Catherine McClean, Angela McGinty, Karin Goodier and Denise Green.

Workforce Development Fund

We would like to draw your attention to the latest advice on the frequently asked questions page of the Skills for Care website in relation to Workforce Development Funding. The third to the last question on the list clearly states you are responsible for ensuring you are able to evidence you have used this funding appropriately and not double funded any candidates.  Please ensure you have a clear audit trail in the event of a Skills for Care audit.

Great North West Care Awards 2011

On Saturday 8 October 2011, the Blackpool Tower provided a spectacular backdrop for the finals of the third Great North West Care Awards, where the twenty category winners were announced. Congratulations to Susan Porter, Sevacare UK Ltd, Worsley, Manchester.

The awards are part of the Great British Care Awards, a series of regional awards which celebrates excellence in social care and pay tribute to those who work in the sector throughout England. The awards are all inclusive, bringing together the statutory, independent and voluntary sectors, as well as unpaid carers; promoting joint working.

There were a total of twenty award categories available for nomination, which represent all areas of the care sector, whether it be older people or specialist services and from frontline staff such as care workers and care managers to people who have made an impact in other ways such as training, specialist care in areas such as dementia and innovation.

Nominations came in from all corners of the sector and the region and successful candidates were invited for interview in front of a panel of sector experts.

Winners from the awards will be invited to attend the national finals for either the home care or care home sector which will take place in May and June 2012 at a prestigious venue in London.

Charging policy

Since the introduction of the charging policy for non-attendance on courses, which was introduced in August 2011, there has been a dramatic improvement in attendance. This would indicate that managers are nominating and allocating training appropriately and have been diligent in giving training a higher priority which is fantastic and we would hope this pattern continues.

For the few managers who have unfortunately had staff unable to attend can we remind you that the agreement to provide training is with the organisation and not the individual. If you choose to re-charge staff it is the organisations responsibility to follow this up. We will be emailing and or telephoning organisations individully to ensure we have the correct billing address for the company. 

Essential building blocks for success (EBEEBIES)

This year’s programme has been designed to provide a comprehensive training schedule consisting of:

• Nine "bitesize" workshops covering a range of leadership and management topics
• Supported by three opportunities to access individual consultancy/coaching sessions across the programme

These sessions will:

• Underpin the Essential Standards for Care Quality Commission (CQC) requirements and the Skills for Care Management Induction Standards
• Provide an opportunity to review your practice against these standards and to start to build a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates compliance
• Encourage and provide opportunities for peer support, sharing good practice and resources to be more efficient and effective
• Develop action plans for improvement and compliance
• Identify and receive resources which can be used for reference and continuing professional development

In addition to the above, participants will also be able to achieve two Qualification Credit Framework (QCF) Leadership and Management units which will go towards achieving the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care. For managers who already have a management award, this is an unmissable opportunity to "top up" their Continuing Professional Development (CPD)/qualification with these accredited units.

Book your place via the CPD pages.

Live and Learn in Salford - English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Free ESOL classes for women from outside the European Union to help improve English language skills and improve communication skills in order to be part of the local communities, understand local surroundings and use health, local authority, school services and volunteer with confidence. Free crèche places available.

If you know of someone who may benefit from this opportunity, then contact Andrea McCusker on 0161 607 7176.

E-learning opportunities

The Salford Care Training Partnership have a whole range of e-learning courses available via:

E-tutor - A broad range of materials from “Safeguarding Adults in Salford” and “Dementia Awareness” to “Personal Effectiveness” and “Body Language”. Register and find out more about E-tutor.

Social Care TV - The online social care training courses are easy to use and interesting. High quality audio-visual e-learning, always available to help you to learn and put that learning into practice. Book a course and find out more about Social Care TV.

All about stroke - bespoke courses

Did you know that The Stroke Association delivers a range of face to face (taught) and train the trainer courses. They are for up to 20 staff at a time and start from as little as £200 for a one hour lunch and learn session.

E-learning courses start from as little as £10 per head (plus administration fee). To arrange a free trial, please email anita.varma@stroke.org.uk.

Further details about bespoke course are available on The Stroke Association training page.

Single Ticket Programme - learning works wonders

Due to the success Future Jobs Fund programme, Salford City Council are committed to building upon the impact of the programme by approving funding to provide short paid work experience placements (approximately three months) with private sector employers.

To find out more about the Single Ticket, read our frequently asked questions.

Key facts - The contribution of worker qualifications to achieving high inspection scores in care homes

A piece of work has been undertaken by Skills for Care to determine whether having trained and qualified staff contributes to achieving high inspection scores and, by implication, better outcomes for people using services.

Further details about the methodology and outcomes of the analysis are available on the Skills for Care website.

Leadership and Management Advisory Service

The Leadership and Management Advisory Service is funded by the Skills Funding Agency. It aims to provide advice and support to leaders and senior managers within small to medium sized enterprises, that can clearly demonstrate the potential for high or fast growth. The service includes access to funding of up to £1,000, to enhance your business by building leadership skills and exploiting growth opportunities.

Get Connected

The internet and IT are transforming the way we communicate, learn and work. The Department of Health has established capital funds to enable registered care providers to access digital technology more effectively. The Get Connected fund will be administered by SCIE in partnership with a group of care providers. SCIE will distribute grants to eligible providers of adult social care services in England, with a strong focus on those who do not have good access to the internet. For further information see the Get Connected website.

Get the picture with Social Care TV

The Department of Health, SCIE have launched Social Care TV - a broadband channel featuring films and links to resources on the big issues in adults’ and children’s care services.

From personalisation and dementia care, to children’s safeguarding and young care leavers - we hope that Social Care TV has something for everyone interested in learning about good practice. Designed as a learning and development tool, you can view, download or email films, and check out the key resources related to the subject. The service has been launched with 25 films, with two new films being released every month.

Go direct to Social Care TV for more information.

New training dates

The full calendar of events has now been published to help you plan your training. We will accept booking forms for events in any three month period.

Take a look at our CPD training courses calendar.

Who to contact

Name

Joy Cooper

Address

Organisational Development and Training Officer
Civic Centre
Chorley Road
Swinton
Salford
M27 5AW
Map to this location

Telephone

0161 603 4204

Email

joy.cooper@salford.gov.uk

This page was last updated on 3 February 2012