Skills for Care has launched a three-year plan setting out how the workforce development and planning body for social care in England will deliver the organisation’s vision of “supporting people who draw on services to live the lives they choose".
The strategy’s aim is to make sure people can access the care they want, when they need it, and people can be supported where possible to live independently in their own communities.
The strategy focusses on four areas for investment and growth to help develop the values and competencies of the 1.5m strong workforce, support reform of the sector and ensure that social care is seen by the public as a valued and worthwhile career.
The four strategic areas designed to respond to changes in the sector over the next three years were developed after consultation with the organisation’s key stakeholders:
1. Increasing workforce capacity to make sure we have the right number of people, with the right values and behaviours, working in social care now and in the future.
2. Supporting workforce capabilities to ensure staff have the right skills, knowledge, competencies, values and behaviours to meet current and future needs in our communities.
3. Supporting culture and diversity to ensure the workforce is treated equally, feels included and valued, and is supported to stay well and pursue their careers in social care.
4. Improving the social care system to ensure it is well funded, supports people to live the lives that they choose and attracts the right people to the workforce.
Skills for Care stressed that each strategic priority is of equal importance, and achieving success in each area means they can help build a social care system that will meet future demand.
To achieve that, it said, it is vital the social care workforce has the “right people, with the right skills and behaviours to deliver the highest quality care and support, now and in the future".
“This new strategy was developed because the way social care is delivered needs to adapt to reflect a society in which people live longer, often have more complex needs, and have different expectations about how and where care should be delivered,” said chief executive Oonagh Smyth (pictured).
“Equally, people who work in social care have to be recognised as carrying out a vital role in society.”
Smyth continued: “We want social care to be seen by the public as a professional and skilled career that has real value for people in our communities who draw on services, supported by our committed and skilled workforce.”
The strategy can be found here: https://strategy.skillsforcare.org.uk/.
