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The social care workforce is about to change. With reform already underway, how will these changes support you? We are here to help you know what it means, to make sure you get the positive effects of these changes.
Social care workforce reform – about you and for you
Our registered social care workforce is the largest within the Health and Social Care sector. Ensuring high quality, safe and effective social care practice is dependent upon a skilled, valued and supported workforce, appropriately rewarded for their work and the vital impact that it has on people’s lives.
For the first time across the United Kingdom there will be a practice framework (called Care in Practice) to support social care workers develop professionally and create a thriving, resilient social care workforce continuously evolving to provide the best care and support to service users now and in the future.
Click on the films below to learn more:
The journey so far…
The Northern Ireland Social Care Council were asked by the Department for Health in 2021 to develop a continuous professional learning framework, career development pathway and qualification-based register for social care workers.
To progress this work the Social Care Council set up a social care reform project team and have applied a design thinking approach to the reform project. This approach utilises human centred methodologies that ensures collaboration and co-production is integral to the project and follows a 4-stage process of Discovery, Design, Develop and Deliver.
This has meant that the Social Care Council reform team have over the past three years engaged widely across the sector with: employers, managers, frontline staff, service users and other key stakeholders such as RQIA, Department of Health, the Department of Economy and Commissioners to develop the infrastructure to deliver a qualification-based register, continuous learning framework and career pathway. This partnership approach has resulted in the development of the:
– Care in Practice Framework (CiP) and
– Safe and Effective Care Practice Certificate (the new work-based entrance certificate for all new social care workers coming into the sector – initially called the Health and Safety Practice Certificate).
The titles of Social Care Practitioner and Enhanced Social Care Practitioner are used within the CiP Framework. These were agreed during engagement with the social care sector. They have been introduced to bring value, clarity and identity to the social care workforce and to better represent the largest workforce within the Health and Social Care system.
Click on the films below to learn more:
Why are you interested in social care?
Choose below, why you are interested in social care, to reveal how these workforce reforms are relevant to you.
I am considering social care as a career
Soon there will be changes to what you need to do to enter the social care profession.
Things you need to know about
– You will need to do three things – be registered, meet the Standards of Conduct and Practice for Social Care Workers and have the right values and attributes to work as a social care practitioner.
– When you begin a career in social care you will need to obtain a new work-based entrance qualification – the Safe and Effective Care Practice Certificate within your first 6 months in the sector as part of your induction process. This includes all the important training you need to start in social care.
– You will then be supported to obtain a work-based Level 2 Diploma in Health in Social Care. See Qualifications Guide for Social Care for more information on the range of qualifications available.
– Our new Care in Practice (CiP) provides a flexible continuous learning framework and qualifications pathway that puts you in charge of your professional development.
I am a social care manager
The new career framework will support the social care workforce to develop and thrive. If you manage social care workers in any way, you are required to support your staff to engage in continuous professional learning and development throughout their career.
Things you need to know about
– All new social care staff, who are registering for the first time, will need to complete a new work-based entrance level qualification called Safe and Effective Practice Certificate, within the first 6 months of commencing employment as part of their induction process.
– All new social care staff will be required to complete the work-based Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care within the first two years of entering the sector once they complete their Safe and Effective Care Practice Certificate.
– Your regulatory responsibilities haven’t changed. You have a role in supporting safe practice, by ensuring all staff have the learning and development they need to deliver quality care and support and the best outcomes for the people they support.
– These changes provide a professional framework to support both you and your staff.
I am not a social care worker, but work in the health and social care system
Social care workers work shoulder to shoulder with other health professionals and are an integral part of the health and social care system. They are a very important workforce that ensure those most vulnerable in society are supported and cared for in their homes and communities.
Things you need to know about
– These changes provide a professional framework to support the social care workforce in their continuous learning and development.
– Often their contributions are overlooked and at times undervalued by others. These reforms encourage a change to that perception, recognise their professionalism and value to the health and social system and society.
– You will be expected to recognise the value of and listen to a social care worker as a fellow health and social care professional.
I am a social care worker
For social care workers soon there will be a career pathway to support your professional development within social care.
Things you need to know about
– There will be a new Care in Practice Framework (CiP) providing a flexible continuous learning framework and qualification pathway that puts you in charge of your professional development.
– The new flexible CiP Framework supports your career pathway way through both formal qualifications and/or informal continuous learning on the job.
– Enabling you as a registered social care practitioner to show that you are meeting your Standards of Conduct and Practice for Social Care Workers.
– Supporting you to be confident in your practice and to become safe effective social care practitioner.
I employ social care workers
The new career framework will help you to recruit and retain your professional social care workforce. If you employ social care workers you are required to support them in their professional learning and development throughout their career.
Things you need to know about
– Know your standards – as an employer you need to be familiar with these and know your responsibilities. See Social Care Employer responsibilities for more information.
– All new social care staff, who are registering for the first time, will need to complete a work-based Safe and Effective Care Practice Certificate, within the first 6 months of commencing employment followed by the work-based Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care by the end of their first 2 years in the sector.
– Ensure all social care workers have a learning and development plan in place the aligns with the new Care in Practice Framework and ensures social care workers can meet their Standards of Conduct and Practice for Social Care Workers.
– The new professional development framework is underpinned by value-based recruitment and retention to support you to Develop, Train and Retain your staff. See Values Based Recruitment Toolkit for more information.
I use social care services
Social care workers make a difference to people’s lives across Northern Ireland. Reforms are underway to support this workforce’s professional development.
Things you need to know about
– Your social care worker is part of regulated profession, which means they register with the Social Care Council and work to a set of Standards.
– As a service user, you may not notice a change, but all new social care workers will be required to undertake a new entrance qualification to ensure they are safe and competence to support your care needs.
– A new Care in Practice Framework is being developed to support all existing social care workers in their continuous learning and development. The framework allows for flexibility between completing a qualification and/or on the job learning and development.
– Want to find out more about the Social Care Council? We are here to protect you, the public and ensure professional social workers and social care workers are supported to deliver the best care, through safe and effective practice.
What we have heard so far…
To support the Social Care Council to take forward the workforce reform project – we have commissioned research and surveys to help us gather intelligence and an evidence base on sector needs and barriers to learning and development.
In September 2023, Big Motive, a local design agency was commissioned to conduct research with frontline social care managers. Click the links below to access the research reports providing insights into social care managers’ attitudes, expectations and motivations.
– NISCC Social Care Managers Engagement – Summary Report
In December 2022, Big Motive, a local design agency was commissioned to conduct research with frontline social care workers. Click the links below to access the research reports providing insights into social care workers attitudes, expectations and motivations.
– NISCC Social Care Workers Engagement – Summary Report
Dr. Shirley Boyle (Academic) was commissioned to conduct a survey to capture the voice of social care workers in 2022. In 2023 she was also asked to carry out an evidence review of recruitment and retention in social care.
Click on the links below to access these reports:
– Making it Better: The Voice of Social Care Workers, May 2023
– Evidence review – what works in recruitment and retention of social care workers, May 2023
Social Care Manger Forums
We have also used our Social Care Manager Forums to engage directly with social care managers about the reform project and objectives. These forums provided an opportunity to:
– learn about the new CiP Framework and Certificate
– hear about research we have undertaken with frontline social care workers
– hear about research on what works in retention and employer examples of what they are doing to retain staff
Click here to access presentations delivered at previous forums.
Click here for Frequently asked Questions.
Tell us more…
We have asked social care workers what they think – this is what they told us.
If you have a question or want to know more contact the Social Care Council.
Find out more about the how the social care workforce is transforming today…
