Welcome to this fortnight's edition of the Skills for Care London e-news.
Over the coming months we will be sending a regular bulletin listing all the latest news, views and updates. We hope that you find it useful and informative, and we welcome your contributions.
NEWS HEADLINES
Big Care Debate: 1000 Voices questionnaire
You are invited to join in the Skills for Care 1000 Voices project which aims to make sure the voice of 35,000 adult social care employers and 1.5 million workers are heard in the government's Big Care Debate. The Big Care Debate was launched by the Government to find out what the adult social care sector really thinks about the 'Shaping the Future of Care Together' Green Paper announced in July.
The 1000 Voices project will compile the thoughts of Social Care employers on the Green Paper, and this document will then be submitted to the Government in November. There are a number of questions to answer and we hope you can spare some time to answer as many of them as you can or feel you have an opinion about.
This is a major opportunity to influence government thinking about the shape and funding of adult social care in the future. Please support our response to the Big Care Debate by filling in the questionnaire on the Skills for Care website www.skillsforcare.org.uk/1000voices by Thursday, 22nd October to give us time to collate your contributions.
European Social Fund (ESF): Launch of London Councils 2010-2012 ESF Prospectus
On Thursday 1st October London Councils launched its third round of funding under the ESF 2007-13 Programme. £7.3 million is available under this tendering round to support projects targeting some of the most disadvantaged groups in London.
For details about the projects to be funded and how to apply, please visit http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/grants/esf/LondonCouncilsandESFEmploymentSupport.htm
The deadline for tenders is 12 noon on Monday, 2nd November.
Office for National Statistics: Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) Workshops
The Quality Measurement Framework project is a three year Invest to Save Budget project which the Office for National Statistics (ONS) is leading in partnership with the Department of Health, amongst others. The aim of this project is to develop effective but easily usable methodologies and procedures for measuring the outcomes of specific public services within a framework that could have wider applications. One of the workstrands of the project is the development of the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) which is being developed to measure the outcomes of social care.
A half-day workshop for service providers to learn about, and input their views to, ASCOT, will be held on Tuesday 27th October 2009 at the ONS London Office, 1 Myddleton Street, Islington, London, EC1R 1UW, from 13:00 to 16:00. In addition, planning for a further workshop to be held in Manchester either the 21st, 22nd or 23rd October, 2009 is underway.
If you would like to attend either of these workshops, please reply to qmf@ons.gsi.gov.uk, stating which workshop you would like to attend. Each worshop will be operated on a first-come first-serve basis (only one person per organisation may attend).
Visit the Quality Measurement Framework website for information.
Driving improvement across Health and Adult Social Care
Information has been published about the new registration system for health and adult social care providers, which comes into effect for NHS organisations on 1 April 2010. Find the latest information on registration, including key dates and timescales
Prevent infections through better communication
CQC's new report finds that infections are passing between hospitals and care homes due to a lack of communication between care services. Find out about the new report on preventing infections
QCF Draft units for sector feedback - CPCCS and HSC
As part of the QCF qualification development process, a review of both the Commissioning, Procurement & Contracting for Care Services (CPCCS) and Health and Social Care Diploma (HSC) units are being undertaken by Skills for Care. The new QCF qualifications must be of high standards, reflect current best practice and meet sector needs and requirements for registration and regulation. To assist in this process, Skills for Care would be grateful for any feedback from those in the sector who consider that they are able to make an informed contribution in these areas.
Please, if you are willing and able to do so, in what is a tight timeframe, follow the links below to the online questionnaire for each unit and submit your feedback by October 14th for the CPCCS questionnaire and October 15th for the HSC Diploma questionnaire.
Pathway to Health and Social Care NVQ Level 2
The College of North East London (Conel) are providing the opportunity to enrol on a new fully funded (subject to eligibility) Pathway to Health and Social Care NVQ level 2 training programme. This programme enables staff to gain a full understanding of their role within Adult Care and develop knowledge of important values and procedures when caring for adults.
Conel has developed a unique programme that incorporates the delivery and achievement of the Introduction to Caring for Adults, Embedded Literacy and Health and Social Care NVQ level 2
The training takes place at the Tottenham site of the College of North East London and is delivered over 6 months, with fortnightly workshops and assessments in the workplace. Training can be delivered on-site where numbers permit. The next programme will be starting on 11th November. For more information please click here.
FREE English Communication courses for employees working in health & social care
Do any of your staff need to improve their English speaking, reading or writing skills? If so, IHTS can help. London Development Agency funding has been received to run FREE courses in employers' workplaces. The training will help employees to understand and use "colloquial" English and everyday expressions with colleagues and client; be more confident talking on the telephone and taking messages; reduce errors when writing care plans, reports, letters, notes and emails; be more confident in completing NVQ Portfolios; and short numeracy courses are also offered.
The courses are tailor-made specifically for staff working in health & social care. They take place on employers' own premises at times that fit in with their work schedule. A minimum of five learners are needed to run a course. Staff in all job roles (Care Assistants, Cooks, Nurses, Cleaners, Caretakers, etc) are eligible.
All courses lead to City & Guilds qualifications in English Language, Literacy, Numeracy or the National Tests (GCSE level). For further information, please call Lesley or Michelle on (020) 8446 9778 or e-mail info@ihts.co.uk
EVENTS
Dementia Strategy Workshop
Skills for Care London will be running a FREE Dementia Strategy Workshop on 9th of December 2009. The workshop will be part-fascilitated by Barbara Pointon (Alzheimer's campaigner), speaking about her personal experience in supporting someone with dementia. The workshop is only open to care providers in Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington & Chelsea & Westminster. Please click here for more information and the booking form.
End of Life Workshops
Skills for Care London will be running Free End of Life Strategy workshops. Please see below for respective London sub-regional information.
The End of Life Strategy - meaning to care providers:
Wokshop will be held on 1st December 2009, targetting care providers only in North West London covering Harrow, Brent, Hillingdon, Ealing, Hammersmith, Kensington & Chelsea, Hounslow & Westminster. Please click here for details and booking form.
Woking to develop skills in End of Life care -
Workshop will be held on 26th of November 2009, targetting care providers only in North Central London covering Enfield, Barnet, Haringey, Camden & Inslington. Please click here for more details and booking form.
Apprenticeship workshop
Skills for care London is running a half day workshop on January 21st, 2010, to look at how local organisations to North East London only, can be supported with the recruitment and retention of staff. Organisations represented at this event will inlcude the National apprenticeship Service and the London Apprenticeship. Please see here for more information and the booking form.
New Types of Working in Health & Social Care International Conference
Skills for Health & Skills for Care wish to invite you to formally register for the Second New Types of Working in Health & Social Care International Research Conference which is taking place at the Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel on 21st & 22nd January 2010. Further information can be found on the conference flyer.
Please submit research based abstracts to zarina.sutton@skillsforhealth.org.uk by 23rd October 2009. further details can be found on the abstract submissions flyer.
To formally register, please go to www.eventprouk.com, click on EVENT REGISTRATION, then input username: EP735 and password: SK210110 (Please note that all the 0's are zeros and use capital letters)
Your delegates type will always be "delegate" unless you have been previously informed to register as an alternative.
To amend your contact details, be added to our distribution list, or to provide us with your feedback, please e-mail sfc.london@skillsforcare.org.uk
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