Learning and development for care providers
Adults' and Community Services Learning and Development are responsible for providing learning and development opportunities to equip staff within the local social care workforce with the necessary knowledge and skills to continuously improve care practices.
To meet the challenges to social care in the 21st century, Adults' and Community Services aims to strengthen partnerships with local care providers and encourage a flexible and highly skilled social care workforce by providing a comprehensive offering of learning and development opportunities to equip staff with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the demands of the work they do, as well as developing their work experience and ongoing professional development.
General care training
A range of courses offering opportunities for continuing professional development, including:
- Safeguarding Adults
- Mental Capacity Act /Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
- Welfare benefits
- Dementia
- Health and Safety, First Aid and Manual Handling
The programme for 2009/10 is in the process of being arranged in consultation with heads of service and team managers and will be regularly updated. For information about the current range of courses available please refer to the training calendar.
Lambeth Adults' and Community Services provides eligible staff in the private, voluntary or independent sector who have social care contracts with, or receive funding from Lambeth to gain their NVQ 2 and 3 qualifications in Health and Social Care. Nominations should be sent to the ACS Learning and Development Team and close on Friday February 6 2009. Managers may email Karl Livingston klivingston@lambeth.gov.uk or call 020 7926 4574.
We are developing a range of e-learning packages which are available at no cost to users.
The Mental Capacity Act (2005)
Free online training module covering important legislative changes brought about by the Mental Capacity act (2005) for access by Lambeth health and social care service providers, unpaid carers and other Lambeth based health and social care professionals.
Accredited adult social care training
Lambeth Adults' and Community Services has partnered with South Thames College and Eltonbury Training and Consultancy to deliver the CIS, LDQ and NVQ 2, 3 and 4 programmes to our external care providers and partners in the voluntary, private and independent sectors. In 2009/10 we expect to run three cohorts of the CIS, LDQ and NVQ 2 and 3 programmes.
Please contact Karl Livingston on 020 7926 4574 or klivingston@lambeth.gov.uk for more information.
For further details on the NVQ Level 4 award, please contact Judy Clark on 0207 926 0774 or jaclark@lambeth.gov.uk.
CIS are designed for people entering social care, and those changing roles or employers within adult social care. The standards provide a structured start for new workers and are intended to build confidence by developing competency, and supporting continuing professional development and are designed to be met within a 12 week period.
The LDQ is a new award which covers the Common Induction Standards in the context of supporting people with a learning disability. This course was specifically created to meet the needs of the learning disability sector and replaces the Learning Disability Award Framework (LDAF). On completion workers will be able to demonstrate that they have met the requirements of the CIS in a learning disability context.
Registration at levels 2 and 3 is required for those who work in residential homes, day centres or domiciliary care.
The Registered Managers Award is now a requirement for all registered managers in the adult sector, and this will be extended to include day care, home care and possibly other services.
Trainee Social Worker Scheme
Lambeth Adults' and Community Services offers the opportunity to obtain a social work degree whilst obtaining relevant work experience. This demonstrates Lambeth’s commitment to staff training and development, whilst addressing the recruitment and retention of social workers and ensuring a stable and growing workforce.
Various models have been used before, including
- The Graduate Trainee Social Worker Scheme (for external applicants)
- The Employment Based Route (for existing social care staff)
- Sponsorship of graduate students
Adults' and Community Services will be running another social work scheme in 2009.
Investors in People (IiP) is a national quality standard which sets best practice for improving an organisation’s performance through its people. Lambeth achieved corporate IiP recognition in December 2004. Few other councils have achieved corporate recognition.