14/11/05 - Skills for Care and CWDC launch new sector skills council.
Skills for Care together with the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) jointly hosted an event on November 8 to officially launch the new Sector Skills Council, Skills for Care and Development.
The launch event opened with a welcoming speech from the chair of Skills for Care, Donald Hoodless. Donald is also the chair of this new sector skills council. His address emphasised how the creation of Skills for Care and Development strengthens the social care sector, ensuring that employers and staff in all areas are provided with the resources, expertise and support to help them to reach their full potential, adding value for employers to create a professional and caring workforce.
CWDC chair Estelle Morris, highlighted how the CWDC, as part of Skills for Care and Development, is shaping the future of the children's workforce, and ensuring that the child is put at the centre of all social care services. Following Estelle's address, skills minister Phil Hope MP spoke about the skills agenda for the care workforce, before participating in a question and answer session.
Phil Hope said: "This Government's skills strategy is putting in place a network of sector skills councils to enable employers to invest in their people sector by sector, improve competitiveness and build a world class workforce. High quality, high value public services such as social care and provision for young people and children are part of the life-force of a progressive economy and having the right skills in the sector, from front-line caring to strategic leadership, is vital."
Mr Hope continued: "With workforce development in social care going through a process of reform this is a good time for the launch of Skills for Care and Development. Looking to the future its sector skills agreement will enable it to work with delivery agencies to address priority skills needs. This sector skills council will put employers' needs centre stage, raise ambition and demand for skills and help make college and training providers more responsive to learner's needs."
The new sector skills council is an alliance formed from five existing organisations including Skills for Care, the Children's Workforce Development Council, the Care Council for Wales, the Scottish Social Services Council and the Northern Ireland Social Care Council. As one of the planned 25 sector skills councils, Skills for Care and Development is licensed by the government to represent the interests of around 60,000 employers and 2.5 million workers in adult and child social care in the UK. Its objectives are to deliver high quality social care and children's services, and to make a significant contribution to the wider skills and learning agenda.
Source : Skills for Care
