Private Care Sector Workforce Initiative
Respond to SSSC Consultation on proposed consolidation of Qualifications for Registration
our views are sought on proposed changes to the qualification criteria for registration of staff, by 5 August.
The SSSC is currently consulting on the proposed consolidation of qualifications for registration.
There are a number of criteria which applicants for registration must meet and one of these is that they hold (or gain) a relevant qualification from a list of acceptable qualifications. After consultation with the sector, the SSSC set these for each part of the Register. We took an inclusive approach to accepting qualifications for the registration of groups of workers allowing members of the existing workforce who held predecessor awards to apply for registration on the basis of those qualifications. This allowed employers to focus resources on supporting those staff who did not hold relevant awards.
Although this inclusive approach was welcomed it has resulted in long lists of acceptable qualifications, including predecessor qualifications which are no longer available. We have subsequently received feedback from applicants and employers that the extent of the lists can cause confusion.
The phased introduction of required registration means that members of the existing work force will either hold or be in the process of gaining a qualification from the current qualification lists for the part of the register that is appropriate to them.
The proposal to streamline and consolidate the qualifications would mean that once a required registration date had been reached for a part of the Register, the list of acceptable qualifications for new entrants to that workforce would be limited to a smaller number of national qualifications. These qualifications would need to be current and map directly to the National Occupational Standards for the sector.
Your views on our proposed changes to the qualification criteria for registration are important to us and will inform Council’s final decision.
The consultation closes 5 August 2011.
