Private Care Sector Workforce Initiative
SSSC - Funding and Training Guide 2009
The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) is responsible for raising standards in the Scottish social service workforce. Their vision is a competent, confident workforce, capable of delivering high quality services, having the confidence of the public, those who use services and their carers.
The SSSC is working with their partners to bring forward the key actions of Skills for Scotland: A lifelong learning strategy (Scottish Government 2007), which aims to build a smarter Scotland. Their activities endorse and support provision of high quality, relevant learning opportunities that have value in the workplace.
Latest information shows there are around 164,000 social service workers in Scotland, confirming that the workforce has grown from 139,000. The reasons for this growth have still to be determined, however this indicates an increasing workforce involved in the lives of over a million people who use social services including early education and child care. Those who use social services should be protected by staff equipped with suitable training and qualifications for their job.
The SSSC is responsible for registering:
• social workers
• social work students
• Care Commission officers
• residential child care workers
• workers in care home services for adults
• workers in adult day care services
• workers in day care of children services, eg nurseries and out of school clubs
• workers in housing support services
• workers in school care accommodation services
• key groups of social service workers.
The SSSC is also responsible for regulating their education and training. A phased approachhas been taken to the introduction of registration of workers delivering social work, social care services and early education and child care. These workers will be expected to meet agreed standards of conduct, practice, education and training.
This guide has been produced by the SSSC to provide information on sources of funding and support activities currently available for organisations delivering social services in Scotland. The content of this guide draws on earlier funding guides and reports published by the SSSC in 2004 and 2005. This information will be useful for employers, employees,stakeholder organisations and those commissioning services. Click here to view the Report
