Webwatch – Social Services Knowledge Scotland (SSKS)
The new Social Services Knowledge Scotland (SSKS) website has recently been launched, with improved functionality, which makes it easier to find, save and share information.
Developed by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS), SSKS is a gateway to social services information and learning resources to support practitioners in their day-to-day work and in professional development.
On arriving at the homepage, users are able to do a quick search, with the ability to filter results by category, including resource type (i.e. government publications), information source (i.e. Alzheimer’s Society) and year of publication. Key content includes evidence summaries, government publications, books, practice-based research, information leaflets, interactive learning materials, audio and visual resources, and journal articles. The homepage also features quick links to evidence-based material, learning and development resources and helpful tools for finding and using information, as well as access to social services news, events and the SSKS blog.
The ‘Topics and Resources’ section of the site gives easy access to selected information and interactive learning material. Examples include IRISS’s rich media learning materials, SCIE resources, Open University resources, digital books, databases, and training and development organisations. Topics explored include children and young people, criminal justice, learning disability, dementia, and alcohol and addictions.
Most resources are available without having to login using a username and password. However, some of the full-text journal and book content is Athens password protected, and in order to use the new save and share functions of SSKS and the ‘Communities’ space, users need to be registered with an Athens account. The save and share facility allows users to save resources to ‘My Resource Space’ and share them with others by email; and ‘Communities’ is a space where users can join existing online communities of practice or set up a new one.
To view the website and learn more, and to register for an Athens password, please visit: http://www.ssks.org.uk
