Scots Gov commit £1M to support care worker training

More than £1 million will help support Scottish social service staff with training, the Scottish Government announced today.

Around 800 employees in 74 care charities across Scotland will benefit from the  funding which aims to ensure the workforce has the skills and qualifications they need to provide the best possible service.

Acting Minister for Children and Young People Fiona McLeod said: “Social services protect the most vulnerable people in our society. Investing in having a skilled workforce means a better service for individuals and families across Scotland. We are committed to working with our partners to ensure staff are qualified, appropriately skilled and able to achieve their full potential.

“The Voluntary Sector Development Fund has provided around £1 million every year since 2003. It makes an important contribution to the delivery of personalised, flexible, high quality services and is part of a range of investment by Scottish Government in this vital workforce.”

A spokesperson from the Coalition of Care and Support Providers (CCPS) added: “Voluntary organisations from across Scotland’s social care sector will be greatly assisted for another year by the continued investment in staff training through Voluntary Sector Development Fund. This will help voluntary sector employers to carry on supporting their staff to obtain the qualifications required of them by the Scottish Social Services Council as part of workforce regulation.”

Qualifications are needed for registration with the workforce’s national regulator, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).

The fund is intended to aid voluntary organisations, particularly small-medium sized organisations, to ensure that staff meet the registration requirements set by the Scottish Social Services Council. The funding can be used directly to fund or support new training and development needs associated with meeting the requirements for registration with the SSSC.

As well as its regulatory role, the SSSC is the Sector Skills Council for the workforce and has a key workforce development role, supporting employers and staff across the 190,000 workforce that makes up the sector in Scotland.