New Course Helps Improve Quality Of Care

The first graduates from a pioneering new academic course designed to drive up standards of care provided throughout Scotland have been honoured at a special ceremony.

The new Regulation of Care Award (Scotland) RoCA provides officers from the Care Commission, Scotland’s national care regulator, with a professional qualification in regulation for the first time.

The first 45 Care Commission Officers to graduate with the qualification received their certificates from Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care, Lewis Macdonald, at a Celebration of Achievement ceremony in Dundee’s Marryat Hall on Monday, June 5.

The RoCA award, which has been developed in partnership with Cambridge-based Anglia Ruskin University, the Care Commission and the Scottish Social Services Council, and is validated by Anglia Ruskin University, ensures Care Commission Officers have the skills and expertise needed to regulate and improve the standard of care provided in care homes, nurseries and thousands of other care services across the country.

Jacquie Roberts, Chief Executive of Care Commission, said the ceremony was a significant and memorable event for all the graduates personally and the Care Commission as a whole.
She said: “The primary purpose of care regulation is to drive up standards and improve quality.  RoCA is a unique qualification which not only provides a theoretical perspective of regulation, but also informs the practice of our front line staff to provide benefits to both care providers and users of services.

“While regulators and service providers aim to work in partnership to improve care services,     people using care services rely on effective regulation to safeguard their interests.  Having staff that are highly trained in all aspects of inspection and regulation, provides respect in the industry and brings clear benefits to all of those involved in the care sector.

“With this first group of RoCA graduates, we are now reaping the benefits of the continuous professional development of highly skilled individuals.  The next wave of potential graduates are already undergoing their studies, all with the aim of helping us achieve our vision of a competent, confident workforce.”

Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care, Lewis Macdonald, said: “This unique award is an important step in making this area of regulation even more robust – and that can only be of benefit to the people who use care services now, and in the future.  This award ceremony recognises the commitment of those working in the regulation of care to their own continuing professional development. Their achievement demonstrates commitment to their role as regulators and as champions for continuous improvement in the quality of care services.”

The Care Commission’s role is to regulate the quality of Scotland’s 15,000 care services providing care to 320,000 people.  

As members of Scotland’s social services workforce, Care Commission Officers have to register with the Scottish Social Services Council, which requires them to have a recognised qualification so as to ensure quality, consistency and professionalism.   

Carole Wilkinson, Chief Executive of the SSSC, said: “The SSSC will register key groups of Scotland’s 138,000 social service workers over the next few years as well as regulating the workforce.  As part of the drive to increase standards of practice and professionalism and to increase public confidence in this sector, workers are required to gain qualifications to register. Care Commission Officers are amongst the groups of staff being registered by the SSSC.  The RoCA provides Care Commission officers with enhanced knowledge and skills as inspectors of services providing care for the most vulnerable people in our communities.”

The RoCA distance learning programme lasts for one year with candidates undertaking a range of modules and assessments alongside their work for the Care Commission.  The RoCA students learn through online discussions and group meetings. The programme leads to 60 credits at Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) level 9.

The next group of 50 students are currently going through the qualification programme and they will graduate next January.  Ultimately, all permanent Care Commission Officers will have the RoCA qualification.

Professor Michael Cook, Dean of the Institute of Health and Social Care at Anglia Ruskin University, said the vision, commitment and hard work of everyone involved in the scheme ensures the continued improvement of health, social care and child care services.

He said: “This leading edge approach to the regulation of care generates real improvements to care users. The designers of the course have based this important development on the way that regulation underpins the safety of care users, improves services and enables services to work together to deliver more effective outcomes.   

“It is a real pleasure for me to join these students in their celebrations. Their success will further enhance the work of the Care Commission and I congratulate them all for this significant achievement.”