High quality social care needs a skilled workforce

High quality social care is a must, not an optional extra as the demand for high quality social services continues to grow, says a new report looking at the social services workforce and the changing ways that services are provided and delivered in Scotland.

Have we got what it takes? The sector skills assessment for the social service workforce in Scotland 2010/11 is produced and published by the SSSC as the workforce regulator and Scottish partner in the UK sector skills council, Skills for Care and Development.  It provides a picture of this growing sector including the facts and figures about how it shapes up so that we can understand the factors driving skills demands now and for the future.

Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of the SSSC said: “This vital work is carried out every day by nearly 200,000 social service workers in Scotland who provide care services for over 355,000 people and 657,000 carers from early years to older people.  Our assessment shows that people want more choice, with more services delivered in their own homes and communities.  Self-directed support is already starting to have an impact on the skills requirements for this workforce.

“The social service workforce will look very different in the coming years as social services develop to recognise changing demographics, changing public expectations and a very different financial climate.

“The assessment was carried out during this period of intense change for all public services across the UK nations, much of the impact of which is still to be felt and the workforce and employers need to be ready to seize the opportunities this presents as well as addressing the challenges.

“Less money means tough decisions but the overwhelming need to change and challenge, to do things differently, to encourage creativity and stimulate productivity means that having the right people with the right skills in place to do the job is a must. Workforce development and planning become even more crucial to the success of our communities and our economy. The information in this assessment will help us to realise this ambition for Scotland.”

To download the report, visit: http://www.sssc.uk.com/