SSSC launch two year assistive technologies project

The Scottish Social Services Council is carrying out a two year programme focussing on assistive technologies in social work and social care.

The project will look at how assistive technologies are used across the UK and to consider the implications for the social work and social care workforce. Assistive technology is a growing and important part of supporting people to stay independent and well in their own home. The workforce needs to develop new skills and knowledge for new tasks, new roles and new styles of service delivery to ensure that assistive technology is used effectively.

The purpose of the project is to design and test a UK-wide workforce development strategy relating specifically to assistive technology. A central part of the strategy will be a suite of ‘knowledge and skills sets’ that set out what’s needed to support assistive technology.
Getting involved – our programme of work

There will be many opportunities for employers to get involved in the work of the project throughout its life. Direct expertise will be crucial in shaping the content of the strategy with its knowledge and skills sets, so there will be regular updates about how to take part. These will include:

• completing an online survey about assistive technology, how it is used and supported at the moment and how this affects the workforce (June-July 2012)
• joining a network of assistive technology ‘champions’ across the UK. These champions will play a crucial role in shaping the work of the project throughout its life and will help to raise the profile of assistive technologies within the sector (July 2012 to March 2014)
• taking part in a series of workshops to test the strategy, with its knowledge and skills sets, once these have been drafted (June to September 2013).

To read more and to be kept up to date, click here.
http://www.sssc.uk.com/sssc/social-service-workforce-planning/assistive-technology-in-social-care.html