New award to support alternative route to register for domiciliary care workers in Wales

The award has been introduced in response to feedback from employers who wanted another route to register for workers who might struggle to meet registration requirements because they were part-time, didn’t yet have a qualification and had not worked in domiciliary care for three of the past five years.

Domiciliary care workers can now get the Social Care Wales values and principles award by successfully completing a short online course and assessment, which are now ‘live’.

There will be separate awards for those working with adults and children and young people. Anyone using this route to register with Social Care Wales will need to complete a required qualification by the time they have to renew their registration in three years’ time.

The short online course and assessment is based on the first two sections of the all-Wales induction framework and provides those who complete them successfully with a solid grounding as they work towards getting the required qualification.

This new development means all domiciliary care workers in Wales will now have an opportunity to apply to register voluntarily, whatever their situation, before registration becomes mandatory in 2020.

This now provides three routes for domiciliary care workers to register with us, to help develop a skilled and qualified workforce that can meet the challenges of the future.

Most domiciliary care workers already hold a required qualification and can proceed directly with their application to register.

Experienced workers without a required qualification, but who have worked in domiciliary care for three of the past five years, can apply to register after getting their manager to confirm their competence to us.

Registering through both these routes will mean workers will not need any further qualification to re-register in three years’ time. They will only be expected to do a specified amount of professional development, like all other practitioners on the Register.

Sue Evans, our Chief Executive, said: “It’s vital we have a skilled and qualified domiciliary care workforce that supports some of the most vulnerable people in our society in their own homes every day. We think registration will help us achieve that goal.

“We’re therefore delighted to have launched this award, which provides a route to register for those perhaps newer to care, who work part-time and cannot complete a full qualification before they register, while still maintaining standards of public protection.

“This will test their knowledge of the principles and values associated with quality care. It will provide them with an important foundation which they will have to build on after registration by completing one of the required qualifications.

“In designing this and the other two routes to registration, our prime consideration has been ensuring the quality of care to people who receive care and support from domiciliary care workers, while also considering the needs of employers and the different circumstances of those currently working in these roles.

“The three routes to register will make sure that all domiciliary care workers registering by 2020 will either already have the qualifications, skills or experience they need to provide a safe, high-quality service or be working towards them in a structured way,” added Sue.

Domiciliary care workers who need to complete the online course and assessment will receive an email from their manager, inviting them to log into the site.

Managers can sign up for the new route here.

Picture (c) Dominic Lipinski / PA Wire.