New training modules on the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act

The Care Council for Wales have announced four new core training modules are available to enhance understanding of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act.

The bilingual learning materials, which were developed by the Institute of Public Care (IPC), are split into two sections (level A and level B materials), providing visitors to the site with easy access to the level of information they need on the Act.

Level A materials take a general approach, providing summaries and overviews of the key messages of particular parts of the Act, making them suitable for all roles across the social care, health and third sectors. Level B materials offer a more detailed look at those parts and are designed to help those who will be most affected by the Act implement the change.

A range of case studies, exercises and handouts are also provided with each module to further enhance understanding of the Act. 

The newly added modules are:

• Introduction and General Functions – This module gives an overview of the Act, as well as  Parts 1 and 2. Among the topics covered by the module are preventative services, information, advice and assistance, and the requirement for local authorities and local health boards to work together to undertake a population assessment. It also outlines well-being (which is central to the Act), other overarching duties of the Act and the duty on local authorities to promote social enterprises, co-operatives, third sector and user-led services.
• Assessing and Meeting Individual Needs – This module relates to Parts 3 and 4 (as well as relevant aspects of Parts 5 and 11) of the Act, which require local authorities to make significant changes to current assessment and eligibility practice, placing emphasis on providing services that matter to the individual and achieving personal outcomes. 
• Looked After and Accommodated Children – This module looks at Part 6, and relevant sections of Part 11, of the Act. It examines the changes relating to looked after and accommodated children, including care leavers, and the requirement for care providers to promote the well-being, rights and voice of the child.
• Safeguarding – This module covers Part 7 of the Act, safeguarding. The Act makes clear that safeguarding is everyone’s business and there is a requirement for practitioners in all agencies to recognise and act when they identify children and adults at risk.

IPC has also been commissioned by the Care Council to develop a fifth core module on working with people in the secure estate, which will be available in March 2016.

While the core modules are free to download and can be used by anyone, IPC held a series of train the trainer events across Wales in early January 2016 to ensure that a network of trainers, including in-house trainers and those on the national training framework, are available to deliver training on the materials.

For more information about the training plan in your organisation, you are advised to contact your training team.