New principles of workforce integration launched
By Education & Training,

New Principles of Workforce Integration have been launched at the Local Government Association conference designed to help care professionals to work together to meet people’s care and support needs.

Underpinning the six core principles is the idea that people who have care and support needs want care provided in straightforward ways that makes sense to them, reflecting their lives, needs and wishes.

The principles have been developed to support practitioners, managers and organisations to think about what integration means for their organisation and how effective workforce development can drive its implementation.

Skills for Care developed the principles after extensive consultation with the sector and in partnership with Think Local Act Personal (TLAP), Skills for Health, the Local Government Association, NHS Employers, the Centre for Workforce Intelligence and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.

Launching the principles, Skills for Care and National Skills Academy for Social Care CEO Sharon Allen (pictured) said: “Talking to people who have care and support needs it quickly becomes clear they are less concerned about where the service comes from, or who provides it, but that it meets their needs.

“With that in mind, as the demand for care and support will grow over the coming years, it means services need to become much more integrated around the person and not the other way round.

“For us the principles are based on the idea that supporting, nurturing and valuing the workforce will help give them the confidence, knowledge and motivation to create integrated services.”

Over the next six months Skills for Care will be working with people and organisations to work out what other support is needed to embed the principles and to test them in action.