Did you know the Social Care Workforce Development Service includes a vocational assessment centre?
The Vocational Qualification (VQ) team consists of a Centre Manager, three Lead Internal Quality Assurers and a team of 8 assessors who support staff to learn all aspects of social care. Learning takes place through the induction program, safeguarding adults at risk and vulnerable young people, underpinning knowledge sessions and formal assessments delivered to support the learning journey of candidates who are working towards their qualifications.
Social Care Induction Programme
The VQ team work with colleagues at Social Care Wales to establish an induction programme for direct care staff who are brand new to working in the social care setting, or staff moving to a new service.
Aim – To equip new workers in social care with the knowledge required for undertaking their duties. The induction program delivers the underpinning knowledge required for all staff working within social care and encompass the Social Services and Wellbeing Act (Wales) 2014, and support staff to complete the All-Wales Induction Framework (AWIF) and the Core qualification. Access to partner agencies is made available to colleagues working in the private and voluntary sectors.
Adult Safeguarding
The VQ team is part of the safeguarding training subgroup. We support the design and the delivery of safeguarding adults; this includes training for frontline staff at level 2 to level 3 training for higher level staff. Our training standards are aligned to the Wales Safeguarding Procedures and set out the expectations for knowledge, skills, attitudes and values for people working with adults and children who may be at risk of abuse, harm or neglect.
Health and Social care qualifications
The VQ centre delivers the Health and Social care qualifications, this includes the design and delivery of underpinning knowledge sessions to support the learning journey. The qualifications are accredited via City & Guilds.
The Core - level 2
The qualification has been developed for individuals working in, or intending to work, in the healthcare and social care sectors. It will enable learners to apply for registration with Social Care Wales as a social care worker in domiciliary care or residential childcare providing that they meet any additional registration requirements.
Health and Social Care Practice Level 2 Adults
The qualification is practice-based and assesses learners’ knowledge and competence to practice. It develops the learner’s ability to practically support health and care needs of adults in a range of settings and will enable them to develop and demonstrate their knowledge, understanding, behaviours, skills and practice within a health and social care setting.
This qualification is suitable for:
- learners who have completed the Level 2 Health and Social Care: Core qualification
- learners already employed in the Healthcare and Social Care Sectors
- Learners who have completed the Level 2 Health and Social Care: Principles and Contexts (Adults) qualification.
Health and Social Care Practice Level 3 Adults
The qualification is practice-based and assesses learners’ knowledge and competence to practice in employment. It provides the opportunity to enrich knowledge and skills using both mandatory content and optional units. It will be of interest to learners working in domiciliary support services, residential care, learning disability provision including community-based healthcare services.
Health and Social Care Practice Level 3 Children & Young People
The qualification is practice-based and assesses learners’ knowledge and competence to practice in the workplace. It provides the opportunity to enrich knowledge and skills using both mandatory content and optional units in settings focused on children and young people, such as domiciliary or residential childcare, residential family centres or foster care and community-based healthcare settings.
This qualification is suitable for:
- learners currently employed within settings such as domiciliary or residential childcare, residential family centres or foster care or community-based healthcare settings
- learners who have successfully completed one of the following qualifications:
- Level 2 Health and Social Care: Core
- Level 2 Health and Social Care: Practice (Adults)
- Level 2 Health and Social Care: Principles and Contexts
Level 4 Preparing for Leadership and Management in Health and Social care
This qualification is knowledge-based and designed for learners who are aspiring managers but are not yet in a leadership and management role within the Health and Social Care sector. It is suitable for the following:
- learners who have successfully completed a Level 2 Health and Social Care, or a recognised equivalent
- learners who have successfully completed Level 3 Health and Social Care: Practice (Adults), or a recognised equivalent
- learners who have successfully completed Level 3 Health and Social Care: Practice (Children and Young People), or a recognised equivalent.
Level 4 Professional practice in Health and Social care
This qualification aims to develop the knowledge, understanding, behaviours and skills that underpin Professional Practice within the Health and Social Care sector. This qualification has been developed in close collaboration with key sector stakeholders, including Social Care Wales and Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW).
This qualification is practice-based and assesses learners’ knowledge and practice. It is designed for learners in work-based learning, further education, and higher education.
This qualification provides progression for learners who have completed any of the following qualifications:
- Level 2 Health and Social Care: Practice (Adults)
- Level 3 Health and Social Care: Practice (Adults)
- Level 3 Health and Social Care: Practice (Children and Young People).
Level 5 Leadership and management in Health and Social Care - Practice
This qualification is practice-based for those with experience in a leadership or management role within the Health and Social Care sector, who meet additional regulatory requirements which apply to some work settings.
It is suitable for learners who:
- are looking to demonstrate the competencies set out in the qualification as part of their work role, and who meet any work setting minimum age regulations
- have completed an appropriate Level 4 Leadership and Management qualification, who have the opportunity to put theory into practice, and meet any additional regulatory requirements.
For further information please contact Jillian Davies. Jillian.Davies@rctcbc.gov.uk
Competency Framework for the Information, Advice and Assistance (IAA) Workforce
The Competency Framework for the IAA Workforce (the framework) sets out the standards that should be used to inform practice for those involved in providing information and/or advice and/or assistance for care and support.
Competency Framework for the Information, Advice… | Social Care Wales