Skills for Care welcomes £4 million support package for Newly Qualified Social Workers

Skills for Care has welcomed the announcement by Care Services Minister Phil Hope that they have been given £4 million to support Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSW) in their first year on the frontline.

Skills for Care have been working closely with the Department of Health to create the new NQSW framework announced by the Minister on World Social Work Day.

Skills for Care is inviting bids from Adult Social Work departments for funds which will provide £1000 to support NQSW's in their first year and an additional £1000 to support their supervisors to make sure they have effective levels of supervision.

The package also allocates funds to create Action Learning Sets, web-based resources, evaluation of the NQSW programme and support for experienced social workers to access Post Qualifying qualifications.

“Skills for Care have worked very closely with the Department of Health to create this comprehensive funding package that supports social workers in their first year on the frontline which we know is crucial in their future practice,” says Skills for Care CEO Andrea Rowe.

“Phil Hope’s very welcome announcement of this significant new funding stream gives social workers working with adults similar support to those working with children and also provides practical tools for supervisors to make sure NQSW's are properly inducted and supervised as they begin their careers.

“I’m pleased that the package also includes support for more experienced social workers who are operating as supervisors, to access development opportunities so they can continue their professional development in what is an incredibly fast moving social work environment.”

* Funding forms are available by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or on the Skills for Care website at www.skillsforcare.org.uk

For more information please read: funding available

17 March 2009

http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/news/latest_news/4millionFundingforNQSW.aspx

Skills for Care Funding

Training Strategy Implementation Funding 2009/10

Welcome to the Skills for Care Training Strategy Implementation Fund for 2009-2010.

Training Strategy Implementation (TSI) fund is an amount of money provided on an annual basis by the Department of Health for Skills for Care to use to support employers, micro employers and micro providers (including those who employ their own support staff) with workforce development. In general the funds are 'Modernising the Social Care Workforce' 2000 and the National Minimum Standards.

The Skills for Care Board is determined that in this funding round we will provide support funding for social care providers to enable their workforce to achieve 'units of competence'. This means units from NVQs or Induction of staff new to social care. Used in this way TSI will contribute to employers task of building the skill base of their organisation. Funds are contributions to the cost of learning and assessment and are managed through contracts with employer led partnerships. The contracts use achievement of NVQs, common induction standards, manager induction standards and other qualifications relevant to the adult social care sector as the measures for payment. Contracts are agreed for a set number of units to be achieved through the year with milestones at set points.

The application process for TSI Funding 2009/10 opened at 9.00am Monday 16th February 2009.

The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on Thursday 19th March 2009.

All proposals must be from an employer led partnership. We would welcome applications from new partnerships and in particular those representing micro employers, mirco providers and people who employ their own care and support staff.

Please choose the relevant proposal documents below if you would like to apply for funding:

National proposal form 2009/10

Regional proposal form 2009/10

National proposal guidance

Regional proposal guidance

National CIS form

Regional CIS form

National LDQ form

Regional LDQ form

National managers induction form

Useful information:

List of acceptable units 2009/10

Glossary 2009/10

Unit summary sheet

TSI and the NMDS-SC Information Flyer