Page 58 - Regional Employment & Skills Plan

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Engagement with the cluster group identified further concerns within the suitability of provision including:
• The availability and quality of assessors in particular within the management and Welsh language areas.
• Some individuals are being ‘pushed through’ qualifications by providers which are inappropriate for their role
as some activity is target driven due to skills funding incentives.
• The assessment process for numeracy and literacy is seen as a barrier to recruitment and retention of some
apprentices, particularly for those who are returning to the market.
A new suite of qualifications is being developed for teaching from September 2019, these will be delivered by a restricted number of awarding bodies as a means of addressing the findings of the review, as well as improving the quality of how qualifications are delivered and assessed.
Opportunities and Challenges
Replacement jobs
In the future there will be a need to replace substantial numbers of workers leaving the sector, due mostly to retirement, since there is an older demographic according to Social Care Wales' analysis of the registered workforce, in particular, registered managers of adult care homes. Staff turnover is high is some parts of the sector, and employers report difficulties in recruitment, particularly for registered managers and the social care workforce.
Future roles: new technology
In future it is expected that more individuals using care and support services will be supported by a confident, knowledgeable and skilled social care workforce, working creatively with Electronic Assistive Technology to support their well-being, choice and independence. This will increase independence and empower more people to find creative solutions to meet their well-being. However it will also produce knowledge gaps and skill shortages, as organisations seek to move to a greater use of technology, as they are unlikely to have staff who can meet these future requirements or do not have the required aptitudes and attitudes. There is a requirement to develop a regional workforce plan and a strategy for the next 10 years to ensure that the sector can fully capitalise on these innovations.
Future roles: integration and complexity
The WG has indicated that integration of Social Care and Health is a priority. This will require a care workforce which has the skills to deliver a variety of health care related tasks and to be able to do so on their own, in people’s homes. A new joint induction framework is being developed across the Health and Social Care sector which is due to be introduced in September 2017 to look at bridging the divide between the sectors.
Skills Gaps
Management skills
Managers and leaders in the sector are expected to support the delivery of the government’s agenda for change, to increase the professionalism of their staff and improve the quality and diversity of services. This requires managers who are not only trained and qualified in Social Care but they also require leadership and business management skills. Social care managers for residential child care, domiciliary care (home care) and adult care homes are required to register with Social Care Wales of Wales, a level 5 qualification is a prerequisite for registration. Employers report challenges in recruiting qualified managers of the right calibre to deliver services. A development programme to prepare individuals for management is viewed as an appropriate model for improving management and ensure continuity of service for companies. It is important to note that the challenges of management can vary significantly between the Health and Social Care sectors due to organisational and cultural differences across the sectors.
Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales Sector Profiles