Developing a positive workplace culture in social care

A new campaign from Skills for Care will support teams in the social care sector to develop a positive workplace culture. Running throughout June and July, the campaign will see the national workforce development charity provide information and resources explaining what exactly is meant by workplace culture, and how to create a positive one....

New guiding principles for delegated healthcare tasks

Skills for Care has published new guiding principles and supporting resources for the completion of delegated healthcare tasks. The workforce development charity for adult social care has worked with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and other partners to co-develop the voluntary guiding principles. The principles, which will support person-centred, safe and...

New guidance for digital transformation in care

The government has published new guidance frameworks to drive digital transformation across the social care sector. The ‘What Good Looks Like’ and Digital Skills Frameworks were published by the Department of Health and Social Care on 17th May 2023 to support social care staff, providers and UK local authorities to modernise and improve the...

CQC says oral health care has improved in care homes

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has reported an improvement in the state of oral health care in care homes in England. The health and social care watchdog has published a follow-up to their first review of oral health in care homes, carried out in 2019, which reveals that a number of recommendations have been...

Skills for Care are #CelebratingSocialCare this April

This month, we’re joining Skills for Care in Celebrating Social Care and recognising the vital work carried out by the sector. The national workforce development charity is celebrating the remarkable people who work in social care and is encouraging others to join in their celebrations throughout April. They want to shine the spotlight on...

New framework for supporting LGBTQ+ people in later life

Skills for Care have released a new learning framework to help care workers support LGBTQ+ people in later life. Commissioned and funded by Skills for Care, the new framework has been developed by the “innovative partnership” of Dr Trish Hafford-Letchfield of the University of Strathclyde and the Pride in Ageing programme at the LGBT...

Annual social care report reveals impact of pandemic

The latest report into adult social care serves as a “stark reminder” that sector bosses face “significant recruitment challenges” with vacancy rates steadily rising since the pandemic. Skills for Care have published their annual report on ‘The State of the adult social care sector and workforce in England.’ The report, which is based on...

Care providers face ‘catastrophic shortages’ as jab deadline looms

Union leaders warn that care providers could face “catastrophic” staff shortages if the government refuses to scrap its deadline of 11th November for all care workers in England to be double-jabbed. The current deadline means that any care home workers or volunteers who have not yet taken up the vaccine must receive their first...

Half of frontline workers say job pressures are ‘out of control’

An 18-month long study into wellbeing within the emergency services has found that frontline healthcare workers are exhausted and at high risk of experiencing mental health disorders and burnout. The detailed report from mental health digital platform 87percent.co.uk, entitled The State of Mental Wellbeing on the Frontline, reveals that almost 1 in 2 (49%)...

Social care reforms to be announced

The Prime Minister is set to announce long-awaited reforms to the social care system in England today (Tuesday 7th September 2021). Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to present his plans to reform social care in England to MPs and will also announce extra funds to help the NHS deal with the Covid-19 pandemic....

Self-isolation exemption for care staff poses ‘significant risks’

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has warned that a new exemption from self-isolation rules for double-jabbed care staff poses “very significant risks.” In a press release, the directors’ body said the policy shift, which means that frontline adult social care staff who have received two doses of a coronavirus vaccine...

Adult social care sector receives last minute funding boost

The government have announced an extra £250 million worth of Covid funding for adult social care, just three days before existing funds were due to run out. The funds will be used to help care providers to maintain sufficient staffing levels while controlling Covid-19 infections, and to fund testing, in line with the latest...

New awards for outstanding practice in adult social care

New awards are being launched to recognise outstanding contributions in adult social care. The Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, Professor Deborah Sturdy, has announced new gold and silver awards to acknowledge the exceptional efforts of the social care workforce in England and their range of skills, expertise and compassion. The awards are the...

New Skills for Care partnership to support managers

Skills for Care has announced that it has partnered with Quality Compliance Systems (QCS) to better support managers in adult social care. The two organisations have teamed up to better support managers to develop best practice and knowledge, remain up to date with sector developments and share ideas with their peers. QCS are a...

Skills for Care helps develop new leading centre for social care

Skills for Care have announced that they will be partnering with the University of Birmingham to develop a new centre for adult social care. The aim of the new IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together) centre, which will be the first of its kind in the UK, is to put evidence into practice in order...