SCQF: Supporting the Flexible Learner Journey

June HollandHead of Faculty

Dumfries and Galloway College

Political Agenda

• Nationally the emphasis in the Health and Social Care Sectors has been on the concept of nationally integrated and transferrable roles designed to support the skills needs of the changing NHS and Social Care workforce.

• The integration agenda was further endorsed by Nicola Sturgeon then Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy in December 2011

• In the beginning 210 hours of excellent in-house training undertaken by STARS team ( Short Term Augmented Response Team ) within the NHS was of a very high standard yet was not given currency or external validation

• As this workforce was intended to develop capacity in terms of both flexibility and mobility this lack of recognition meant that qualifications and skills were hard to assess and therefore made it impossible to also be used as steps to develop horizontal and vertical progression

• Initially, to give some academic status to this programme a tutor from Dumfries and Galloway College worked closely with the NHS author of the in-house Reablement training programme with a clear focus on credit rating and assessing the high standard of training delivered so that it could be recognised by the appropriate governing bodies

• Key to this was also to formally recognise both informal and non formal learning

The Path to Reablement

• A key driver for this initiative was to create an integrated programme of education and training across health, and social care practice, at all levels, by providing colleges, employers, and HEIs with an opportunity to work together ensuring an appropriately skilled, mobile and flexible workforce.

• Social Care Partnerships within Dumfries and Galloway designed and developed in consultation with health, nursing and social work colleagues an employer led Reablement workforce development programmes for their Health and Social Care support workers.

• The broad aims were to develop

– Creative approaches to providing opportunities for learners and staff to engage with employers

– Personal and professional development opportunities for college staff/learners associated with employer engagement

• Following on from this new partnership it was further realised that mapping the local in-house programme could lead to an SQA nationally recognised qualification sitting within the Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework (SCQF) allowing career progression both horizontally and vertically and promoting a mobile skilled workforce of both existing employees and direct entrants.

• An application was made to SQA to consider the development of an award which would address the requirements of workforce planning across health and social care with Reablement at the centre of the proposed award

• With the input of several other Colleges work began on developing this new National Progression Award (NPA) in Health and Social Care: Promoting Reablement at SCQF level 6

• This award has been designed to be delivered through a partnership approach engaging with employers such as National Health Service (NHS), local authority and the voluntary and third sector and also could be delivered through partnership working with employers, training providers and SQA approved centres as a discrete award

• Assessments and outcomes are designed in line with the Sector Skills Council’s Assessment Strategy for work based qualifications creating another clear partnership approach which supports Colleges using NHS placements, and collaborating with the NHS

• This maximises and strengthens the support between mentors and centres and Colleges affording strong, meaningful and lasting partnerships.

The Outcome

• The outcome has realised a massive potential in a number of different ways

• The NPA is linked to National Occupational Standards and is flexible in its delivery

• The framework of mandatory and optional Units enables centres to tailor their offer to meet local needs. The size of the Units also supports flexibility

• The NPA could be offered in one of the following modes:– full-time– part-time– day release /twilight– open learning

Dumfries And Galloway

• Within the NPA is a double credit unit Reablement and Self-Management: Practical Skills

• As well as being embedded in mainstream programmes this was also delivered in partnership to the NHS Healthcare Assistants

• They were congratulated in a Parliamentary minute in 2013 as the first staff in Scotland to gain this award

• When delivered as a full-time programme, the NPA is a combination of theoretical Units with the option of including the remaining SVQ Level 2 Units from Health and Social Care so candidates can gain the full SVQ Level 2 award

• Another option for centres is to include the more theoretical Unit — F1RH 11 The Human Body — which may support the progression of candidates to SCQF level 7 qualifications.

Changes to Practice

• The whole award is available as fully interactive and on line

• This means that Regional Council and NHS staff can access the award with only 5 delivered workshops which is now being rolled out

• Also DGRI are now placing patients in care homes to have Reablement realised and so elements from this award are used to raise awareness and training has begun in a number of care homes as workplace based workshops . Staff who have undergone this can then successfully use this training as RPL when progressing onto the full award

Any Questions