News

The Children’s Workforce Development Council has been launched to help reform the children’s workforce.

The workforce is currently fractured among many areas with different qualifications, rules, roles and ways of working.

The Council will work with staff in early years, educational welfare, Connexions, foster care and social care, and assess whether qualifications in these areas meet national occupational standards.

Liz Morrey, council development director said there would be more need for children’s staff to work collaboratively as multi-agency teams become more prevalent. This will lead to the development of core skills common to all children’s workers, greater recognition by employers of different qualifications and more joint training.

The council will be part of the new sector skills council for care and development along with the training body Topss England and the care councils for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile, children’s minister Margaret Hodge said last month that the Department for Education and Skills would publish competences for children’s workers early this year.