Timetable too tight says training body

The national training organisation for social
care professionals is warning that the deadline for new
qualification requirements for care home managers may be too
tight.

By
2005, all care home managers must have separate management and
nursing qualifications under national minimum standards detailed in
the Care Standards Act 2000.

Training agency Topss is worried
this timescale may be difficult to meet because many care home
managers do not have formal qualifications.

To
meet the national minimum standards, managers will need to have a
qualification relevant to the care provided, such as a diploma in
social work or nursing, a certificate in social services, or
management, or the new registered manager NVQ at level 4. The
National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) is setting up a register
of care providers and will regulate the standards.

A
Topss spokesperson said: “A lot of managers have come up through
the ranks and don’t have any management training, while many care
homes are family-run where the qualifications are
split.”

It is
still unclear how the new standards will view care homes run by two
people who split the management and care responsibilities, but
Topss is considering asking for a joint role of registered
manager.

If
many struggle to become qualified by 2005, either the deadline will
need to be extended or personal development plans for managers
established for a set period after 2005.

– For
more on the standards go to www.carestandards.org.uk