Workforce training target is missed

Fifty-three per cent of residential child care workers are
expected to achieve NVQ level three by March, well short of the
government’s target.

The Department of Health had expected four out of five
residential child care workers to reach level three in caring for
children and young people by January 2005.

Training varies from region to region with 77 per cent of
workers achieving the qualification in the North East and 36 per
cent in inner London, according to the figures from the Commission
for Social Care Inspection.

Only 29 per cent of residential child care workers had training
to NVQ level three in 2001-2.