Care Workforce Development Partnership

Employers, training providers and wider partners met for the first Workforce Development Partnership of the Care sector across Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Held on March 20th at Abingdon and Witney College, discussions covered the aims of the Local Skills Improvement Plan for the sector, its skills needs and how these might be better met. We were fortunate to hear from experts in both the national and local skills needs of the sector. Rachel Reid from the sector body Skills for Care joined us by video to take us through the national picture and the qualification reforms being worked on by the government currently.

Sanjay Dhrona, Managing Director of The Close Care Home in Oxfordshire led a discussion on local skills needs. We also had input from senior managers at Abingdon and Witney on their current curriculum offer and the extensive changes to the national curriculum being brought through by current government reforms. Skills needs for the sector discussed included the wide range of ‘soft’ and ‘people’ skills required, including problem-solving, teamwork, time management and dealing with difficult situations. With higher numbers of foreign workers now forming part of the local workforce, there was also a need for training on the nuances of the English language, both written and spoken.

Care workers increasingly need higher level clinical skills than perhaps they once did, as people live longer and conditions they are living with become more complex. Actions decided upon by the group included: Promotion and focus on Care Home Week across local colleges; exploring the data – where have those in the sector come from and where do students go on to when they complete courses; collaboration between Providers/Care homes to host gatherings for those that are unable to physically attend the National Careers Care event (19th Nov 2024); the creation of a directory of roles/progression within the sector.