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USEFUL LINKS
UNISON and the WEA have many years experience of providing face to face courses relevant to the needs of the thousands of health and social care staff and the many employers who have taken advantage of them.
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Health and social care are facing acute skills shortages but UNISON is stepping up to the plate to help develop new educational opportunities. Laurence Pollock investigates
Back to school
The skill shortages in Britain’s public services are felt at every level. Poor recruitment and retention of teachers, nurses and police officers regularly grab the headlines.
There are also gaps however, in the hard-pressed social care sector, from care assistants in residential homes to social workers and child protection officers working in tough circumstances. A plan to require all social care professionals (including care assistants) to have qualifications and be registered could make that shortage more acute.
There are reasons to be glad however. Creative thinking about how to tackle the problem in both health and social care is coming from UNISON in co-operation with employers and the Open University. At a keynote conference last month delegates charted the way ahead and assessed what had already been achieved.
This includes access courses and opportunities to train for a diploma in social work, supported by UNISON and backed by employers. The Open University has played its part by developing custom-built courses to help those who have the knowledge and experience but lack the confidence to realise their full potential.
These workplace-based courses are crucial in helping people move up a gear and fill the skills gap. There is also an untapped reservoir of future nursing staff. Similar developments could see healthcare assistants make an important shift into nursing.
The government is recognising this groundwork. Alan Johnson, the minister for employment relations and industry, speaking at the conference congratulated the Open University, the Workers’ Educational Association, UNISON and CareConnect for their work together in providing workplace based training opportunities. He added:
“I hope the 
K100 course continues to offer top quality training for aspirant carers and continues to add to the stock of dedicated professionals already working in health and social services.”
The Open University, launched more than 30 years ago, made its mark helping teachers study for degrees while still in the workplace. Today it is broadening that mission to staff who thought they were finished with education and education was finished with them. The landmark K100 provides a ‘foundation course’ for those wanting to develop skills and knowledge in both health and social care.
Meanwhile UNISON is negotiating with employers, persuading them to recognise the potential in their staff. With its Return to Learn (R2L) access course and partnership in the Care Connect learning ‘hub’ it is making people aware of what they could do for themselves and the services they work in.
Jan Walmsley, Dean of the School of Health and Social Welfare at the Open University, acknowledged the role UNISON had played in contributing to the fresh approach to training:
“They have demonstrated that they can offer added value to their members.
“UNISON has a strong educational tradition and they want to focus on education as a means of improving members’ lives and prospects.
“I am excited by the potential for organisational change."
Steve Williams, head of UNISON’s Open College, identifies two strands moving care workers towards social work and developing health care assistants (HCAs) into potential nurses.
“Some HCAs can become nurses through going to university but most will be unwilling to give up a full time job to do this. They want flexible ways of studying and working at the same time. Access to nursing through A levels has been a barrier to many HCAs but now they can get on their own NVQ route.
“We are helping them through our Return to Learn courses and working with the Open University on the K100 course. These are designed to help people who are terrified of doing any further study and to encourage them to dip their toe in the water.
“We also negotiate with employers to bring the Open University into social care work places. There are two different courses to train as a social worker for those who cannot get their qualifications through the traditional route.”
From the employers’ point of view, Nigel Grant, until recently training officer at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, also recognises the potential.
“SLAM worked with the Open University to give staff access to the K100 course. This gave people a very good stepping-stone towards diplomas in nursing and social work.
“Staff who have been neglected such as clerical and domestic, saw opportunities to develop a professional career.”
But Grant sees the need to work both with staff and some managers who might be sceptical about putting time and resources into training employees.
“We are approaching this from both ends. But we tell managers who ask ‘why?’ there are two reasons for better training and careers opportunities. In the short term you have qualified staff who understand their organisation better and secondly the long term there is plain survival. In social care, qualifications will be essential."
Arguments rage about improved pay in the public service and UNISON continues to press for better rewards to attract more nurses, social workers and social care staff. At the same time, in partnership with employers and education professionals, it is working to increase the overall pool of potential staff.
In keeping with the union’s vision, it is boosting the skills and the ambition of those who traditionally were ignored by management and who ruled themselves out. Mr Johnson’s words of congratulation are timely.
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