Disability e-bulletin launches

Children and young people tell us what skills we should have

We are undertaking work to define the behaviours, skills, qualities and knowledge to be demonstrated by the people working with disabled children and young people and their parents, carers and families.

This will support those working specifically with disabled children and young people as well as practitioners from across the children’s workforce to make services more inclusive and accessible.

In partnership with The Communication Trust, we’ll be asking children and young people what skills and knowledge they think the people who work with them should have, and how it will improve outcomes for them.

This work will help identify barriers to effective behaviour and how increasing and improving workforce skills can improve outcomes for disabled children and young people.

Contact: louise.kershaw@cwdcouncil.org.uk

Qualifications reform update…identifying workforce needs

The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) is a new framework for recognising and accrediting qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The framework is at the heart of a major reform of the vocational qualifications system that is simpler to understand and use. The intention is to make both the system and the qualifications offered far more relevant to the needs of employers and more flexible and accessible for learners.

We are working with awarding organisations to help the training/learning providers, verifiers, assessors, learners and their employers get ready for the changes the new-style qualifications will bring.

In September 2010, we launch the new Level 2 Certificate and Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce. Our aim is that these will be the only level 2 and 3 qualifications available for the children and young people’s workforce in England.

As well as mandatory units learners will have to take there is an optional unit allowance. This will allow practitioners to undertake units that reflect their specialism, for example, 'Support disabled children and  young people and those with specific requirements (additional needs)'.

Units have been developed in partnership with The Communication Trust to support practitioners working with disabled children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.  The unit 'Support children's speech, language and communication' is mandatory in the Early Learning and Childcare pathway.

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To develop a strategy to improve the skills and knowledge of workers to meet the needs of disabled children and young people, we are undertaking work to identify what qualifications are currently available, taking into consideration the introduction of the Qualification & Credit Framework, identify gaps in provision and provide recommendations for future developments.

Contact: louise.kershaw@cwdcouncil.org.uk

Online soon: ‘Find a provider’ training database

We provide information, on our website, about a range of organisations and resources to support training that may be useful to those working with disabled children and young people.

The links provide information, support and guidance. This information can be found on our disability webpage.

In addition to this, we are currently developing a web site to enable services to search for organisations that provide disability awareness training in their area.

From 1 February 2010 training providers will be able to enter details about their course onto our site.

Encourage training providers to add their course to our disability awareness training web pages, open from 1 February.

From March agencies will be able to search for training that is delivered in their area.

While we are not endorsing any of the training we will have received three letters of recommendation from commissioners of the training.

Contact: kelly.griffiths@cwdcouncil.org.uk
 

Short break carer standards workbook launched online

We have made it even easier to complete the mandatory short break carer workbook, and for supervisors to sign-off the workbook, with the launch of an online version this month.

Access the online workbook

In June 2009 we launched the Training, Support and Development Standards for Short Break Carers, as part of the Fostering Regulations 2002, which requires carers to complete these standards by June 2011.

People who prefer to can still complete the paper version of the standards.

Contact: kelly.griffiths@cwdcouncil.org.uk
 

Are you familiar with the AHDC agenda?

Aiming High for Disabled Children is a joint funded Department for Children, Schools and Families and Department for Health three year strategy to reform services for disabled children, young people and their families.

This is one of the drivers for our work.

Read more on the AHDC website
 

Other news from our partners

In this section this is where you will find news from our partners. You can contribute to the next edition by sending us your stories on disability, SEN and workforce development issues.

If you have any information you want to be included, including links to your websites, please contact the disability team at disabilities@cwdcouncil.org.uk
 

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If you want to be added to the distribution list for this email please contact the disability team at disabilities@cwdcouncil.org.uk

Contact Louise Kershaw on 0113 390 7797 or Kelly Griffiths on 0113 290 4124