The ARC Training Manager's Blog

Its been a while....

2011-09-22T16:48:00.000+01:00

Its’ amazing how time flies! I just failed to realize how long it is since I updated this blog!
Much has happened since I last posted…. NVQ is dead, long live QCF! We have had a period of change unprecedented throughout ARC’s existence. Not only has the world we live in been turned upside down by the banks and politicians, but the way Social Care delivered has come under scrutiny from the press and an ever increasingly informed public.
Budgets have been drastically cut, yet providers are expected to continue delivering an undiminished level of quality, often with a shortage of staff.

Many providers have turned their backs on qualifications, as they are no longer a requirement, certainly there is no longer a minimum standard that used to keep employers on their toes, and ensure their employees gained a bare minimum of Level II NVQ.
Having a manager sign off an employee as competent is sufficient now, according to CQC, as long as a manager can support this with evidence. Question is, was the manager inducted? Have they the skills and knowledge to assess the employee as competent?
Sadly, many are not!
What better evidence than a portfolio that's been assessed, verified and accredited with a certificate from a reputable Awarding Organisation, such as City and Guilds.

Some providers have sensibly taken the view that all their employees will be qualified, and are going to the trouble of establishing a Workforce Development Strategy. Good for them! All employers, however big or small should follow suit. It can only improve the outcomes for the people they are supporting to get on with their lives in a way they choose to, not what is decided around a table miles away is ‘best’ for them.

I know we have produced some useful workbooks to support employees working towards a diploma or a certificate, we have even got a special Autumn offer on registrations, all designed to help employers support their staff to excel in their work.

The wheel is in motion.....how long before it turns full circle and we have National Minimum Standards again? I'm not a betting man, but I'm willing to take a punt on that one!

I promise I’ll do better and update this blog more frequently, especially if you comment on this or future posts.

Take care, its getting colder and darker out there…..

Tony

Skills Funding Agency and the QCF...

2010-04-22T14:53:00.003+01:00

The Learning Skills Council (LSC) has been replaced by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA)

How the Skills Funding Agency is implementing the Qualifications and Credit Framework

Implementation involves ensuring that:
• funding and performance can be aligned to the QCF
• the Skills Funding Agency funds those QCF qualifications identified by sector organisations as priorities
• QCF qualifications become the provision of choice across all Skills Funding Agency funded programme
• the Skills Funding Agency's business systems and processes can support the implementation of the QCF
• the Personal Learning Record is enhanced and deployed to support the QCF.
The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF)
The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) is a new way of recognising achievement through the award of credit for the achievement of units and qualifications. The QCF provides a simple and rational organising framework that presents learner achievement and qualifications in a way that is easy to understand, measure and compare. It gives individuals the opportunity to learn in a more flexible way and enables a wider range of organisations, including employers, to have their training recognised.

The QCF is a key strand of the Government’s Vocational Qualification Reform (VQR) Programme. The Skills Funding Agency is responsible for implementing the QCF across the wider post 19 skills system in England, and for delivering the changes made to the Personal Learning Record to support the additional QCF services which will operate in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

From 1 April 2010 the new arrangements for confirming public funding for qualifications delivered to learners aged 19 and above in England began. These arrangements are managed and operated by the Skills Funding Agency (the Agency) and will cover the following categories of provision.

• Vocational qualifications in the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF), which will be the primary focus
• QCF units for inclusion in the ongoing unit funding trials
• Non-vocational qualifications in the QCF
• Certain categories of National Qualification Framework (NQF) provision such as Skills for Life
• Other provision (including Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) recognised Access to Higher Education), that the Agency will continue to fund.

Qualifications within the QCF will be confirmed for funding for one or more of the Agency’s delivery programmes (Adult Learner Responsive provision, Offender Learning and Skills Service, Train to Gain, and Programmes for the Unemployed). Apprenticeships will be subject to separate arrangements, in which the Agency will need to work together with JACQA, YPLA and the National Apprenticeships Service (NAS).

For further information you may be interested in referring to the:

• Skills Funding Agency Funding Approval Process (March 2010)
• Technical Parameters for Funding – Adult Learner Responsive (March 2010)
• Target-bearing Level 2 and Level 3 Qualifications in the QCF (version 1) (March 2010)

QCF qualifications confirmed for public funding at the 19 April 2010

This online list identifies the qualifications within the QCF that have so far been confirmed as appropriate for public funding in Adult Learner Responsive and Train to Gain for the remainder of 2009/10 and 2010/11.

In order to provide early notice of accredited QCF qualifications confirmed for funding, this list will be updated on a regular basis through the transition period (February – December 2010). It will also include qualifications confirmed for other programs as well, including OLASS and Programmes for the Unemployed.

Qualifications and units approved for funding will continue to be added to the Learning Aims Database (LAD), which will remain the primary source for funding information and will include funding rates and programme weighting factors.

At the end of April we will publish more details concerning the process for removing funding from NQF qualifications in advance of August 2010.

QCF qualifications confirmed for public funding at the 19 April 2010
(Published 19 April 2010)

Personal Learning Record

The Personal Learning Record is a free service intended to empower the learner to view and review their learning and support them in making the right learning choices in the context of the QCF. The learner will be able to view all of their QCF achievement data, on-line, and in one place.
The Skills Funding Agency is responsible for implementing the QCF across the wider post 19 skills system in England, and for delivering the changes made to the Personal Learning Record to support the additional QCF services which will operate in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Personal Learning Record is being delivered in two phases:

Phase one: Transition Service (April 2009 – September 2010)
Phase two: Full integration with the Personal Learning Record (September 2010 onwards)

For more information on SFA follow this link to their website…

Skills Funding Agency

Whats happening to funded NVQs?

2009-10-02T11:45:00.005+01:00

I'm told by various 'powers that be' that T2G funding for HSC NVQs is still available for a few lucky people, and that there is no T2G funding available until April 2010.
This wonderful date of April 2010 will apparently bring bountious funds, as if they had never been away! Or so I'm told by on person 'in the know', mind you, another person told me the government can't make up their mind whether to release the funding or not!
So take your pick.....my money is on there being funding, not at the level we know it, but there will be funding.
What will be available will be dished out to existing partners, no provision is being made for new partners, which underlines for me that there will be no 'new money' and probably less than expected of the 'old money'.

training organisations without a contract for T2G funds will have to seek partnerships, which will be in short supply, as what money will come, will likely cover the colleges own candidates and they will not be wanting to share it with anyone!

I'm looking to establish partnerships now, as those of us who have survived so far will struggle with the current funding model if solid partnerships with good service level agreements are not found soon.

Good luck to everyone else who is struggling to find funding, be careful, its rough out there!

2009-08-03T11:05:00.002+01:00

Hi, I've just received the latest presentation on the QCF from Skills for Care. You should be able to view it below. If not email me and I'll email you back with a copy.
As I receive updates from SfC, I'll post them directly on to this Blog.

Holidays....

2009-05-26T11:36:00.002+01:00

I'm taking a couple of weeks off to get some gardening done, I'm growing lots of vegetables this year! I'm also having a week away in Turkey, chilling out on an 'all inclusive' week of sun, sea and spirits! I can do this in the knowledge that my veg will be looked after while I'm away, as will the day to day events of the Training Consortium.

It's always a comfort to know that you are leaving your treasures in good hands, when you have to!

So, I'll be back, as Arnie is alleged to have said on more than one occasion.

In the meantime, if anyone has any questions or queries about the ARC Training Consortium, don't wait for me to get back, ask away, either phone the office, email or post it on one of the Blogs. Someone will get back to you.

See you after the 8th June......

2009-05-01T09:49:00.001+01:00

NEW ARC Training Programme

In May, June and July 2009 ARC is offering a range of different training across the country. Click here to download our NEW TRAINING PROGRAMME.

The opening of our new training programme is on the 22nd May 2009 with our Handling Medication in Social Care Settings training in Oldham, followed by a lot of interesting and excellent courses such as Mental Capacity Act & DOLS, Talking About Money Train the Trainer, Dementia, Epilepsy, Understanding Cultural Diversity, Handling Medication in Social Care Settings, Handling Medication in Social Care Settings Train the Trainer and Active Support courses.

Until Mid July we are going to provide 16 one-day training courses all over England delivered by experienced trainers. If you are interested please have a look at our new training programme or get in contact with our Training Officer Products & Services Shirley Potter phone 01246 555043 or email.

If you would like to book your place in one of these courses please use this booking form and return it to Shirley Potter, Association for Real Change, ARC House, Marsden Street, Chesterfield S40 1JY.

If you are interested in any of our training courses but the dates are inconvenient for you, please get in touch with Shirley Potter to discuss the possibility of in-house training for your staff. ARC can tailor a training programme to your specific requirements. Click here to see the full programme and dates.

Build it and they will come.....

2009-04-30T11:10:00.003+01:00

I remember watching a film about a struggling farmer in america suddenly ploughing in his corn and building a baseball pitch with floodlights and stand! I think it was Kevin Costner, strange film, but the strap line was something along the lines of "build it and they will come" it turns out that ghosts of the past great players were all hanging around for one last game!

I'm rambling on like this, because I believe the sentiment behind the film, in that if we build a centre of excellence for people to experience learning in a positive, structured way where they actually feel like they have accomplished something, then they will come, even if there is a cost to it!

What we need is a new model of delivery, which works with the QCF, and allows everyone to function effectively, from the Awarding Body, through to the centre, the Assessors and Verifiers and of course the candidates.

To do that, we need a funding system that is fair to all, not weighted towards Colleges and/or Local Authorities. The Government is in turmoil, survival is their priority at the moment, and way down the list is charitable organisations who are continuing to do great things, despite government policy, not because of it!

My vision is a streamlined ARC Consortium, with dedicated staff manning the office and ensuring the smooth process of registration and claiming. We already have that!

We also need committed contractors with the skills and drive to seek out new business, whilst working with existing organisations and supporting candidates to achieve using whichever model of delivery is best suited to the award, candidate or organisation.

We already have those, but we will need more, and we need to define the new models, and continue to improve our systems, including communication between each other and the centre.

We also need a suite of qualifications and awards that are fit for purpose. To date, we have been the 'poor relation' in that Care Awards have historically been written badly, have been far too large, (in comparison to other sectors) and require much more of the assessors and verifiers to boot!

It is possible that the QCF will provide us with a set of 'products' that will allow us to develop a unique model of delivery. Only time will tell, I'm attending a Skills for Care meeting in London on 22nd May. If anyone has a question for me to put to the meeting, send it to me in an email before 21st, and I will ask it!

Easter gremlins....

2009-04-14T09:40:00.002+01:00

Well Easter is over and most of us are back at work today, I arrived at the office expecting to find the usual 2-300 emails offering pills to enhance this and berries to lengthen that..... Not so! Easter Gremlins have been at work and our email system is not working...... So, I guess there will be even more advise on how to satisfy my lust for life, these berries do sound quite good!

Hidden amongst the spam, there are always some interesting emails, communications from several Development Officers, a few invitations to conferences and offers to train my workforce. What concerns me about the training being offered, is its catering for the masses.

What about the small provider who can't afford to run a big course several times to get all the staff through? What about the micro providers who only have one or two staff, what about the BAME communities who aren't aware there is training available they can access, and if they were, would it take their religious and cultural requirements into account?

In most cases, they are not catered for!

They should be, and if enough people shout loud enough, the chances are they will be.

Quality versus Price

2009-03-30T22:33:00.003+01:00

It is increasingly difficult for organisations who historically have put quality over cost. Training budgets are being cut, training and qualifications are being put on hold, and services are being 'streamlined'.

ARC offers a quality service, but it isn't cheap! Colleges are offering free NVQs which are completed quickly, and with very little effort from the candidate.

How can ARC show people there is more to a quality nvq than price?

Baby boomers

2009-03-27T15:01:00.003Z

Apparently, at least half of the UK population will be over the age of 50 by 2025! So what, some people might say, I’ll be long gone!

Well my answer is you should care! One day it’ll be your turn!

I’m one of the many people born in the mid fifties and therefore are considered by those in the know as a baby boomer.

For those of you who have no idea what a baby boomer is after World War II, there was a huge rise in babies being born as the world re-populated itself. Marketing people long ago identified the baby boomers as a hugely profitable group to sell to.

As they reach the milestones in life, such as being old enough to drive, vote or drink, the market adjusts itself accordingly, and makes vast profits.

The last market to do this was the vitamin and supplement market, as the boomers reached their 50s and 60s, a huge rise in vitamins, and other associated products was recorded, especially on-line!

The next market will be the care sector, which should be gearing up for the influx now, the problem with that is there are not enough staff to cope with current demand, so who is going to look after you, or me, when we need it?

Answers on a postcard please, or better still, the blog comments box!

The government has to acknowledge this increase in demand now, it will be too late in 10 or 15 years time, and its’ no good politicians mumbling to themselves that there are more pressing issues now! There always will be! The government that opens their eyes to this will guarantee themselves a long term of office, as long as they recognise and respond to this now!

The infrastructure required may just have time to establish itself in time for the boomers to access services. The bonus will be that those in need of services now will benefit too, as larger funding opportunities present themselves to organisations flexible and inventive enough to come up with strategies for services able to cope with larger numbers.

On a personal note, I want people looking after me that are trained in Active Support, are person centred in everything that they do for me, and are managed by someone who is a leader and a manager of people, not machines!

On leave for a few days....

2009-03-20T19:34:00.002Z

I'm on leave for a few days, but if I get a chance, I'll post details of the Capacity Builders conference I attended on th 18th March. It was very interesting and threw up a few things that inspired those there. More to follow......

Get Qualified!

2009-03-09T15:20:00.003Z

Now that ARC are offering Housing NVQs alongside the Health & Social Care (HSC) Awards, Who is going to want to do them?

I’m told there are many Housing Associations out there who have resisted putting their staff through the HSC awards, as they don’t meet their needs.
The Housing NVQs do meet their needs, so why have so few people been taking up the Award?
Answer Funding!

It seems that for some reason there is funding available for anyone who would like an NVQ in De-Commissioning Nuclear Power Stations, but not for something like a Housing NVQ!
Can someone please tell me how many people will be taking up that offer, and more to the point, why?

Whilst I have every respect for the NVQ system, I think I’d feel safer if such a thing as a Nuclear Reactor was being de-commissioned by someone with a Higher Level Qualification!
At least an HND!

Can someone also explain to me why the Housing NVQs are not included on the compact in the first place?
Level II is on the ‘repeater’ list, but why only Level II?
Most support staff in Housing Associations and similar, often work independently, and so require a Level III at least.
Yes, I know an NVQ isn’t a legislative requirement for these workers, yet.
It is coming though, and my advice would be to get in now and enrol on a Housing NVQ, before the big change, as who knows what will be sitting on the QCF when it comes (allegedly) into force in 2010?

I’m looking into the possibility of ARC delivering Cleaning NVQs at Level II and III.
They attract priority funding, and as there are thousands of cleaners employed in homes and services across the UK, there should be many of ARC’s members keen to access this award.
Am I right? Is there a need for ARC to deliver this award?

I’m off now to answer some emails, I’m looking forward to a few answers, so come on, let’s be hearing from you. As Arnie said, “I’ll be back”……

Regards Tony

2009-03-03T11:21:00.004Z

Hi, My name is Tony Shield, I manage ARC's Training Consortium and I thought it was about time I got into blogging! It seems like everyone with something to say these days, says it through a blog! So here goes.....I've been with ARC for almost 12 months now, (the aniversary is on the 7th April), and I have seen many changes in the consortium during that time. Not only has the whole staff team changed, (apart from Jenny Grey, who is still working for us, homebased, and is administrating for the HPD), but the office relocated to Chesterfield, from Evesham.

The move brought about its own issues, things getting misplaced, delays in processing paperwork as it was hidden under a ton of boxes, etc.....but what caused the most frustration, was one or two people seeing an opportunity to 'hide' the fact they had not done any work for 18 months or more, by blaming ARC. They used the move from Evesham, and change of people/assessor, as reasons for not contacting either the office, or their assessor. Granted, of all the cases investigated by me, two thirds of them were genuine. That leaves a third that were 'trying it on'.
What happened to honesty and pride, where did integrity disappear to?

When I first got involved with NVQs in the early 90's, candidates were being told, "NVQs are candidate led, you need to ask the assessor to come and see you, not sit around and wait"! Here we are all these years later, and still many candidates have to be given the same message!!!
What have centres got to do to get candidates to engage?

Some candidates and a few Training Managers, (which is even worse) seem to think that an assessor’s job is to gather the evidence, map or cross reference it to the standards, and more or less complete the award for them! Admittedly, there have been one or two assessors in the past who have nurtured that process, and made a cross for others to bear!
Even so, it is wrong and shouldn’t be happening!

A big debate is breaking out over the LDQ, it was developed and mapped to the HSC NVQ II, with the purpose of providing knowledge requirements. In practice it isn’t doing that. Many assessors are quite rightly, re-assessing the LDQ workbook against the standards. LDQ centres are saying they shouldn’t have to.
Who is right?

Janet Fairly of TASS said “this is worrying, we need to feedback examples from assessors to the awarding body, the LDQ provides a level of answer that maps directly across to the nvq standards, it should not require re-assessment, maybe we need to include the mapping in the packs, for assessors to have to hand?”
I think the fact that LDQ markers do not require an A1 or D32 Assessor Award doesn’t help.
What do you think?

Views expressed in this blog are personal to me and do not represent the views of ARC or it's employees.