Continuous Learning Framework

The Continuous Learning Framework

On 3 December 2008 Adam Ingram the Minister for Children and Early Years launched the Continuous Learning Framework. The Framework has been developed in partnership by the SSSC and the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS). It aims to improve the quality of outcomes for people using social services by supporting the people who are delivering these services to be the best they can be. In describing what people need to be able to do their job well now and in the future and what employers need to do support their employees, it focuses on four key areas:

the qualifications and training that are needed
the knowledge, skills, values and understanding required
personal capabilities which describe the way people manage themselves and their relationships with others
organisational capabilities which describe the culture and conditions in the workplace that enable social service workers to be the best they can be.

The Continuous Learning Framework is for all social service workers and their employers. It is not intended to replace the systems and processes which many organisations already have in place but to enhance their effectiveness. The Framework is not mandatory but can support individuals and organisations to improve approaches to learning and development, career pathways and standards of practice.

Feedback from the consultation process

The SSSC and IRISS worked with people from the social services sector in our reference pool to develop a first draft of the Continuous Learning Framework for extensive consultation. We then held five consultation events, 'tested out' the Framework in practice through nine trials and conducted an on-line consultation. The Framework was welcomed overall and we would like to thank everyone who contributed so constructively to this process. The feedback from the five consultation events and from the on-line consultation has been analysed independently for us by George Street Research. You can access their reports through the following links:

Analysis of Consultation Responses

Summary of reports from consultation events

Our response to the consultation feedback

We have now worked with the people in our reference pool to redraft the Framework. The main changes we have made in response to the comments and suggestions made during the consultation period and the learning from the trials are:

We have made the language more accessible and included a glossary of key terms.
We have improved the links between the four areas of the Framework.
We have strengthened the involvement of people who use services and their carers at earlier stages of progression in the organisational capabilities.
We have strengthened cultural awareness and inclusion in both the personal and organisational capabilities in consultation with black and minority ethnic staff.
We have added an additional organisational capability which is 'treating others with dignity and respect'.
We have reduced the number of personal capabilities from 17 to 13 by combining some of them, e.g. we have a new personal capability of 'professional autonomy' which incorporates judgement and initiative; motivating and leading others and teamwork have been joined; and developing others and lifelong learning have been brought together.
We have changed the order of the personal capabilities and added brief definitions of each of them.
We have used examples from the trials to illustrate various ways the Framework can be used in practice.
We have made it clear that decisions about the use of the capabilities are at the discretion of social service employers and workers.
We have put the fictional scenarios in an appendix and have re-written these to address all four areas of the Framework.

The Framework can be downloaded here.

What happens next?

The challenge now is to support social service workers and their employers across the sector to engage with the Framework and use it in practice in a way which promotes their own vision for their learning and development as individuals and organisations. The Scottish Government has provided significant additional funding to the SSSC and IRISS to take forward a strategy which builds on the enthusiastic and constructive approach already demonstrated by the sector during the development of the Framework.

We will be working with the four Scottish Social Services Learning Networks to:

make sure that social service workers and their employers have the information they need to decide how they could best use the Framework in practice including information about the Framework itself, the support available to them and examples of good practice
develop a website which will include opportunities for interaction with others who are using the Framework
develop tools and resources to support the use of the Framework in practice
set up support networks
continue to engage with people who use services and their carers, practitioners, senior managers, national organisations etc.
make links between the Framework and other initiatives in the social service sector
continuously review the strategy and improve it
evaluate the impact of the Framework.

How can I find out more?

You can find information about the Continuous Learning Framework from the SSSC, IRISS and Learning Network websites and we will keep these updated as the project develops.

Contact Fiona Clark at SSSC on tel: 01382 207218 or email: fiona.clark@sssc.uk.com

Conact Carol George at IRISS on tel: 01382 224592 or email: c.y.george@dundee.ac.uk (www.iriss.ac.uk)

You can also contact your local Learning Network. Their contact details are available on their website: www.learningnetworks.org.uk