The Framework for Continuous Learning in Social Services which supports people who work in social services is launched today, 3 December 2008, by Adam Ingram, Minister for Children and Early Years.

Social service workers play a key role in making life better for Scotland’s children, families and adults who need care and support. The Continuous Learning Framework (the Framework) 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. The Framework provides information on what workers need to be able to do their job well now and in the future and on 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 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. It has been developed by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS) and a reference pool of people with a broad range of expertise and experience across the social services sector.

The Scottish Government is funding the SSSC and IRISS to take forward a strategy to support social service employers and workers to use the Framework to promote learning and development in their own organisations.
Announcing the launch today, Minister for Children and Early Years, Adam Ingram MSP said:

“The approach heralded by the Continuous Learning Framework encourages organisations to take increased responsibility for the development of their staff in support of delivering improved services. This is consistent with the Government’s vision for embedding a culture of continuous performance improvement across all public services.

“The Framework is one of several key outputs from the workforce development change programme under Changing Lives. It will make a major contribution to ensuring that our vision of a confident, competent and valued workforce committed to continuous learning and development and contributing fully to our ambitions for the people of Scotland, becomes a reality at all levels in social services.”

SSSC and IRISS will now 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.

Download the Framework, by clicking here .

Further information about the Framework can be found on the SSSC website, by clicking here and at the IRISS website: www.iriss.ac.uk