Wednesday, 11 May 2011 10:38

Blog post by Anna Fowlie, CEO SSSC

Social services in Scotland are facing major challenges which can only be met by having a confident, skilled and valued workforce and the time is right to take a fresh look at how we do things in Scotland, including here at the SSSC.

So what is the "Re-imagining" project all about, how will this help and where have we got to so far? 

Some of you will have been following developments already and some of you will be new to this and want to know more. You'll find the background to the project on our Education and Workforce Development website, which explains the changes that have led to this project and the opportunity to review how we deliver our service and involve people in our work.

The project has a number of different strands which will inform what happens next and this work will be completed by July this year.

Our main aim during the first half of the year has been to talk with you, find out what you think about how we work with you on workforce development and planning, especially how we can engage locally and to get your ideas and views on what happens next. There has been lots going on in the background and now we're starting to get to the exciting part with some interesting views and ideas coming through and a wider programme of workshops being set up.

In the last few weeks, the Glasgow School of Art Design Innovation team (GSA) began a scoping exercise to identify issues to explore in redesigning our workforce development and planning services so that we ultimately provide what employers, social service workers, service users and carers and learning providers need. The GSA team is carrying out a review of our materials, interviewing people who have an interest in workforce development and planning in our sector and holding workshops to engage with as wide a range of stakeholders as possible.

Already there are key themes emerging around:

• stakeholder connections and responsibilities
• employer engagement
• identity and purpose of the SSSC
• functional considerations for delivering SSSC's role
• communication and engagement.

And there are some early messages I'd welcome your views on:

• It's our job to make national connections for the workforce on policy and strategy
• It's our job to show leadership, bring people together to influence and be informed on key developments.
• It's our job to engage directly with employers, to think about what employers need and to be visible locally, to nurture pride in the workforce and reinforce professionalism.

Let us know how you'd like us to do that, and what else you think would enable us to meet your needs as an employer, a worker, a learning provider or a member of the public. Your views will be fed into the process.

I expect there may be some things emerging from this exercise which are important to the sector but aren't within the SSSC's gift, but I am making a commitment to raise those issues with Scottish Government, COSLA or elsewhere as appropriate.

The GSA Design Innovation Studio is a renowned team specialising in service redesign through co-creation and they've worked on all sorts of public sector and private initiatives. Find out more on the GSA website. 

Our key reference group also had their first meeting to discuss these emerging themes and their advice and feedback will be crucial as we go through the process. They're a good sounding board and will share the findings and ideas, encouraging others to get involved.

What next?

The GSA will be holding 10 to 12 workshops around Scotland for stakeholders drawn from employers, workers, learning providers and service users as well as our own staff, from public, private and voluntary sectors across the whole social service sector from early years to elderly care.

I'll keep you up to date as we go along through my blog posts, the eBulletin and Facebook and in the meantime if you have any comments please post here! Or email me at imagine@sssc.uk.com

Stay involved with these important next steps in workforce development and planning and sign up to our eBulletin so that you get to have your say.

Anna Fowlie
SSSC Chief Executive