Qualifications are an important lever in driving up the quality and value of service delivery and inspiring public trust and confidence through better provision for and protection of vulnerable members of society. Research shows that organisations with the highest proportion of staff qualified at high levels score best in both inspection reports and customer satisfaction reviews; the higher the level of the qualifications, the better the care provided . The best way to drive effective skills investment at a time of sharply reducing public expenditure is for employers to take full responsibility for the skills of their sector. Employer investment has already begun to affect vocational qualification (VQ) reform in our sector. Qualifications have been rationalised to remove duplication and a credit transfer system helps eliminate waste and provides clearer progression opportunities through both the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) and Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework (SCQF). This has been universally welcomed by employers as a good start to making VQs more accessible. This must now be extended to include achievement at higher levels to underpin the development of managers and leaders, as well as the specialist skills increasingly required to support service users. With a staff turnover across the sector of 60-90,000 per year, this improvement must be accomplished whilst maintaining level 2 achievements.

SfC&D strives to build on the research undertaken by UKCES that identified the importance of investing in the right skills not only for individuals and organisations, but also to maximise economic and social returns for the country as a whole. If you are an employer or business and you would like our support and advice, please get in touch using the details on our Contact us page.