National Occupational Standards (NOS) describe how to do a particular job well - what you must be able to do, and also what you need to know in order for that to happen.

There are standards for jobs in all areas of business and industry. SfC&D is responsible for setting these standards for careers in care. We work closely with people actually doing the job, or using the services, to develop and update the standards that people work to. SfC&D sets the standard for people working in:

  • Children's care, learning and development (CCLD)
  • Commissioning, procurement and contracting in care services (CPCCS)
  • Health and social care (HSC)
  • Leadership and management of care services (LMCS)
  • Learning development support services (in England) (LDSS)
  • Sensory services
  • Social work

They will tell you what someone needs to know and do so that they can perform their job well and make a difference to people's lives.

These standards are freely available and can also be used in other ways, such as developing job descriptions to help with recruitment, measuring the performance of people who work in a particular role, or helping organisations set targets for improving what they do.

We regularly review the NOS to ensure they reflect modern careers in care. View our plan for reviewing NOS this year and in 2012/13 (PDF).

For further information about NOS and to access any of Skills for Care and Development current Standards, you can visit http://www.ukstandards.org.uk/

 

The following document sets out those principles and approaches to QCF unit/qualification assessment not already described in the Regulatory Arrangements for the Qualifications and Credit Framework: