Induction programme: skills development
The resources in this section provide guidance on core skills development to form part of an effective induction programme, including formal training such as the Care Certificate, alongside functional skills.
The Care Certificate
When King's College London conducted a survey of the mental health support workforce 22.7% of respondents had not heard of the care certificate and half of the survey's respondents had not completed it. (King's College London, 2021, pg. 18).
The Care Certificate
Embed the care certificate into your induction programmes.
Skills for care
Refer to ‘Services for people with mental health condition’, tailoring the Care Certificate resource.
HCSW Accelerated Care Certificate
See details of the ‘Accelerated Care Certificate’ that was brought in to support Covid-19 response.
Functional skills
Functional skills are the fundamental English, Maths and ICT skills that people need for their working and personal lives. Functional skills are also a mandatory component of apprenticeships.
There are a range of resources available to support managers and provide free online learning tools. A selection is provided below:
bksb for NHS and Social Care workers
Access ‘understanding skills for life’, free online learning and support for managers and networking. These resources include case studies showing how others have implemented these resources in their activities. You can also join the mailing list or find the lead contact in your local area by emailing: talentforcare@hee.nhs.uk
Skills for life
Resources to support staff to develop functional skills and skills for life, including free online learning tools, guidance for managers and networking.
TUC: Union learning Representatives
Speak to the organisation’s Union reps and/or specifically the Union Learning Rep if they are in place and understand what is on offer. Union members will have additional support through their union.
Financial support
Some unions will also fund learning, see the guidance on available financial support.
Case Studies
FutureNHS: Healthcare Support Worker 2021 Programme
Join the Healthcare Support Worker 2021 Programme network on the FutureNHS platform to see how others are supporting this workforce with induction, including the care certificate.
There are several key resources currently within this network to look out for:
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
This mental health trust is building a dedicated band 3 induction and a process that includes a check-in with the new starter after a set period.
Associate Educator HCSW
Trusts who are adopting this role that focuses on pastoral support as well as fostering an environment of continuous learning and being able to support with career planning. In some Trusts they can also be trained as Care Certificate Assessors.
What work have you been doing to help support HCSW in their induction that we should know about?
Forum discussion to share learning