Home > News > November 2005 > 07-Nov-2005

New Sector Skills Council launches

Skills for Care and the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) are jointly hosting an event at London's Riverbank Park Plaza Hotel tomorrow to officially launch the new Sector Skills Council, Skills for Care and Development.

The launch event will begin at 4pm and features an opening speech from Phil Hope MP, parliamentary under-secretary of state for skills, about the skills agenda for the care workforce. Further presentations will be given by Estelle Morris, chair for CWDC, and by Donald Hoodless, chair of Skills for Care.

The new Sector Skills Council is an alliance formed from five existing organisations including Skills for Care, the Children's Workforce Development Council, the Care Council for Wales, the Scottish Social Services Council and the Northern Ireland Social Care Council.

Working in partnership, these organisations aim to ensure all areas of social care have appropriately skilled and qualified workers.

Donald Hoodless, chair of Skills for Care said: "Bringing the five organisations together provides us with the opportunity to share good practise and make the most of limited resources. The new sector skills council will raise the profile of social work, creating learning opportunities and setting out career pathways to improve the competence of the social care workforce."

Estelle Morris, chair of CWDC commented: "The launch of Skills for Care and Development marks an exciting time for the sector and we look forward to working with our key partners to create a world-class workforce that truly puts the child at the centre of all services. The establishment of the Children's Workforce Development Council is helping the workforce to further improve the lives of children, young people and families."

Skills for Care and Development says its sector covers social care and children's services and includes children's homes, care homes, domiciliary care, day centres, social work, fostering agencies, foster carers, nurse agencies, adoption services, nursery and early years work, childminding, voluntary youth services, Connexions, day nurseries, voluntary and charitable care. In Scotland and Northern Ireland it also includes criminal justice social work.

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