Core skills in social care are the English, number, digital and employability skills – including team work and problem solving – needed by everyone who works in the sector.
They enable workers to provide high quality care and ensure services meet sector standards and regulatory requirements. They also support workers to complete qualifications and training.
Whether you work in frontline social care, manage a team or commission services, here are our top 10 reasons why you can’t ignore core skills.
1 Social care is all about communicating
The recent #hellomynameis Twitter campaign highlights the importance of introductions in health and social care.
It was started by Dr Kate Granger who, during a stay in hospital, observed that many staff did not introduce themselves before delivering care.
High quality, person-centred care is underpinned by good communication; just one of the core skills you need to work in social care.
2 The sector’s vision to go paperless by 2020
Health and social care leaders have called for action to make information and records available digitally by 2020.
To achieve this, social care workers will be required to develop digital skills relevant to their role.
3 The need to evidence services to meet Care Quality Commission (CQC) requirements
Reporting is an important aspect of any social care service, to ensure they can evidence how the care they provide meets CQC requirements.
Good English skills, including writing and reading, ensure that social care workers complete records and reports accurately.
4 Calls for health and care services to become more integrated
With an estimated 18,000 organisations and 1.48 million workers already providing care in a range of settings, social care needs to be an equal partner in the development of integrated services.
Integrated care requires professionals and organisations from social care, health and housing, among other sectors, to work together to join up the support individuals receive.
Integration requires an ability to communicate with other professionals, both face to face and digitally, and work as part of a larger, multi-agency team.
5 Keeping a happy and healthy workforce
The Health and Safety Executive describes stress at work as a major problem, accounting for around 40% of all work-related illness.
Work-related stress is a particular issue in social care. Care work is rewarding: but it is also inherently stressful.
Managing your own wellbeing is a core skill needed by all social care workers, to ensure they stay happy and healthy, and therefore motivated at work. Skills for Care’s resources on resilience can help.
6 Social care needs skilled and qualified workers
The UK Commission for Employment and Skills found that around 19% of health and social care employers reported having skills gaps in their workforce (compared to 15% for all sectors).
With increasing demands on social care workers, the sector needs skilled and qualified workers.
7 More people are receiving care at home
Recent trends suggest more people are choosing to receive care in their own home, increasing the use of telecare systems and assistive living technologies.
Social care workers require the digital skills and knowledge to support people receiving care at home to live a more independent life.
8 Numbers and maths form a part of everyday social care tasks
Lots of social care tasks involve maths:
- Taking measurements such as weight and fluid intake
- Counting medication
- Doing a stock take
- Managing time
- Calculating wages
Social care workers at all levels require number skills to carry out their role safely and effectively.
9 Workers need to understand the best way to support people
People often require support in response to a particular problem they are experiencing. For example, someone with a physical disability may need support to take part in social activities.
Social care workers need good problem solving skills to be able to support people to be more independent.
10 Increasing use of technology to support care tasks
A Skills for Care survey of social care managers and staff found that 95% of participants used digital technology for at least one work-related activity.
Technology is increasingly being used across a range of social care tasks. This can include e-learning, assistive technology such as falls monitors, digital care plans, telecare systems and internet searches.
Visit skillsforcare.org.uk/coreskills to find resources and tools to support core skills in social care.
Content on this page is produced and controlled by Skills for Care, sponsor of the Guardian Social Care Network leadership, learning and development hub
