Excellence in the education, training and development of NHS employees is one of the guiding principles of the health service, as set out in its Constitution.
Leaders across health and social care want to create a culture of lifelong learning in their sectors.
But the Guardian’s recent Social Lives research on the working lives of the UK’s social workers found that while 64% of respondents have access to, and take part in training, more than one in five (22%) don’t have time to do it alongside their role.
Meanwhile, support workers make up almost 40% of the healthcare workforce, yet just 5% of the sector’s training budget is spent on them.
The Guardian Healthcare Professionals Network has launched a survey aimed at discovering what health and social care staff feel about the training on offer to them – including formal training necessary for professional registration, mandatory training set by employers, or other opportunities to keep up with the latest policy and practice in their chosen area and to help them take the next step in their careers.
This survey is aimed at all health and care professionals – whether working in the NHS, for a local authority, employed by charities, social enterprises or a private provider. We would also like to hear from trainees and students on health and social care courses, including student nurses and midwives, medical students and social work students.
How easy is it to fit training around what are already very demanding jobs or other commitments? Is training available in the most convenient and accessible formats? Are there any particular barriers to learning, and, if so, how can they be resolved? Please fill in our survey to share your views.
Results will be published by the Guardian.
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