In the last few months a new and exciting project supported by Skills for Care, NHS NW and Foundation Degree Forward (fdf) has started to take shape in the North West. This is an ambitious year long project involving 6 universities and employers from across the region.

The aim of the project is to devise a foundation degree in social care with a specialist pathway in dementia. This new qualification will be underpinned by social care principles and standards. It will meet workforce requirements around specialist needs and potential new roles to support people with dementia, and will reflect the workforce development implications of the personalisation agenda. It will be planned in such a way as to enable sustainability, portability and acceptability by employers and people who use services across the region.

A representative steering group will have responsibility for the strategic decision making as the work progresses.

On completion of this work, it is anticipated that Skills for Care will be able to recognise the foundation degree as a valuable new addition to the suite of qualifications available to the social care workforce.

How to get involved in the steering group

Foundation degree workshops

A series of workshops were held in the sub regions of the North West between September and October 2009.  The aim of these workshops was to develop this new qualification with input from employers.

Presentations are available to download below.

Innovative_approaches_to_curriculum_design_for_workforce_development

Dementia_Care_Project_2009_-_new_and_enhanced_roles 

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For more information on our work on foundation degrees contact:-

Hilary Kenny
Mobile: 07974 255 803 (preferred)
Tel: 01772864171
hilary.Kenny@skillsforcare.org.uk