« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Launch of National Training Framework for Care Management
In August 2004, the Executive issued revised guidance on care management. Its main purpose was to re-focus care management on people with complex or frequently-changing needs and to extend the range of care managers. Since then, there has been little significant progress, and implementation seminars held in early 2005 identified the need for a national training framework.
To support implementation of the guidance, to transform care management, and to reinvigorate assessment and care management, the Executive and partnerships, through a working group drawn from a wide range of professional backgrounds, have developed a national training framework. This framework provides a comprehensive resource for managers, professionals and trainers across community care.
The National Training Framework for Care Management supports implementation of the guidance issued in 2004. The toolkit is comprehensive, flexible, adaptable and can be customised to meet local needs, while providing consistency overall. It includes presentations, practical examples and an innovative e-learning approach. The training framework will support front line practitioners and their managers to deliver better outcomes for users and carers.
The Structure of the Training Pack
The modular approach to developing the skills of practitioners covers assessment, care planning and care management. It breaks each down into the relevant components. The pack uses case studies and revision exercises at every stage to reinforce learning. The pack also incorporates extensive practical guidance for practitioners and managers respectively, updating that provided in 1991 when care management was first introduced.
The modular training covers:
- outlines for each modular component
- tutor notes and training folder
- practitioners' training folder
- Powerpoint presentations
- suggested exercises
- additional handouts
- references and web links
- resource pack (available on the Joint Future Unit website)
- e-learning component (available on CD Rom and on the Joint Future website)
- competency framework
- care management practitioners' guide
- care management managers' guide.
The material can be added to as required and used as appropriate to meet individual or collective learning needs. The Practitioners' Training Folder in the pack facilitates this approach. The pack also includes presentations on the need for change in care management and on using e-learning as part of the blended approach to learning in this pack.
Using the Training Pack
Local partnerships will be able to use the modular training pack flexibly, complementing and adding to the pack their own local procedures, protocols and examples of good practices. Partnerships will be able to draw on the training material as part of their overall training plan, identifying the relevant areas of training for individual practitioners from their local training needs analysis. The material can be added to as required and used as appropriate to meet individual or collective learning needs. The Practitioners' Training Folder in the pack facilitates this approach.
Practitioners and managers undertaking the modular training will be able to apply the knowledge and skills from their day-to-day practice. The training will contribute to their continuous professional development. The training should be delivered in a multi-disciplinary model, in order to maximise the learning outcomes.
The modular training approach encourages flexibility. Partnerships will determine both the most appropriate and effective ways to provide training and their timescales, bearing in mind the local demands on services and other training priorities. But given the need to re-focus and reinvigorate care management, this needs to have a measure of priority. The pack also includes an e-learning framework to support the modular approach, which offers even more flexibility.
It is recommend that as pre-course material practitioners have a copy of the competency framework and the updated Practitioners' Guide for Care Management. Partnerships may also want to include in the practitioner's training folder, a copy of the Care Management Guidance 2004.
The Managers' Guide for Care Management will support managers to implement the new arrangements. This will be complemented by the Tutors' Notes Training Folder which contains the full range of training and resource materials.
It would be particularly beneficial if line managers and training officers were to provide post-training evaluation of the learning objectives. This would provide practitioners with feedback on their assessment and care management skills.
The Training Framework was launched by the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care at a national event on 23 May. The event was chaired by Sandy Riddell, Director of Community Services, Moray and included speeches from Councillor Eric Jackson, Karen Lockhart, Nursing Directorate and Alexis Jay, Chief Inspector, Social Work Inspection Agency ( SWIA). Paul Martin, Chief Nursing Officer was also in attendance.
The event was aimed at key decision makers in local government, health boards and community health partnerships. These are the people who need to give the strategic leadership necessary to progress the implementation of care management and, in turn, to drive the National Outcomes agenda.
The event included demonstrations of the National Training Framework for Care Management and publications. There were also optional practical workshops facilitated by members of the Care Management Working Group. These workshops focused on helping local partnerships to consider how they will launch the toolkit and use it to support implementation.
In addition to the national event five regional seminars have been held between May and June. The seminars provided support and practical workshops for partnerships on the training framework and resource pack.
Given the history of care management in Scotland, and the new focus in the guidance issued in August 2004, it is imperative that local partnerships invest in training on care management. The modular approach developed with partnerships provides real flexibility for managers, trainers and practitioners themselves. Partnerships therefore now have the tools they need to implement fully the revised care management guidance.
The Executive is particularly conscious that care management needs to change markedly if it is to achieve its wider goals. The Executive have considered how to monitor progress, particularly in the light of the outcomes approach to joint performance assessment. Self-assessment templates on the progress with implementation are currently being returned to the Scottish Executive. SWIA will be provided with copies of the returns in order to follow up progress during their inspections.
Partnerships have the full training pack and toolkit following the launch on 23 May. The Executive issued a circular at the beginning of May to support the training framework and outlined the requirements for partnerships. This included asking partnerships to submit their self-assessment templates to support the use of the training framework. The expectation is there will be comprehensive delivery by March 2007.
« Previous | Contents | Next »