FuturU is on a mission to transform the way health and social care professionals access, experience and fund their education and professional development. The health and social care sector is on the verge of transformation and we believe education is at the heart of building a professional and engaged workforce that not only choose to start a career in care, but also choose to stay.
Learning is at the heart of what we do, and we have many amazing professionals in our industry ready and willing to share their experiences. One such example is Voices of Care, a highly respected podcast hosted by Suhail Mirza who is also an Executive Director on the FuturU Board. The podcast has featured some of the most well known NHS and social care leaders sharing examples of great innovation and presenting solutions to the challenges we face in health and social care in the UK.
In this the next blog in the series for FuturU, Suhail reflects on the special roundtable conversation he had the sector’s leading voices, Professor Martin Green, CEO of Care England, Dr Jane Townson, CEO of the Homecare Association and Professor Vic Rayner, CEO at the National Care Forum (representing the not for profit sector).
Training and Technology for the Social Care Workforce never more important – Conversation with Professor Martin Green, Dr Jane Townson and Professor Vic Rayner
It was a real privilege to share time with these national leaders in the sector in a special episode of Voices of Care. A key message from this conversation was that the sector has so much opportunity and should be celebrated even amidst very real challenges that it faces.
Call on Government to Change Course.
The leaders called on the Government to change course evidenced by its pre recess announcements delaying social care charging reforms and specific funding allocated to the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate. This call has gained national media attention given the importance of the issue and was featured in The Observer (add link)
Importance of Social Care Training and Careers Critical
The importance of the UK training its domestic workforce has never been more important. Statistics from the Home Office published on 22nd August reveal that there has been a 26% reduction in the number of Health and Care Visa issued to main applicatnts in the year to June 2024.It is likely that the reliance on international workers for the social care sector must and some will argue must reduce.
In the podcast each of the leaders highlighted the importance of supporting training opportunities for all within the sector. Professor Vic Rayner said “…”we’ve got the workforce strategy led by Skills for Care. We’ve got Skills England launched so there is lots of opportunity to remind what an incredibly skilled workforce we have.”
Professor Martin Green added : “ We first of all need to secure our current workforce. ..And we’ve got to get the training , the development, the status and the reward in line with the fact that this is a very important role”.
We at FuturU have a mission to support the access to the best skills development for the social care workforce and so very much support these messages from these three leaders and the recommendations from the Skills for Care Social Care Workforce Strategy which included that 80% of new entrants in social care workforce should have access to the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate; this will depend on clarity in respect of the funding available for it which the sector hopes will come once Parliament returns from its summer recess.
Social Care Workforce Technology Opportunity
All three leaders emphasised the critical need for Government to see the interdependence between the NHS and social care and this comes, they argue, in seeing social care as a distinct and vital part of the UK economy. In the words of Dr Jane Townson: “ Wes Streeting has been very clear that he wants to get away from the begging bowl mentality and to see health and social care as part of the foundational economy to help the rest of the economy succeed. we contribute about 60 billion in total to the economy, which is more than agriculture, water, transport, utilities. You know, it should be seen as an industrial sector in its own right.
In addition to calling on the Government to properly fund and reform the social care sector, the leaders were keen to highlight the lead role the UK could play through the opportunities presented by technology within the sector. Professor Vic Rayner was strident: “ We have got a massive opportunity in social care around digital and technology… Other parts of the world are seeing the use of robotics and the development of technology as an absolutely massive export industry for them. The UK could be doing that too.”
FuturU marries its passion for lifelong learning and development for all within or considering the social care sector with a vision to leverage the latest digital technology to empower and engage all learners; we too see great opportunity within the sector and will continue to strive to make healthcare education a personalised path to career progression.
