Workforce Development

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Workforce development is a key issue for Children England

Workforce development is about improving the skills and knowledge of staff and volunteers to enable them to better deliver quality services for the users they serve. It is also about ensuring that the requirements and regulations of government are best met in response to the changes brought about by circumstances such as the death of Victoria Climbié.

Currently most workforce reforms are built from the outcomes of the inquiry into her death and centre on the government initiative ‘Every Child Matters' and a set of standards called 'The Common Core' which lay out the skills best suited to delivering responsive and safe services.

For the children's voluntary sector, there are a range of agencies and government departments which direct workforce reform and lay out new requirements, regulations and guidance on best practice. Primary sources are:

• The Children's Workforce Development Council
• The Department for Children, Schools and Families
• The Department of Health
• The Office of the Third Sector
• The Third Sector Skills Council
• The General Social Care Council
• The Independent Safeguarding Authority

Working together to co-ordinate provision, make user access easier, share key information and safeguard children and young people lie at the heart of the government agenda. Improved induction, working to common standards laid out by the Children's Workforce Development Council, are the first rung on the ladder. The Department for Children, Schools and Families laid out its overall vision for workforce development within The Children's Plan (December 2007)

for this country to be the best country for children and young people to grow up in. Those who work or volunteer with children and young people are critical to achieving this.  April 2008 saw the DSCF publication of ‘Building Brighter Futures: next steps for the children's workforce' which led on to the vision created in the 2020 strategy that aims for all who work with children and young people

to be:

• Ambitious for every child and young person
• Excellent in their practice
• Committed to partnership and integrated working
• Respected and valued as

Children England is committed to helping the children's voluntary sector better understand the requirements and regulations now in place and to play a role in influencing key decision makers on any future proposals and changes.  

We will help to simplify the complexity and range of demands and continue to provide a regular electronic bulletin to which you can sign up.  This will set out the key priority issues and those opportunities that are available to you to help improve your workforce and raise standards. Working in partnership with the Children's Workforce Development Council we will help to showcase best practice and ‘join things up' along with our colleagues in NAVCA and NCVYS.