SCQF and the Social Services Sector

The SCQF in Social Services project which was managed through the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), commenced in April 2004 and concludes on 31 March 2008.The project was led by the Project Officer, Dr Alison Harold. The next phase is to embed the SCQF within the SSSC and throughout the sector.

The Project Officer worked closely with a partnership of stakeholders and an SCQF Co-ordination Group for Social Services was established. This Group comprises representatives from: the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC); the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership (SCQF); the Scottish Government; Quality Assurance Agency Scotland (QAA Scotland); Association of Directors of Social Work (ADSW); Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS); the Association of Scotland's Colleges (ASC); the Care Scotland-Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA); Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU); Voluntary Social Services Sector Workforce Unit; NHS Education for Scotland (NES);the statutory, voluntary and private sectors; and the SCQF Early Education and Childcare Group.

The key workstreams have been:

• SCQF supporting registration and continuing employee development- Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

• SCQF supporting registration and continuing employee development- Credit rating and benchmarking work based learning against the SCQF

• SCQF supporting registration and continuing employee development- articulation, qualifications

• Communication, dissemination and influence

Recognition of Prior Informal Learning and Credit Transfer

The recognition of prior informal learning can also be described as prior experiential learning. It covers all prior learning which has not previously been assessed or credit-rated. This includes prior learning achieved through life and work experiences (paid and voluntary), as well as prior learning gained in non-formal contexts through community-based learning; workplace learning and training; continuing professional development and independent learning. The SCQF can support the process of recognising prior informal learning (RPL) for personal/career development (formative recognition) and RPL for credit (summative recognition).

RPL- SVQ pilot

From the beginning of the SCQF and Social Services Project RPL has been a key development in the implementation of the SCQF in Social Services. It was identified as a support to enable employees to draw from what they had learned from their experience to work towards qualifications for registration with SSSC and for continuing professional development (CPD).

A working group drawn from employers across the Sector, Care Scotland and SSSC in collaboration with a consultant developed an RPL project the aim of which was to enable employees to use their learning from experience to work towards qualifications for registration.

This RPL-SVQ project developed materials to support learners through formative stages as they grow in confidence, recognise the skills and knowledge they have learned from previous experience, and develop the capacity to think and write reflectively. The materials also support learners through assessments towards SVQ3 in Health and Social Care.

The materials consist of:

• Mentor guidance
• RPL guidance and support materials
• RPL profiling tool
• Links to HSC 33

The RPL guidelines and materials are being disseminated through workshops and conferences, working groups and other networks, and websites and newsletters. RPL champions will cascade the materials throughout the Sector. The RPL materials have been very well received within the Social Services Sector and by other sectors. The project evaluation, which will report in March 2008, will evaluate the impact of the RPL process on learner experience.

RPL and credit transfer - HEI

Universities are developing different arrangements for the development of advanced entry to the Degree in Social Work either through credit transfer from courses such as the HNC in Social Care, SVQ3 or though informal-experiential learning. The RPL and credit transfer to Degree in Social Work pilot project explores how prepared students are for a Social Work Honours Degree course when they are admitted from employment or from the HNC Social Care or SVQ3 with advanced standing and what supports they might need. The first pilot phase of this research from June 2007-March 2008 is being conducted by Glasgow Caledonian University and the Open University Scotland on advanced entry to the Degree in Social Work. Both Universities have completed interviews with their cohorts and analysed the data. A report from this stage will be available in April 2008.

Credit rating work based Learning

From the beginning of the SCQF Project it was apparent that there was a great deal of employee training and development in the Sector but that much of this was not formally credit rated. Individual learners, therefore, could not easily provide valid and reliable evidence for their learning which could count towards a qualification. One method of recognising this learning in a formal way is through a system of RPL as discussed above. Another method is by credit rating learning programmes using SCQF guidelines. There are opportunities for the Sector to take programmes of learning and have these credit rated by either an Higher Education Institution, the Scottish Qualifications Authority or a College. Thus learning outcomes with credit points and SCQF levels become formalised and individual learning can be assessed.

Credit Rating project

The objective of this pilot is to provide guidance for the preparation of programmes of learning for credit rating. The first programme was a manager induction programme developed by South Lanarkshire Council. The Project commissioned the Unit for Work Based Learning, Glasgow Caledonian University to prepare this programme for credit rating. The second programme of learning was Perth and Kinross Council's foundation course on child protection which SQA credit rated. Learning from these developments forms the basis for guidelines and a template which can be used throughout the Sector for preparing work based learning for SCQF Credit Rating.

Working with Colleges

This was a collaborative initiative of the SCQF postholders in Social Services, SFEU, and Health. Several rounds of events in the North, Tayforth, South East and West have been held. There has been information sharing on recognition of prior learning and partnership activity, the work of the learning networks, and SCQF developments and events. These events have been very successful with the following group remit:

• Support developments which will advance the application of the SCQF?
• recognition of prior learning
• credit transfer and articulation with college provision
• supporting the learner's journey
• Harmonise group objectives and Learning Network objectives.
• Inform and impact on the development of the Learning Networks.
• Work in partnership to streamline activity and avoid duplication.

Communication and Dissemination

The project has been successful in making the sector aware of the SCQF and its potential. Awareness raising has been at the forefront of project activity. At the end of the first year of the project 150 delegates attended the conference: Leading the Way in Europe: the SCQF in social services.

In the Frame - the newsletter of the SCQF in social services project features the implementation of the framework in projects across the sector. There have been three editions of this newsletter.

Collaboration with other organisations to implement SCQF

Throughout the project there has been work with a range of organisations and working groups to implement the SCQF to support the Social Services Sector. There is a great deal of ongoing activity which will contribute to the implementation of the SCQF in social services either directly or indirectly.In addition to the above mentioned projects and organisations this includes; Scottish Practice Learning Project, IRISS, Learning Networks,employers in voluntary, private and public sectors, HEIs, colleges, training providers, VSSSWU, Care Scotland, SQA, SFEU, NES, community learning and development, ASC, and QAA.

Embedding SCQF in Social Services

An event on 14^th March will be held in Edinburgh to celebrate achievements of the SCQF in Social Services and to identify strategies for embedding the SCQF within organisations. Keynote speakers will be Aileen Ponton, Chief Executive, SCQF Partnership and Professor Alex MacLennan, Vice Principal, University of West of Scotland.

Further information:

Further information on the work of the SSSC can be found on www.sssc.uk.com