WIREDGOV

This week the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) launches a new framework to improve the way foundation degrees are developed for practitioners working with young people.

The new foundation degree framework illustrates good practice relevant to the 6 million practitioners working with young people in England. Their work is often complex and demanding and spans a range of sectors and settings.

The workforce has been calling for more support and greater clarity on the professional development opportunities available to them and this framework will help them to provide better, more consistent services for young people.

CWDC has developed the framework through consultation with young people, learners, employees, training providers, employers and sector experts. Feedback shows that many practitioners are keen to improve their skills and develop their career working with young people.

The new foundation degree framework has been designed to help them do that, providing opportunities for practitioners to strengthen specialist skills and improve the ways in which they work together.

This news has been welcomed by the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS). Speaking on their behalf, Paul Greenhalgh, Executive Director for Children, Young People and Learners, London Borough of Croydon said:

"We are pleased to see that CWDC has developed this framework through consultation with employers, training providers, learners and young people. It will bring an element of commonality to the wide range of foundation degrees available for the young people's workforce while encouraging the development and recognition of specialist skills."

The foundation degree framework provides clearer development routes for those choosing a career working with young people. Employers can also use it to support learning across a range of different sectors, enhancing their practice in three key areas:

• Working with young people.
• Working together.
• Developing specialist expertise.

The framework has been well received by training providers who can use it to develop qualifications. Dr. Billie Oliver, Principal Lecturer for Children & Young People's Services at the University of Western England (UWE) said:

"...the document is well grounded in current policy and practice and makes a persuasive case for a common Foundation Degree Framework. This approach can only help with progression and employment issues."

Steve Crisp, Director of Sector Delivery at CWDC said:

"This framework will help provide clarity and consistency to the foundation degree provision available to the sector. We believe it to be the model of good practice that employers asked us for and it offers plenty of flexibility for learning providers to adapt for their own courses."

View and use the foundation degree framework in full.

For media enquiries please contact CWDC Media Relations Officer Brendon Kenny on 0113 290 4174 or at brendon.kenny@cwdcouncil.org.uk  

Notes to Editors:

1. Find out who we mean when we talk about a 'young people's workforce'.

2. The foundation degree framework ensures quality through alignment with the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Foundation Degree Benchmark, the Integrated Qualifications Framework and the Skills Development Framework - indicators that support quality, consistency and appropriateness of learning in Higher Education (HE) and within children and young people's services.

Background: In 2008 CWDC commissioned a feasibility study which looked at the possibility of creating a common foundation degree for the young people's workforce.

The results showed that a diverse workforce would not be well served by a common qualification but instead recommended that a framework be developed to help provide consistency and commonality between qualifications and providers.

In 2009 CWDC commissioned the Open University to develop a framework for foundation degrees for the young people's workforce in conjunction with HEI Providers.

Consultation on the draft framework took place with employers, Sector Skills Councils, training providers, employees, learners and young people in November 2010.

3. The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) supports local areas to drive sector-led improvements so the millions of people and volunteers working with children and young people across England are able to do the best job they possibly can.

We want England's children, young people and families' workforce to be respected and valued for the positive difference it makes to children, young people and their families.

We work in partnership with lots of different organisations and support workers, volunteers and employers who want the lives of all children and young people to be healthy, happy and fulfilling.