BY NICOLA RONAN

Background

The national Children’s Workforce Strategy sets out a vision of a children’s workforce that is competent and confident, is attractive to join and develops employees’ potential, and one that parents, carers, children and young people trust and respect.

Knowsley’s children and young people deserve the best support we can offer so that they become confident, creative and caring citizens of the future, providing in their turn the well being of the next generation. This job is shared between parents/carers, families, communities, voluntary groups and a workforce of professionals. Every child and young person encounters all of these to differing degrees as they grow to maturity.

The impact of services for children and young people is largely dependent on the quality and skills of the people who provide those services. The workforce is therefore key to this process, and incorporates a wide range of groups and organisations, both paid and unpaid, across the borough.

Skills Audit

It is not currently known how many people make up the children and young people’s workforce in Knowsley. There is some quantitative data available, although the accuracy and accessibility of data and information varies between sectors, institutions and organisations. This situation mirrors the national picture and as such, there is a clear need to undertake a thorough analysis of the workforce profile. In conjunction with this is the need to gain a clear understanding of the current levels of skills and qualifications across the children and young people’s workforce in Knowsley in both a paid or voluntary capacity. This will help us to plan for the future and ensure Knowsley’s children and young people’s workforce continues its great work.

A project sub-group has been established to progress this work, linking in with the North West Regional Children’s Workforce Strategic Planning Group who have developed an agreed framework for both workforce data and skills analysis. We are beginning to now undertake a Workforce Data and Skills Audit via a web and paper-based questionnaire, allowing individuals to answer the questions at their own speed. Organisations and individuals will be supported throughout the process by the project team and we are also making computers available at existing locations such as libraries and community centres.

The audit, developed with Star (Training and Consultancy) Ltd, gathers demographic information about individuals and also asks questions developed along the Every Child Matters common core skills and knowledge, Children’s Workforce Development Council Induction standards and the Championing Children framework, alongside Skills for Life and Change Management questions. The audit adapts to previous answers so that individuals answer questions most suitable to their role and seniority.

Planning ahead

When completed, individuals and organisations receive personalised plans detailing their strengths and weaknesses, and these can then be discussed in relation to their position and across their organisation. At a Knowsley level, we will use the information to develop an overview of the workforce and for long, medium and short term planning.

We are already working with other local authorities within the North West, and would be interested to discuss best practice along with other methodologies and approaches being employed to gather similar data by other local authorities.

For further details, please contact Nicola Ronan, Knowsley MBC (email Nicola.Ronan@knowsley.gov.uk, tel 0151 443 3247)

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