What’s it all about?
The Green Paper, Every Child Matters, strongly supported the proposition that everyone working with children, young people and families should have a common set of skills and knowledge.
How will the reforms affect me?
Everyone who works with and delivers services to young people is part of the children and young people's workforce. In our sector, this means for example, artists, arts practitioners, managers, writers, musicians and performers working with children and young people on a regular basis. Creative & Cultural Skills aims to enable those working in mainstream, voluntary, full time and part time settings with children and young people to be aware of the reforms.
Our work with the Children & Young People's Workforce
An estimated six million paid staff and volunteers in England work in a range of roles to support young people in their personal and social development.
Creative & Cultural Skills’ research shows that just under a quarter (24.9%) of businesses and individuals in the creative and cultural sector work directly with children and young people (CYP). Our Strategic Plan based on industry research and consultation, has identified the need for greater focus on technical skills needs, specifically skills for working with children and young people.
We have been working with CWDC on some specific tools and projects to assist the children and young people's workforce in doing their jobs:
The Common Core describes the skills and knowledge that everyone who works with children and young people is expected to have. The six areas of expertise in the common core offer a single framework to underpin multiagency and integrated working, professional standards, training and qualifications across the children and young people’s workforce. This includes those who work with children and young people all the time as well as those who work with children and young people as only part of their job role. It includes both paid staff and volunteers.
• Effective communication and engagement with children, young people and families;
• Child & young person development;
• Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child or young person;
• Supporting transitions;
• Multi-agency and integrated working;
• Information sharing.
Useful links:
Common Core
Functional map
Case Study from Creative & Cultural Skills:
Case studies for the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC)
The Skills Development Framework (SDF) is a model to aid the development of integrated working skills. The SDF uses the Common Core as a basis and includes two additional components:
It summarises the knowledge needed to underpin the skills at each level of practice, helping users identify what they need to know and to plan ways in which they may acquire and develop this knowledge.
It recognises and links to specialist professional skills in the young people's workforce. Examples of how the SDF is being used in practical ways by an array of professionals can be found from page 12 of the framework.
Useful links:
An introduction to the SDF
Case study
Skills Development Framework
Foundation Degree Framework
The Foundation Degree Framework provides guidance for the development of Foundation Degrees for the young people's workforce, to help bring an element of consistency and commonality to the currently diverse set of foundation degrees available to the sector.
The new framework illustrates good practice in developing qualifications in higher education, based on evidence from young people, learners, employers, providers and other experts from the sector.
The Framework is for use by Universities, Colleges and employers who are designing, developing or teaching a Foundation Degree. For more information visit www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/foundation-degrees.
CWDC Research
The CWDC have published State of the Young People’s Workforce 2010, a revision of the report compiled in 2009. This research provides the most up to date picture of the young people’s workforce. With over 6 million individuals working with young people in England and over 5.2 million people working as part of the voluntary and community workforce the data can be used to inform programme, or those working with the sector.
Further information can be found on our Awarding Organisations page.