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.

About the Children’s Workforce Network

The Children's Workforce Network  (CWN) is a strategic body, bringing together the relevant Sector Skills bodies (including the Children's Workforce Development Council), workforce reform and regulatory bodies. Creative & Cultural Skills is part of CWN and supports the children and young people’s workforce reform programme. We need to ensure that these changes help our sector to continue working with children and young people.

What are the projects?

The Children’s Workforce Network (CWN) has six projects which form part of the overall children and young people’s workforce strategy.

• The Integrated Qualifications Framework (IQF) will be a set of approved qualifications that allows progression, continuing professional development and mobility across the children and young people's workforce. It will be a comprehensive set of qualifications that are agreed to be appropriate for people who work with children and young people, up to and including degree and postgraduate qualifications.
• Common Induction across the children and young people’s workforce will encourage a common induction for all members of the workforce. These will focus on the use of the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge.
• The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children’s Workforce is a set of skills and knowledge required to work with children and young people. These skills are common to all children and young people’s workers including the core and wider children and young people’s workforces. The Common Core is a voluntary code of conduct. The document is being updated this year, following extensive consultation.
• The Youth Workforce Reform programme will develop a flexible and integrated youth support workforce in England, based on a social pedagogy model that shares a common set of skills, competences and values and retains present specialisms and expertise. 
• Apprenticeships - the Children’s Workforce Network (CWN) is developing a project designed to ensure that appropriate apprenticeships are available for the children and young people’s sector. Information on the project will be available on the web site shortly.
• 14 – 19 Diplomas - CWN is working with a variety of partners on the development of 2 diplomas.  Skills for Health in partnership with Skills for Care and Skills for Justice is leading on the Diploma in Society, Health and Development. Skills Active is the lead for the Diploma in Sport and Active Leisure, working in partnership with CWN, Skills for Security, Lantra, the National Youth Agency and Construction Skills.
   

Induction Good Practice Case Studies for Working with Children and Young People

Creative & Cultural Skills and Children’s Workforce Network (CWN) recognise the importance of good induction programmes.

It is important that colleagues working with children, young people and their families have the right skills and knowledge to improve outcomes for children and young people.

The CWN has now developed a series of nine case studies that show examples of emerging good practice in induction.