Our Work

The User/Carer Development Group advises the Council to ensure that issues affecting people who use social care services and family/informal carers are reflected in NISCC business. They are helping the Council to develop a user/carer-centred approach in all aspects of the business. Details of our work to date is below. If you would like to know more, Email the group at info@nisocialcarecouncil.org.uk

Good Practice Guidelines
Representatives from the group attend the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) UK Partnership Council and are members of the SCIE (NI) Reference Group which produces good practice guidelines for the social care workforce and collates evidence of good practice. They also work closely with the Degree in Social Work programmes at the University of Ulster and Queen’s University.

Rules for Approval of the Degree in Social Work
The Rules specify that courses delivering the degree in social work must develop mechanisms to ensure the formal and systematic participation of users and carers in the design, delivery and evaluation of course provision. The involvement of Users and Carers in training at qualifying level – becomes a “must do” rather than a “could do”.

Review of the National Occupational Standards in Care
Service users and Carers in NI were involved in consultations on revising the NOS, which underpin the NVQs in care. A number of units were written in response to feedback provided (particularly in relation to working with informal/family carers.)

Role Model for User/Carer involvement in Non Departmental Public Bodies
Service Users from NISCC have been asked to address conferences on how the Council is working to develop a User/Carer focus. For example The Social Care Institute for Excellence Seminar in London on the publication ‘Users at the Heart’. This report focused on the involvement of Users of Services in the four Regulatory Councils.

Other projects include:

Consultations

• National Occupational Standards in Social Work
• Codes of Practice for Social Care Workers and Employers
• Rules for Registration and Conduct
• Framework for New Degree in Social Work
• SCIE Partners Council
• Review of NOS and NVQs in Care
• Complaints Procedures on Conduct of Staff
• Information Leaflets on Complaints Process
• WHSSB User Involvement – Good Practice Review
• DHSSPSNI Access to Personal Records
• Scoping Paper re EHSSB Physical Disability Strategy
  

Formal Working Groups

• Reform of Social Work Training Project Reference Group
• Curriculum Development Group
• Practice Learning Group
• Review of Care Standards Group
• Functional Mapping Group
• Domiciliary Care Group
• Qualifications Framework Group
• Carers Promoting Social Inclusion Group (in association with DHSSPSNI)

NISCC Standing Committees

• NISCC Regulation and Promotion of Training Committee
• NISCC Registration of the Workforce Committee
• NISCC Business Management Committee
• NISCC Audit Committee

Regulation of the Workforce

• Training of Registration & Conduct Committees

NISCC Policies and Procedures

• NISCC Fire Evacuation Procedures
• Business Plan
• Investors in People
• Equality Impact Assessments

Conferences/Seminars

• Launch of Carers Course Enniskillen College of F&H Education
• Sustaining Learning Partnerships Conference
• Seminars run by the Social Care Institute for Excellence

Workshops/Training

• Course Providers on the Approval Process for the new social work degree
• Providing a User/Carer View in Training of Social Work Staff.

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