Qualifications

NISCC does not deliver training courses for social care but we work closely with awarding bodies and stakeholders across the sector to decide the content of qualifications. Many social care staff are working towards National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs). These are are nationally recognised qualifications that show a person is able to work to a set national standard. As the Sector Skills Council for Social Care, Children and Young People’s workorce we are involved reviewing and developing the National Occupational Standards which underpin these qualifications to ensure they reflect the needs of the sector.

The way that qualifications in all sectors are organised and structured is changing. The current National Qualifications Framework (NQF) is being replaced in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). The framework is at the heart of a major reform of the vocational qualifications system designed to make the whole system simpler to understand and use and more inclusive. The QCF system and the qualifications offered will be far more relevant to the needs of employers and more flexible and accessible for learners. The Guide to the QCF in NI provides information on the new QCF in NI.