Care Learning held it’s successful 8^th annual care providers conference on 30^th June in Bristol. The title and theme was “Focus on Quality”. Over 200 delegates heard from speakers including Carolyn Denne from SCIE, Paul Robottom from City & Guilds and Karen Taylor from the Care Quality Commission.

Talks concentrated on developing the quality of the social care workforce through learning and development, monitoring the effectiveness and quality of training, an understanding of the new QCF diplomas and the opportunities of CPD and CQCs compliance expectations. This helped care providers consider and plan to meet the changes and challenges for the workforce of the future to assist them in delivering a truly quality and personalised service.

Teresa Morrison from Skills for Care announced the new ‘Workforce Development Fund’ to support the new QCF units. Delegates discussed some of their key challenges around the workforce and suggested ideas of support that Care Learning could provide over the coming year.

Delegates had the opportunity to meet and discuss their training needs with 30 training providers who had trade stands at the event. The success of mixing speakers and trade stands to engage social care employers with workforce development have been a hallmark of the Care Learning conference during the past 8 years.

Kathy Marshalsea from Avon Lodge Care Centre won a laptop computer in the free draw for completing and submitting her evaluation form. The laptop was donated by The Grey Matter / CIS Assessment who support workforce development in the social care sector. Pictured is Bernard Wildsmith, Care Learning Manager, accepting the laptop from Alex Knapp, Managing Director of The Grey Matter / CIS Assessment.

Kathy said she is really pleased as it will help her with the one year Diploma in Person Centred Dementia care she has just commenced.

Notes for Editors:

• Care Learning is the adult social care employer partnership in the West of England (Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire) supporting employers with workforce planning, development, recruitment & retention. Key work includes providing advice, information and guidance, disseminating the TSIF grant to employers, running the Care Ambassador Scheme, supporting employers with NMDS-SC completion and running workshops and events such as the conference.

Contact: Bernard Wildsmith, Care Learning Manager, Care Learning Limited

Tel: 0117 303 5097, Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Website:  www.carelearning.org.uk

• The Grey Matter Group / CIS Assessment provide online and paper based assessments, to measure workers’ knowledge against national health and social care standards and QCF units to help organisations gather evidence of staff competence resulting in precious funding and learning resources being focused in the areas of identified need. They also provide surveys to find out what the people receiving care think about the services they receive and enabling organisations use the evidence to demonstrate compliance.

Contact: Sarah Knapp, HR & Operations Director, The Grey Matter Group / CIS Assessment

Tel: 0845 873 0373, Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Website: www.tgmgroup.net