.@BordersCollege Care Career Academy will respond to care workforce needs

Scottish Borders Council, Borders College, SB Cares and NHS Borders have come together in an innovative partnership to launch the brand new Borders Care Career Academy.

The Borders Care Career Academy (BCCA), was launched on 25 April when teaching officially began, has been established to become the focal point for the provision of high quality, flexible education and training for care in the Scottish Borders.

In June 2017 the Scottish Government published the National Health and Social Care Workforce Plan, which strengthens workforce planning practice nationally, regionally and locally. As the requirement for care provision continues to grow along with the changing demographic, there is an even greater need for a well-trained, professional and flexible workforce to meet the demands of the sector.

The BCCA partnership seeks to offer training of the highest standards to those who choose a career in care, be it through their employers, such as SB Cares and NHS Borders, or through voluntary and independent care providers.

With a first-class reputation for education and training Borders College will launch the academy and offer the Professional Development Award (PDA) in Developing Professional Practice for the first time. The PDA qualification is aimed at employees working in a health and social care setting and is a 4 credit award which includes communication, health and wellbeing and principles of practice.

The vision is to ultimately deliver a range of training and skills development programmes from entry level to degree level, and one of the key aims of the BCCA is to ensure that the future workforce are sufficiently up skilled to allow them to have the knowledge and understanding, as well as the confidence, to carry out their essential roles effectively. The BCCA will also help to ensure that talent acquisition, into the sector, meets both the short and long term goals of employers.

Robert McCulloch-Graham, Chief Officer at NHS Borders, said:

“The Borders Care Career Academy clearly demonstrates the power of partnership working across health and social care. This new innovative course will enable our staff to progress professionally and augment their existing knowledge and skills through a robust, yet flexible, learning programme. We welcome the opportunity to actively support, and invest in, the continued development of our staff which in turn will enhance patient care and experience across our services.”

Lynne Crombie, SB Cares Operations Director, added:

“This course provides our staff with an accessible way of gaining a credited qualification in the vital skills of communication, health and wellbeing and principles of practice.

“We have promoted it widely to our homecare teams and have been delighted with the response. We look forward to supporting the successful candidates as they undertake the training, and to the benefits that this will bring to their own continuing professional development as well as the clients that they will be working with.”

The development of digital health learning will become a key aspect of the future programme when elements of the training will be offered through online and digital technologies.

Borders College Principal and Chief Executive, Angela Cox, said:

“This is the start of an exciting collaboration which will transform the talent acquisition and development of staff within the care sector. By embracing the use of technology and adopting flexible approaches to learning we will be able to provide inclusive and meaningful learning for everyone involved.”

For further information or discuss the BCCA provision please email Jayne Gracie, Head of Faculty for Care and Access or call 08700 50 51 52.