The CiP Framework is for everyone who is a registered social care practitioner or manager.
Social care practitioners provide high quality, safe and effective social care practice, supporting people of all ages with a range of diverse and complex needs. However, this is dependent upon a valued and supported workforce, who are appropriately trained, skilled and rewarded for their work and the vital impact that has on people’s lives.
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DoH Social Care Workforce Strategy
On 12 December 2024, the Department for Health (DoH) launched a new Social Care Workforce Strategy and the Care in Practice (CiP) Framework.
The Strategy’s vision is to “develop a highly motivated, skilled, confident and value driven social care workforce who are recognised and valued for the contribution they make to service users and to society.”
The Social Care Workforce Strategy 2025-2035 includes seven priorities including;
- Priority 3: Social care practitioners will have access to qualifications and opportunities to develop and progress through on-going learning relevant to their role and function.
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What is the Care in Practice (CiP) Framework?
The new Care in Practice (CiP) Framework has been developed and launched to support social care practitioners and managers to develop professionally by providing two interlinked pathways:
a continuous professional learning pathway, and- a qualification pathway to support your career progression.
The CiP Framework is a flexible framework that social care practitioners can use to learn and develop in their role and areas of practice. Social care practitioners and mangers should use both of the CiP Framework pathways by completing continuous professional learning and/or qualifications which aim to ensure practitioners progress through their careers and continue to develop their skills, knowledge, competence and practice.
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What is a social care practitioner?
To recognise the professional identity of the social care workforce the title of the social care practitioner is part of the new Care in Practice (CiP) Framework. This title has been introduced into the CiP Framework to better represent and promote the identity and value of the social care workforce.
The CiP Framework has sufficient agility to support social care practitioners to practice and develop within their current role or grow into an enhanced role. Each role within social care will fall into one of the following categories:
- Entrance level social care practitioner – learning and developing new skills.
- Social care practitioner – developing and consolidating new skills.
- Enhanced social care practitioner – developing and enhancing skills.
- Social care leader/ manager.
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Supervision Matters: A Review of Social Care Employer Supervision and Policy
The Social Care Council commissioned Suzanne McStravick to review supervision policy and practice within the social care sector in Northern Ireland. This review was funded by the Department for Health (DoH) to support the delivery of the Social Care Workforce Strategy 2025-2035: Strategic priority: 2: Social Care Practitioners will be recognised and feel valued for the role they deliver – Develop and implement a regional supervision policy for social care practitioners.
The project involved the following:
- A literature review of existing policy and published articles.
- Stakeholder engagement via two online surveys; one completed by social care practitioners and the other completed by social care supervisors practicing across Health and Social Care Trusts and independent sector organisations.
- Stakeholder engagement via focus interviews with representatives from the Department of Health (DoH), Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), Health and Social Care Trusts and independent sector organisations.
- Bench marking against national and international polices.
The findings of the final report highlight significant variation in how supervision is defined, delivered, recorded and quality assured across the sector. While strong practice exits, it is not universal. A regional framework offers an opportunity to bring greater consistency, strengthen governance, support practitioner wellbeing, and enhance outcomes for people who use services.
– A review of social care employer Supervision Policy
To learn more – take time to review the full report, available in associated resources.
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CiP Interactive Web Resource
Go to Care in Practice (CiP) Framework to access the new interactive web resource to learn more about the CiP Framework including:
Clear pathways to help social care practitioners get started on following the Framework including summaries of the two pathways at each level and links to additional resources and guidance.- Guidance about relevant qualifications at each level including the new work-based entrance level qualification – the Level 2 Certificate in Safe and Effective Practice.
- Case stories featuring real-life social care practitioners and managers to show career progression opportunities.
- Support for the social care practitioner’s learning and development.