The Learning Zone, along with a library of learning resources, has dedicated sections for both social care and social work registrants and those working in childcare.
The social care and social work sections have been developed to provide you, the registrant with access to relevant information and guidance. This is to support you from when you enter the sector (and become a Social Care Council registrant) and move into more enhanced, specialised or leadership roles to help you develop your knowledge, skills, competence and capabilities and become self-directed learners. This can include information about:
- Standards, including National Occupational Standards (NOS).
- Induction for social care practitioners
- Qualifications for social care and social work e.g. the new Level 2 Certificate in Safe and Effective Practice, the Review of Social Care Qualifications and the Degree in Social Work.
- Professional practice frameworks such as the Professional in Practice (PiP) Framework, and the Care in Practice (CiP) Framework.
- Apprenticeships – Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Framework.
- Post Registration Learning and Development (PRTL).
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Why the Social Care Council supports you?
The purpose of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (Social Care Council) is to protect the public and safeguard service users through the regulation and development of the social work and social care workforce. We do this through four strategic priorities: regulation, support to develop the capability of the workforce, influencing and innovating.
See our Strategic Plan 2023 -2027 to learn more.
When you join the Social Care Council Register, you agree to abide by the Social Care Council Standards of Conduct and Practice and to complete a minimum of 90 hours of learning and development within either a five-year registration period (if you are a social care practitioner) or three-year registration period (if you are a social worker or manager). This is called Post Registration, Learning and Development (PRTL) and can include any continuous learning and development (CPD) activity, training or qualifications you undertake within your workplace or as part of self-directed learning.
See Post Registration, Learning and Development (PRTL) to learn more.
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Professional Practice Frameworks – supporting your learning and development
The Social Care Council in its commitment to supporting social care practitioners and social worker’s continuous learning and development have developed professional practice frameworks in partnership with the social care sector and key stakeholders including the Department of Health (DoH). These Frameworks aim to ensure that career progression and support for professional learning for those working in social work and social care supports our vision to have a thriving, capable and compassionate social work and social care workforce providing the highest quality of care, protection and support to people in need.
- Professional in Practice (PiP) – this Framework is designed to enable social workers to engage in learning and development. The knowledge and skills gained through practice experience can be used to evidence your ongoing professional learning and development against the requirements of the PiP framework. The Social Care Council approve and regulate social work training in the PiP Framework.
See Professional in Practice Framework to learn more.
- Care in Practice (CiP) – this is a new Framework, launched on 12 December 2024 along side the Department of Health’s new Social Care Workforce Strategy for 2025-2035, which sets out the DoH’s strategic priorities and actions to support the social care workforce over the next ten years – including strategic priority three:
Social care practitioners will have access to qualifications and opportunities to develop and progress through on-going learning relevant to their role and function.
Strategic Priority 3, DoH Social Care Workforce Strategy 2025-2034
See Care in Practice Framework to learn more.
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Learning Zone – Learning resource library
The Learning Zone provides free access to a Learning Resource Library. This is a library of free digital learning resources covering a wide range of relevant topics exploring and promoting standards, values and best practice. These resources have been designed in partnership with the sector and key stakeholders to compliment and supplement the training provided by employers to support you to:
- better retain key knowledge and skills;
- learn at a time and pace that suits you best (we know form evidence informed learning design that when learners are provided access to learning content as and when needed this better supports them to retain what they have learned).
- embed the Standards of Conduct and Practice into your day to day practice;
- develop your knowledge and skills and take responsibility for your learning and development;
- provide evidence of your learning (reflective learning questions have been developed and built into the digital learning resources which can be used to evidence your PRTL 90 hours, and/or PiP submissions;
- help you reflect on your learning and the difference it makes to the wellbeing of the people you are supporting and
- transfer your learning into practice.
All Learning Zone resources are completely free and accessible – anywhere, any time, on any device.
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A partnership approach – providing authentic learning
The Social Care Council works in partnership with subject matter experts, social care and social work employers, service users and carers, key stakeholders such as; DOH, RQIA and PHA but, most importantly, we work with social care and social work registrants to develop the Learning Zone resources.
This supports us to develop meaningful resources that include authentic real-world scenarios and reflective learning activities based on practice issues that concern and impact on you, as a registrant and employer.
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Feedback about the Learning Zone is overwhelmingly positive:
Good mix of learning tools, videos, questions and answers etc. Could be used individually or with group of staff for shared learning and discussion.
Overall, very impressed with the content … Information was pitched at the right level, very easy to use site. Excellent sources of information provided.
