Latest news from the care industry |
09/03/10 - Skills for Care welcome new strategy to boost training for workers supporting people with autism
Skills for Care have welcomed £500,000 of funding to help frontline social care and health professionals become more aware of the needs of people with autism.
The funding announced by Care Service Minister Phil Hope is a key element of the 'Fulfilling and rewarding lives' strategy document to help care workers tackle the isolation, ignorance and inequality experienced by many of the 300,000 adults with autism in England.
Skills for Care have been asked to work with other stakeholders to create a learning and development framework to help 1.5 million adult social care workers become more aware of the needs of people with autism.
The framework aims to develop a fit for purpose training programme for adult social care professionals as research by the National Autistic Society showed at least a third of people with autism suffered from serious mental health difficulties due to a lack of support.
"Skills for Care welcome a very clear acknowledgement in the strategy that improving training for adult social care workers is absolutely central to making sure that people with autism are properly supported," says Skills for Care CEO Andrea Rowe.
"It is encouraging that this is seen as a long-term strategy for a group of people all too often living in the shadows and we know that social workers will be fully engaged with this process to make sure the 300,000 people with autism in England get the support they need in our communities."
Source Skills for Care
