Digital Social Care, part of NHS Digital, has published a draft framework to provide structure for learning and development in digital skills, as part of the Digitising Social Care programme.
The framework was developed in response to a recommendation from the Technology and Digital Skills Review, with support from Skills for Care and input from care providers across the social care sector. It covers seven key themes: using digital technology in a person-centred way; technical skills for using technology; communicating through technology; being safe and secure online; ethical use of data and digital technology; using and managing data to deliver care; and digital self-learning, self-development and wellbeing.
The framework is currently in draft form, with Digital Social Care and NHS Transformation Directorate planning to add more details, including specific skills and capabilities for each theme, based on feedback following further testing.
Comments are invited from anyone who would like to be involved in further developing the framework, with a deadline of 31 May to do so.
In addition, a collection of digital skills training courses have been published with the aim of helping employers and individuals working in social care to plan their learning and choose the right training according to their needs.
The Digital Skills Training Database has been mapped to the themes of the framework and includes a description of each course, the target audience, expected length of time to complete the training, and cost. Examples include digital leadership skills and digital champions essentials training under the framework heading of “using digital technology in a person-centred way”, or GDPR and cyber security awareness training under “communicating through technology”.
The framework and training resources build on initiatives from Skills for Care and Health Education England to improve digital literacy and support wider work to develop an overarching knowledge and skills framework for adult social care.
To access the framework, please click here.
The training database can be found here.
