REPORT TO NATOPSS – Learn to Care AGM, APRIL 2004
NATOPSS - Learn to Care BUSINESS STRATEGY 2004 – 2007
Supporting Workforce Development across the Social Care Sector
1 In 2001 NATOPSS agreed its first three year Business Strategy, and for each of the years since, we have developed an action plan to support the delivery of the strategy. Although, some of the original elements are, quite appropriately, carried forward, the committee has reviewed the overall strategy and recommends the following for endorsement at the 2004 Annual General Meeting.
2 This strategy outlines how NATOPSS - Learn to Care aims to pursue its functions through its committee, its regional structure and its national office. The strategy defines who NATOPSS - Learn to Care represents and how it will support and serve the interests of its members by playing an active role in the ever changing world of social care workforce development. As previously, the strategy will be supported by an annual action plan and review, through which performance against previously agreed actions and targets will be measured and reported on.
3 Since the last Business Strategy was written the context of our work has changed significantly and further evolution is inevitable. The original primary focus of supporting training of local authority social services staff has broadened massively and core areas now include a much wider range of workforce development activities relating to the whole of the social care and related workforces. This is all within a context of the National Training Strategy for Social Care, with complicated partnerships and collaborations that cross health and social care and now extending into the wider children and young people’s workforce as integrated services are developed. It is in this context that the phased change of name to ‘Learn to Care’ is being proposed to the 2004 AGM.
4 NATOPSS - Learn to Care therefore exists to:
4.1 promote training and wider workforce development in social care and related work areas
4.2 represent the professional interests of its members as defined in the constitution
4.3 represent the views of the association to government and other bodies
4.4 provide guidance, share good practice and distribute relevant information regarding workforce development to members and other interested parties
4.5 strengthen links with all regional and national organisations involved in the training and development of the social care and related workforces
5 NATOPSS – Learn to Care aims to undertake this work in six ways:
5.1 By influencing national policy and contributing to national policy initiatives
5.2 By operating a strong national, regional (and, where appropriate, sub regional) network
5.3 By ensuring a robust and effective committee
5.4 By maintaining a national office, website and public point of contact
5.5 By representing and communicating effectively with members
5.6 By identifying and stimulating the undertaking and dissemination of appropriate research and good practice examples
6 As part of this process NATOPSS – Learn to Care undertakes a number of principal tasks:
6.1 to run an annual study period
6.2 to run two funding seminars each year – the need for these will be reviewed as the funding scenario evolves further
6.3 to run or collaborate in the running of other events to meet national and local agendas in workforce development according to requirements and as resources allow
6.4 to seek representation on and participate in key national and regional bodies, project groups and committees and to liaise with other relevant organisations as appropriate
6.5 to respond to consultations and make representations as agreed by the committee
6.6 to communicate and consult with its membership
6.7 to operate a national committee, meeting at least four times per year
6.8 to provide access to peer support, and, in particular, to offer support to new colleagues
6.9 to publish occasional papers
7 Influencing National Policy
In order to maintain a high profile nationally and so that NATOPSS - Learn to Care can make representation on behalf of its members, a named NATOPSS – Learn to Care committee member will be a contact point for all relevant national organisations and policy groups. Such committee members will be responsible for reporting back on the activities and decisions of organisations on which they represent NATOPSS – Learn to Care, disseminating key points to the wider membership and consulting on any contentious issues.
8 National and Regional Networks
As defined in the constitution the national committee will be made up of regional representatives, who will be responsible for ensuring the operation of their regional/sub-regional networks. The regional representatives will also act as a conduit for two way communication between the national committee and the members in their region.
To ensure that all those involved in social care workforce development have a point of contact in their region, committee members will be responsible for monitoring changes through their regional contacts. To support this, the NATOPSS – Learn to Care national database will be updated on a regular basis with committee members being responsible for verifying information held. New members will be encouraged to make use of the skills and experience of existing members within their region or from the committee; this could be a form of mentoring if requested.
Regional groups are encouraged to contribute to the growing regional and sub-regional structures that are emerging to support workforce development across social care and related areas. This includes the Topss Regional Committees and will extend into the new Sector Skills Councils once they are established. It is recognised that there will be local variations in the way local groups operate and in their relationships with organisations such as the Workforce Development Confederations and the Learning & Skills Councils.
9 Ensuring a Robust and Effective Committee
The committee must be able to demonstrate that it has a cohesive and robust structure if it is to deliver this strategy. This will be done through the maintenance of a sound financial strategy and an action planning/ project management approach which will outline key individual responsibilities and deadlines for completion of tasks.
Expectations of committee members have been defined in this strategy and in other documents, and it is important that these are met if the organisation is to function well. Effective committee working is dependent on each committee member undertaking specific “portfolios” of work - these are likely to change as the environment dictates and should reflect the interests of members. It is essential to maintain a flexible approach to allow for such changes. Committee work will include activities designed to achieve outcomes against agreed actions and targets.
An update of the financial strategy was agreed by the committee in February 2004 and is attached. The committee will be responsible for ensuring the financial security of the organisation and be advised by the Treasurer on matters relating to proposed commitments and charges for services provided. The financial position will be reported to each AGM and the Treasurer is responsible for ensuring an appropriate level of reserves is maintained. The accounts will be audited on an annual basis and a record of all transactions maintained at the NATOPSS – Learn to Care office.
10 Maintaining a National Office, Website and public point of contact
Given the voluntary nature of the work of the officers and committee, the need for NATOPSS – Learn to Care to retain an administrative base and service is greater than ever. A new contract is currently being negotiated with Jill Brookes that reflects the current workload and the association’s aspirations for the future. It is planned to develop the use of technology and the Website further, to provide an enhanced level of service to members and encourage greater sharing of practice examples.
11 Representing and communicating effectively with members
See section 7 above (Influencing National Policy) for details on representation. Effective communication will be achieved through encouraging dialogue through and within regional networks, by email contact with members and through the NATOPSS - Learn to Care website. Increased use of electronic briefing notes relating to the work of the national committee and other groups on which NATOPSS - Learn to Care is represented is being made and will develop further in the future. Other publications will continue to be produced, dependent on need and capacity.
12 Identifying, stimulating and disseminating appropriate research and good practice examples
This is an area that will be promoted further in the future and a specific action plan will be developed to support this. The ongoing partnership arrangement with SCIE will contribute to this work but NATOPSS – Learn to Care is also keen to draw on members’ experiences to a much greater degree in the sharing of experiences and consequent learning that can be applied more widely.
13 Implementation of the updated strategy has already begun and the Action Plan for 2004/5 should be in place by August 2004. The AGM is therefore recommended to endorse this strategy document to help drive the organisation forward into a new era.
David Leay
On behalf of the NATOPSS – Learn to Care Committee,
8 April 2004
NATOPSS- LEARN TO CARE FINANCIAL STRATEGY
The strategy outlined in the 2001-2004 Business Strategy has in the main been implemented. The accounts are managed by Jill Brookes. She is responsible for banking income. Invoices are sent to the Treasurer for payment and details of all payments returned to Jill so that there is a clear record of income and expenditure. Auditing is undertaken by the auditor engaged by her company. This has the advantage that questions can be answered in situ and that records do not have to be transported any distance.
As regards charitable status, there is an increasing amount of complexity and regulation of charities and it would appear that any small advantage would be outweighed by the additional work (and hence cost) involved both for Jill and for members of the committee.
The VAT position is still being investigated. Once the name and objectives have been clarified an application for exemption can be made. It is important that NATOPSS Learn to Care has a clear statement in order to avoid any difficulties over exemption.
Reserves have been maintained in order to ensure that major activities can be underwritten, although all activities are expected to be both self-financing and make a contribution to the core costs of administration which enables the association to fulfil its task of supporting members and influencing national bodies responsible for the various aspects of the social care industry.
Committee expenses have been reviewed and a rate set for mileage and travel. There is an expectation that expenses for main committee meetings should be met by employers, although this is not always possible, given the changes in funding streams and the internal financial policies of different local authorities.
NATOPSS-Learn to Care has been able to raise revenue through its mailing service and will continue to seek funding for its work from key organisations in the social care world, who see it as an important voice of those front line managers responsible for training across the sector. However, with the changes in the grant regime, there is no guarantee that the support from the Department of Health will be maintained.
John Wallace, Hon Treasurer
Feb 2004
Page last edited: 07 April 2005
