Integrated qualifications framework

Why do we need an IQF?

The primary purpose of the IQF is to improve the quality of services to children, young people, their families and carers through a coherent and integrated service provision. The IQF is designed to enable employers to recognise when their workforce are appropriately trained to work with children and young people. Equally importantly, it is designed to support the development of a competent and flexible workforce, enabling workers to move more easily between roles using the Common Core as a suite of transferable skills and knowledge applicable to all members of the children’s workforce. It will enhance the career development opportunities and enable people to move more freely from one occupational area to another related one, building on a common framework. The development of the IQF is ongoing and it should be fully implemented by 2001.

What are the potential benefits:

•  To an individual worker?
- more effective in the way they interact with children, young people and their families and carers
- understand and follow appropriate procedures for ensuring the health, safety and security of children and young people
- more flexible development and career opportunities which may be particularly important for volunteer and part time workers

•   To the Active Leisure Industry as a whole?
- a more effective and flexible workforce, able to work effectively with children, young people, their families and carers

What will the IQF look like?

The IQF will be a database of qualifications designed for people who spend most or some of their time working with children and young people. All qualifications that sit on the IQF:

•  will be underpinned by the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge (the Common Core) which have been identified and agreed for members of the children’s workforce.
 

Or

• will require achievement of the common core as a pre-requisite to entry

It is important to note that the IQF will not mean that specialist qualifications for specific occupations will disappear. There will still be qualifications for sports coaches, health and fitness instructors playworkers etc. The main question is what skills and knowledge do these workers need to have in addition to their areas of specialism, when they are working with children and young people. Is the Common Core already embedded in their qualification or should optional units be developed which will qualify people for working with children?

What do we mean by the Children’s Workforce?

The children’s workforce is usually defined as those workers who spend all or most of their working time with children and young people. It is a very diverse workforce and examples of such occupations are:

• Teachers
• Playworkers
• Early years practitioners
• Youth workers
• School support staff
• Connexions personal advisers

Who within the SkillsActive footprint might be affected?

This is one of the questions we are exploring during this project. It is linked to the questions: What do we mean by the children’s workforce. It is clear that playworkers fall firmly within the ‘children’s workforce’ as their primary responsibility is working with children and young people.

Within the SkillsActive footprint, playworkers clearly fall within the children’s workforce. Others, e.g. sports coaches, may consider themselves to be ‘sports people’ first, sometimes working with adults, sometimes working with children and young people.

Of the 1.2. million sports coaches in the UK, 80% are volunteers and many work exclusively with children and young people. Similarly, many outdoor workers and health and fitness coaches regularly work with children and young people. It seems reasonable to support them to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to enable them to work effectively in this area.

Find out more?

Please contact the SkillsActive consultant: Elaine.sauve@btinternet.com

Tel: 01525 404252