NATIONAL GUIDELINES
Investing in Children's Futures is the key document underlying the need for CPD in the childcare workforce. This states "There is ample evidence that high quality early education and childcare services can improve children's development, learning and behaviour. We also know that a well qualified, professional workforce is by far the most important factor in delivering the quality of services that will give children the best possible start in life."
In conjunction with this review, the Scottish Social Services Council has been given the responsibility of registering all staff in the social services workforce. In order to do this it has published Qualifications criteria for early education and childcare workers. Registration is part of the drive to raise standards and strengthen the professionalism of social services and will bring this workforce in line with other professional colleagues. Nursing, medicine and teaching are all regulated professions and workers have to register with their own regulatory bodies to be able to work in their field. Now social service workers will have to do the same. This will ensure that people who use services can rely on a workforce that is properly trained, appropriately qualified and effectively regulated.
The SSSC codes of practice require employers to provide training and development opportunities to enable social service workers to strengthen and develop their skills and knowledge. They also require social service workers to take responsibility for maintaining and improving their knowledge and skills, specifically "undertaking relevant training to maintain and improve your knowledge and skills and contributing to the learning and development of others".