Skills for Care Introduction to Knowledge and Skills Sets:

Each main document will repeat the following information:

Knowledge sets are sets of key learning outcomes for specific areas of work within adult social care. They are designed to improve consistency in the underpinning knowledge learnt by the adult social care workforce in England.

It is intended that the key learning outcomes within each knowledge set will be used by employers to develop in-house learning and by training providers, publishers and awarding bodies to produce learning programmes, resources (CD-ROMs, videos, workbooks) and, potentially, awards. The key learning outcomes are intended to provide minimum standardised outcomes that employers may use either to produce their own in-house learning or learning packages or as a benchmark when buying in learning provision or learning packages.

Knowledge sets are designed to be used separately or alongside the Common Induction Standards and as part of a worker’s continuing professional development. Their aim is to provide specific standardised knowledge and understanding to help social care workers undertake their role.

Employers will use knowledge sets to provide knowledge and understanding in particular subjects for their workers so that the service benefits from:

• essential learning for specific tasks
• enhanced worker practice
• staff being supported to complete their NVQs by a systematic approach to underpinning knowledge.

Social care workers will use knowledge sets to:

• assist their development of new skills to open up career options and as part of their continuing professional development
• improve self confidence
• support transition between different service settings in the social care sector
• ensure that they are working in accordance with current good practice.

By early 2007, Skills for Care’s Occupational Standards and Qualifications committee had approved six knowledge sets for publication, covering: dementia, medication, infection prevention & control, workers not directly delivering care, nutrition & well-being, and safeguarding vulnerable adults. 

Using knowledge sets

Knowledge sets are being integrated into the new Qualification Credit Framework QCF, qualifications for adult social care. Additional topics will be developed as QCF units rather than as knowledge sets. - Skills for Care

Knowledge Set Main Document Progress/ Log Book Dementia Knowledge set for Dementia V2 Dementia knowledge set progress log End of Life Care end of life care knowledge set sfc end of life care knowledge set log book sfc Infection Control sfc Knowlege Set_ Infection Control sfc_infection control_ knowledge set_ log book Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults sfc Knowlege Set_ safeguarding vulnerable adults sfc Knowlege Set_ safeguarding vulnerable adults_log book Medication sfc_knowldge set for medication sfc_knowldge set for medication_ log book Nutrition and Well Being sfc Knowlege Set_ Nutrition and well being v2 sfc Knowlege Set_ Nutrition and well being_log book