Cyngor Gofal Cymru / Care Council for Wales

What is a Sector Skills Agreement?

A Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) is an agreement between employers, the government, partner organisations such as careers, employment and recruitment agencies; funders, providers and regulators of learning and Skills for Care and Development (in Wales, Care Council for Wales) to deliver an action plan. This will make sure the skills needs of the sector drive the recruitment of new staff and the learning they receive throughout their careers.

The overall aim is to make sure that the support people who use services and their carers receive is of the highest quality and that employers can access the best support to improve their business skills and performance.

Why was it developed?

These agreements are a formal mechanism to bring the needs of employers into centre stage in determining and delivering education, learning and skill provision for the adult and children social care and early years sector in Wales. The SSA enabled employers to have their say in the ways that priority skill needs for the sector are identified, acknowledged and how training provision and progression routes are shaped.

How and when did it happen?

The development of an SSA consists of five stages:

1. Assessment of current and future skill needs
2. Assessment of current provision
3. Analysis of the gaps and weaknesses in current workforce development activity
4. Assessment of the scope for collaborative action by employers
5. The development of a costed action plan with key delivery partners