Cyngor Gofal Cymru / Care Council for Wales

Use and Structure of the Framework

The Framework provides guidance for social care employers, practitioners, education and training providers, career providers and other organisations about: the agreed required or recommended occupational qualifications for a variety of functions in different services across the sector and the minimum qualification requirements of National Minimum Standards for particular functions within different areas.

Vocationally related qualifications support the attainment of the required or recommended qualifications by providing or confirming relevant underpinning knowledge, theory and skills. Vocationally related qualifications also aid career progression and the creation of qualification pathways.

Framework structure

To aid clarity the Framework has been divided into two sections as follows:

Section 1 - Required or recommended occupational qualifications

This section contains guidance on the required or recommended occupational qualifications for particular functions across different service settings. These are Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) qualifications, National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) and other professional qualifications.

Section 2 – Vocationally Related and Predecessor Qualifications

This lists some vocationally related and predecessor qualifications that could assist in attaining the required or recommended occupational qualifications for the function identified in Section 1.

The majority of vocationally related qualifications now have links to the relevant National Occupational Standards, The National Vocational Qualifications, QCF qualifications and vocationally related qualifications in Section 2 could be useful in providing some of the underpinning knowledge, understanding theory and skills for some of the required or recommended qualifications identified in Section 1 of the Framework. However, they are not necessary nor do they need to be completed before undertaking the required or recommended qualification.

No judgement has, or can be, made regarding the quality or appropriateness of the detailed contents and delivery of these qualifications or their suitability for individual settings. These judgements have to be left to the individual employer. Thus, the use of the qualifications listed in Section 2 will be at the discretion of employers and determined by the assessed training and development needs of individual workers