Useful Links
Here you will find links to a variety of online resources relating to social care, including volunteering, training and employment. We have included short descriptions of what information can be found on these websites.
General
Volunteering
Training
Jobs
'I Care' website
http://www.preview1.co.uk/nt2020/index.asp
The Skills for Care I care '20/20' website. The site provides a resource to support recruitment and retention of social care workers with information for jobseekers and employers.
General Social Care Council
http://www.gscc.org.uk/
The General Social Care Council is the social care workforce regulator. It registers social care workers and regulates their conduct and training. They also provide information for social workers coming from overseas and offer a verification service which looks at the qualifications of people wishing to practice in the England.
Department of Health
http://www.dh.gov.uk/
The Department of Health is the Government department with responsibility for matters relating to social work and social care. Its website contains information about recent developments in social work and social care, press releases and an extensive page of links to other useful sites.
http://www.socialworkandcare.co.ukThis DOH site provides information on rewarding careers in social work and social care including the different roles in social care, qualifications, jobs and information about the DOH recruitment campaign.
British Association of Social Workers
http://www.basw.org.uk/
BASW is the largest national organisation representing Social Workers. Members are committed to a Code of Ethics which can be found on the website. The site contains some useful background information on Social Work, a discussion site for issues relating to Social Work, and a good jobsite listing both social work and social care vacancies.
Community Care
http://www.community-care.co.uk/
Community Care is a magazine covering the social care sector. Its website contains a wide range of information about current issues in social care and social work, as well as a jobs page.
Care and Health
http://www.careandhealth.com/
Care and Health is a magazine that also covers the social care sector and contains features on issues in social care and social work as well as a considerable number of vacancies.
Social Care Inspection
http://www.csci.org.uk/
Launched in April 2004, The Commission for Social Care Inspection is the single, independent inspectorate for all social care services in England.
Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection
http://www.chai.org.uk/
The Healthcare Commission is the independent inspection body for both the NHS and private and voluntary healthcare.
Social Care Association
http://www.socialcareassociation.co.uk/
The Social Care Association aims to promote good professional practice in all aspects of social care. The information on the website is mainly of interest to people already working in the field, but there is a page of job vacancies and provision to contact the SCA with queries.
Staffordshire Social Care Workforce Partnership (SSCWP)
http://www.ssceg.co.uk/
SSCWP is a consortium of representatives from social care employing sectors in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent who have come together to collaborate with one clear purpose in mind.
The objective of SSCWP is to tackle the challenge of ensuring there is a continually replenished supply of skilled and qualified workers available and motivated to provide the quality of social care services needed by the people of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
Community Service Volunteers (CSV)
www.csv.org.uk/socialhealthcare
CVS is the UK's largest volunteering and training organisation. Its website provides information about the opportunities for volunteering with health and social care.
Millennium Volunteers
http://www.millenniumvolunteers.gov.uk/
Millennium Volunteers is a national organisation aimed at young people aged 16-24. Their website explains about their work, how to become a millennium volunteer as well as the volunteer projects they are involved with across the country.
Working for a Charity
http://www.wfac.org.uk/
Working For A Charity exists to promote the voluntary sector as a positive career option for those seeking paid employment and to promote the opportunities and benefits of becoming a volunteer to people who wish to do unpaid work.
Voluntary Sector Studies
http://www.volstudy.ac.uk/
If you are a volunteer or paid employee working in a caring environment in the voluntary sector, visit this website for information on a variety of educational courses that give you the flexibility to study in your own home and at your own pace.
Skills for Care
http://www.skillsforcare.co.uk/
Social care workforce strategy body Topss England became Skills for Care from 1 April. Still led by employer networks and other care interests, it is concerned specifically with adult social care, while children's services workforce strategy will be taken up by the new Children's Workforce Development Council.
The two bodies will liaise closely, and together will be England's part of 'Skills for Care and Development', the UK-wide sector skills council for social care, children and young people, alongside the already-existing Scottish Social Services Council, Care Council for Wales, and Northern Ireland Social Care Council.
Skills for Care aims to support employers in improving standards of care provision through training and development, workforce planning and workforce intelligence.
Children's Workforce Development Council
http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/
The Children's Workforce Development Council has been established following the government's commitment to workforce reform in the green paper Every Child Matters. One of five bodies which will form the federated UK Skills for Care and Development Sector Skills Council, the CWDC aims to improve outcomes for children and young people by enhancing the role of the workforce.
University and Colleges Admissions Service
http://www.ucas.co.uk/
Applications for degree courses are made through UCAS ( Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) The UCAS website contains lists of all the courses offered in any Further or Higher Education establishment in the UK, including social work, and you can search by type of course, region or by individual university.
Social Work Student Site
http://www.socialworkstudent.co.uk/
Information for student social workers or qualified social workers seeking job opportunities.
Care and Health
http://www.careandhealth.com/
A comprehensive job site, listing a wide range of vacancies in social care. The site is also equipped with a list of all the Higher Education and Further Education institutions in England offering social care qualifications, searchable by area and by qualification.
Careers Partnership (UK)
http://www.careers-partnership-uk.com/
Provides private individuals and employers with in-depth careers counselling and careers rescue services and recruitment assistance. The site provides Career Doctor services to several professional bodies.
Community Care
http://www.community-care.co.uk/
Community Care is the major magazine of the social care sector. Its website contains a wide range of information about current issues in social care, as well as a jobs page.
Compass
http://www.compassjobsfair.com/
Compass is the definitive careers guide distributed to individuals who work, and want to work in social care. It is a careers companion that assists with job hunting, training and professional development. It is for anyone who wants to do part-time voluntary work to those looking to move into senior management positions.
Employers Organisation for Local Government
http://www.lgcareers.com/
A guide to careers in local government including career profiles in all the different service areas
http://www.lgjobs.com/
The official recruitment website for local government advertising current vacancies in councils all over the country.
Guardian Jobs
http://society.guardian.co.uk/jobs
Guardian Jobs is part of The Guardian website. The jobs section contains adverts for a variety of vacancies in health and social care, charities, health and social care and government, many of which can relate to social work and social care.
Jobcentre Plus
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/
This website enables you to search online for care vacancies by geographical area.
The National Jobs, Learning and Careers Site
http://www.worktrain.gov.uk/
Listed under 'health and care', this useful website provides details on job vacancies, training opportunities and occupations within the social care spectrum.
The Social Education Trust
http://www.childrenuk.co.uk/
This website links to a webmag called 'Children and Young People', which offers some interesting articles on subjects related to social work and social care. It also contains a number of job pages, arranged by region.
Social Services Online
http://www.socialservicesonline.co.uk/
Working in partnership with local authorities, this website promotes local Social Services departments and features social work vacancies throughout the UK.
Springboard
http://www.springboard.co.uk/
Springboard is a general careers site aimed at school and college leavers. It contains advice and information on a wide range of careers and qualifications, including social care and social work.
Work Permits UK
http://www.workpermits.gov.uk/
Anyone from outside the EU wanting to work in the UK will need to obtain a work permit. Social care is on the shortage occupations list, which makes it easier to obtain such a permit.
Last Modified:
18/01/2008 11:57:34
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