Competency Framework for the Information, Advice and Assistance (IAA) Workforce

The roles of the ‘social services practitioner’ (SSP) and other ‘information, advice and assistance’ (IAA) personnel

The social services practitioner

Social services practitioners carry out what could broadly be described as a social work assistance role, giving advice and completing various aspects of care and support planning (assessment, planning and review).

The broader IAA role

There is in additional broader IAA role, within the IAA service. The service can vary significantly, both across and within local authorities, in its design and infrastructure. It can include a range of different directorates, for example social services, housing and corporate services, as well as joint health and social care provision. Workers must respond to a wide range of requests and are the first point of contact for those enquiring about care and support.

Using the outcomes approach in practice, through skilled conversations, IAA workers will clarify people’s thinking and explore their dilemmas to understand what matters most to them and how best to help them by either:

Giving information – this involves supporting people by providing good-quality information that helps them to make informed decisions about their well-being. This can include information about how the social care system works, the availability of services that may help their well-being and how to access them, direct payments, or information about carers’ assessments.

Providing advice – this is a step up from the simple provision of information, in that it involves working with people to discuss the options available to find the best solutions for them. To provide advice, local-authority staff need an understanding of people’s situations. This is done by carrying out a proportionate assessment.

Providing assistance – if someone is unable to address an enquirer’s needs by providing information or advice, assistance will involve another person taking action with the enquirer to access care and support, or assisting a carer to access support. This may lead the enquirer onward to receiving, or being offered, a full statutory assessment to determine their eligibility for more formal care and support.

The Social Services and Well-Being (Wales) Act 2014 and the Codes of Practice

The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (the Act) provided the basis for a new statutory framework for social care in Wales. The principles of the Act are:

• voice and control
• prevention and early intervention
• well-being
• co-production
• multi-agency working.

The IAA service is an important contribution to meeting these principles. Under the Act local authorities must provide a service that offers:

• accessible information on care and support
• advice that is appropriate, and follows a proportionate assessment
• assistance that enables people to access the appropriate care and support, including preventative and early intervention services.

The standards in the framework can be used by organisations, employers and learning providers to:

• map their current training, learning and development to make sure all topics are covered sufficiently
• commission or develop training, learning and development
• measure and continually develop the competence of workers / students / volunteers involved in IAA services
• ensure statutory responsibilities are being met in relation to the education and qualification attainment of the broader IAA workforce
• review and/or develop policies and procedures
• review and/or develop job descriptions and specifications.

There are two qualifications available for those workers who carry out the ‘social services practitioner’ role, both of which cover all the standards of the framework:

• Open University HE Certificate in Social Care Practice (Wales)
• City and Guilds Level 4 Social Services Practitioner

For those who are carrying out roles that don’t include involvement in care and support planning (assessment, planning and review), a range of learning modules currently being developed, which will be freely accessible to local authorities and any other agencies involved in providing information, advice and assistance to meet people’s needs. These learning resources will be available for delivery by in-house managers and trainers, commissioned learning providers or accessed through learning providers offering the social services practitioner qualification. The learning resources are currently being edited and we are working to make these available as soon as possible. We will update this page with the link when they are available.

Please note, the content and details of the training, learning and development for each standard differ across all levels to reflect roles, responsibilities and what people need to know and do.

It’s anticipated that any training, learning and development would be delivered within the context of current national regulations and national and local policy and guidance.

The framework has seven sections:

Each section is broken down into a series of learning outcomes and standards. The standards can be either knowledge or practice.

There is some indicative mapping against the roles of ‘information, advice and assistance’. Each local authority and/or agency should, however, make a judgement against the roles and functions of their workers.

Local authorities should map the roles of their IAA workforce against the standards to establish which would apply to individual workers. Those who are carrying out the full social services practitioner role would be expected to meet all of the standards.

The standards identified for each worker should then be used to measure their competency and develop a learning and support programme to meet any gaps. This would ensure a robust process for all of those who form part of the IAA workforce.

A range of evidence can be used, such as:

• qualification attainment, for example the level 4 Social Services Practitioner
• training course attendance followed by reflection on learning
• observations
• feedback from others, such as individuals who use services / customers, colleagues, mentors etc.
• probation, supervision and appraisal records

There is no expectation that workers need to repeat learning, once they have shown they have met the identified standards. But, local authorities may want to consider using some of the practice standards to inform supervision and appraisal processes to make sure practice continues to meet expectations. Continuing professional development (CPD) is important for all workers regardless of their role.

A range of people can sign to confirm identified standards have been met, for example the person’s line manager, a workforce lead or a learning provider. Local authority learning and development teams can offer advice, guidance and support for signing off these standards.

The final declaration should be completed by the worker and their line manager.

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