Learning and Development in Devon - October 2004

In striving to obtain better care, the Social Services Directorate has employed two project officers to develop standards to ensure User and Carer involvement. A twelve-month Project is presently underway to produce a robust process to ensure that service users and carers are involved in all learning and development activity within the Directorate and in the social work training courses of the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth.

In being aware that future services must listen to those that they represent and involve them wherever possible, the project will focus on:

• ensuring that there is a clear process for achieving involvement and good practice in current and future learning and development activity
• identifying the support and training that users and carers need to take part in the consultative process
• identifying the learning and development needs of the staff in Social Services to facilitate the involvement process.

This will allow progression towards planned and structured user and carer participation in areas such as identification of learning needs, course planning / reviews, programme delivery / evaluation and involvement in recruitment and selection. It will not be a token gesture and will involve active liaison and participation with partnerships and voluntary bodes throughout to ensure its ongoing and future success.

Contact us

If carers would like to make any comments or are able to contribute in any way, contact:

• Terry Roberts
  Learning and Development Service User Involvement Project Officer
  Mobile: 07974 824999
  email: terry.roberts@devon.gov.uk

• Annette Waterlow
  Learning and Development Carer Involvement Project Officer
  Mobile: 07074 824577
  email: annette.waterlow@devon.gov.uk