Learning and development options to suit your time

We round up some of the learning opportunities available to you depending on whether you have just five minutes, a few hours, a whole day or longer to spare.

We know that there are lots of benefits to investing in learning and development for yourself and your teams.

Ongoing learning and development ensures you keep your skills and knowledge up-to-date and are following current best practice to provide the best-quality care to the people you support.

You may also find that regular training makes you feel more invested and motivated in your role.

Of course, learning and development does take up time and in the busy world of social care time can often feel limited.

To help we’ve rounded up some of the different learning options available to you, whether you only have five-minutes to spare or have time to invest in a longer-term development opportunity.

If you have five minutes

Check out an app for some quick learning and support. Apps offer bite-sized modules of eLearning designed for smart phones and tablets. Often used to quickly refresh or check knowledge, but also great for learning something new over a brew.

If you have 15 minutes

Keep up-to-date with the latest sector news updates. On the Skills for Care website you can find regular blogs and articles including information, ideas and opinions on best practice, policy implementation, and support available.

You can also sign-up to our enews to receive the latest social care updates to your email inbox every fortnight. In this you’ll find the latest sector priorities, new resources, and further learning opportunities.

If you have 30-60 minutes

Take on some eLearning, listen to a podcast, or watch a webinar.

Good quality eLearning can develop your knowledge around a particular topic area and provide ideas and opportunity to improve your practice. We offer a variety of low cost, high-quality, eLearning modules.

Our introductory modules for managers are a suite of eLearning  aligned to the Manager Induction Standards. They contain real-life examples of good practice to support new and aspiring managers understand their role and reflect on their own practice.

The Care Exchange is Skills for Care’s podcasts series celebrating the role of managers in social care.

You can use podcasts to learn from other managers about their experiences in social care, or find podcasts that focus on a particular area of interest, from leadership to marketing.

We have a range of webinars on our website including our registered manager webinars  discussing key issues that managers need to know about.

If you have half a day

Try out networking.

Skills for Care networks for registered managers, deputy managers,  and nominated individuals and CEOs provide regular opportunities to come together with peers to share in learning, challenges and solutions as well as discussing local and national initiatives.

Networks are a place for managers to come together with other managers in their local area, and we know from feedback that managers find this peer support incredibly valuable.

If you have 1 day

Complete a continuing professional development (CPD) programme or attend a conference.

CPD programmes allow you to focus your learning on a particular area of your personal or professional development, alongside people with a similar interest.

Understanding Performance Management is one of Skills for Care’s three CPD programmes delivered by our quality assured endorsed learning providers.

The Managers Conference is an event delivered in partnership between Skills for Care and the National Care Forum.

Conferences are typically attended by managers and other leaders but can also be suitable for the wider workforce when topics are relevant to specific roles.

If you have four days

Do a development programme.

If you can spare a few days over the course of a couple of months, you could use this to complete a really useful development programme.

Development programmes allow you to learn alongside people in similar roles with similar goals. Over a period of several weeks you’ll meet, learn, share, and develop your practice.

Well-led is one of Skills for Care’s three leadership programmes developed in collaboration with the sector and delivered by our endorsed learning providers. The programme is underpinned by models of leadership to enable managers meet expectations of a well-led service.

If you have longer

Complete a diploma qualification.

If you’re able to invest time in a longer-term development option, a diploma qualification can greatly enhance your skills, knowledge, and confidence.

There are a wide variety of qualifications available in adult social care. Diplomas require a long-term commitment to on-the-job learning as well as study, assignments, and assessment.

The Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management in Adult Care is designed for those managing an adult social care service, including the role of registered manager and requires learners to develop and demonstrate an in-depth understanding and effective practice in leadership and management for adult care services.

Find more inspiration and support for learning and development with our #KeepLearning spotlight.

Print this page