Training plan aims to defuse care timebomb

Elderly population is set to soar

North Lanarkshire Council have backed the creation of a health and social care academy which could create thousands of jobs.

Councillors endorsed a vision for the academy, which is being proposed to deal with the ticking timebomb of a lack of staff in the sector set against increasing demand.

The academy would bring together the council, NHS, voluntary sector and further and higher education partners to create education tailored for the workplace and high-quality jobs.

The health and social care academy would develop and promote a range of entry routes to jobs in the sector.

Health and Social Care North Lanarkshire, working with NHS Lanarkshire, the council and the voluntary sector, would identify skills and competency gaps as part of a large-scale workforce planning exercise and examine the delivery of new and innovative models of care in the future.

Over the next 20 years there will be 36,000 more people aged 75 and over living in Lanarkshire, a rise of 48 per cent.

This will increase the health and social care needs of the population.

Over the same period, the working age population is estimated to decline.

Pathways into the sector under the academy would include schools, further and higher education and direct entry.

Paul Kelly, depute leader of North Lanarkshire Council and a member of the joint integration board for health and social care, said: “It’s clear that we must act now to ensure a sustainable future for the sector.

“When people think about care they often think about home support. That’s a large part of the mix but there are many other roles, from social work to mental health practitioners, that will be required to deliver care.

“In addition we have an opportunity to create a clear pathway to employment for thousands of people in North Lanarkshire and also provide support to the army of unpaid carers who do such a remarkable job every day.”