Facilitating Access to the Social Services Workforce

This project, which is funded until September 2009 by the Scottish Government through the ‘Changing Lives’ Workforce workstream, provides mentoring, study skills and other supports as needed to facilitate people from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds in undertaking education and training that will enable them to work in social services.

This project follows a pilot project that was led by the Open University with the involvement of MCFB, Edinburgh University and Stevenson College, and was funded by the South East Forum. The pilot project supported BME learners in undertaking OU ‘Openings’ courses, and evidenced the importance of flexible supports provided by BME mentors to enable marginalised people to achieve their aspirations. This project has been positively evaluated (Link?) It was also written up and presented to the Joint Social Work Education Conference at Swansea in July 2007 (Link) and has been presented at the Voluntary Sector Workforce Unit conference on 8th November 2007 Encouraging a Diverse workforce: Changing Lives Through Passion, Commitment, and Mentoring and also at the PEPE conference in Edinburgh Creative practice and research synergies: changing lives through mentoring and listening to the voices of potentially excluded learners

The new project will focus on BME learners who want to start or continue to work in social services whether in social work, early years or any other part of the social services workforce. We will support them in accessing a wide range of education and training which could include small pieces of learning, vocational courses and academic learning. We will provide information days for members of the public to come and find out what is available and will also work with other organisations to promote partnership working and minimise duplication.

For further information please contact Bina Chaudhry

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