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

Information, advice and assistance (IAA) workers are responsible for signposting or providing information to the public at their first point of contact with the care and support system. They may also provide advice and assistance, which will include a proportionate assessment.

The IAA 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 (the Act) provided the basis for a 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 competency framework is a set of standards that describe the knowledge, understanding and skills a worker will have to meet their job requirements. The framework is a resource for local authorities to strengthen worker competence and meet their legal duties related to IAA services.

• It brings a worker’s role in line with the organisation’s aims

• It supports supervision and appraisal processes. It can also support a career pathway for workers, by completing sections of the framework applicable to their role may enable further professional development and progression to wider roles within the IAA service and beyond.

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.

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.

Local authorities should map the roles of their IAA workforce against the standards to establish which would apply to individual workers.

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:

• 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
  
• qualification attainment, for example the level 4 Social Services Practitioner.

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.

For those who are carrying out the IAA role that doesn’t include involvement in care and support planning (assessment, planning and review), a range of learning modules developed for the City and Guilds Level 4 Social Services Practitioner qualification can be used to support the IAA framework.

Because aspects of the role are similar, the IAA framework Standards are based on the SSP qualification. Even though the IAA role doesn’t involve carrying out the full function (assessment), other functions are the same.

The modules are freely accessible to local authorities and any other agencies involved in providing information, advice and assistance to meet people’s needs. These learning resources are 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 accessible through the Health Care Learning Wales website, in the Level 4 Social Services Practitioner qualification resources section.

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.

This is a live document and the standards set out in the framework may be updated as resources are developed. Any new versions will be numbered and dated.

Information on The SSP qualification is available here.

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