Forth Valley College staff have been at the forefront of the new Digital Health and Care Induction Standards online course which was launched today (Wednesday 18 March) by Ivan McKee MSP, Scotland’s Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation.
A joint partnership between FVC, Time for You Care, Able Health Care, Clackmannanshire and Stirling Health and Social Care Partnership and Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership, the new course aims to ensure that digital skills are integrated into the training of care staff across the Forth Valley area to meet the demands of a changing sector.
An investment of £64,744 from the Scottish Government’s College Innovation Fund has helped to support the development of the project, creating a new online training course that will establish digital health and care as a key learning priority for staff and has the potential to reach 3,200 care at home staff who are currently employed across the Forth Valley region. The Forth Valley College project was selected following a highly competitive Scotland-wide bidding process run by the Scottish Funding Council.
Sarah Higgins, Curriculum Manager the Department of Care, Sport and Construction, said: “We are very excited about the launch of this new course which will help train the next generation of care providers and furnish them with the latest skills needed to provide health care in the digital age.
“The introduction of this new course will also increase the opportunities for care service users to engage with digital technologies, which could support them in living more independently in their own home for longer.”
Jane Muir, FVC Lecturer and Project Manager, said: “The care sector in Scotland is reliant on staff competence, with high level skills and knowledge continually required by Scotland’s care workforce to ensure compliance in meeting regulatory requirements. Forth Valley College’s involvement with the development of this course, show that we continue to be at the centre of innovative online learning, working collaboratively with care organisations to offer care staff flexible access to the high quality learning resources they need.
Pauline Barnaby, FVC’s Development and Fundraising Manager, added: “It was fantastic news for the College and our project partners to be awarded the funding following an extremely competitive application process. The project is another great example of the College working in collaboration with a range of partners to promote digital learning across Forth Valley”
Mike Cantlay, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: “Colleges play a crucial role in Scotland’s innovation economy. I am delighted that the College Innovation Fund is supporting projects with the kind of quality and ambition we have seen and heard about today. They each demonstrate colleges’ ability to respond to the needs of local industries and collectively they have the potential to make a real difference to Scotland’s economy and public services.”