Social Services Practitioner qualification
The City & Guilds Level 4 Social Services Practitioner (SSP) qualification is a two-year work-based learning qualification. It’s available through apprenticeship framework funding and has been delivered since September 2022 in south east and south west Wales by two further education institutions.
As a celebration of the achievement of cohort one (pilot) SSP qualification, Neath Port Talbot held an event on 4 September 2024. The event was attended by the students, their managers, tutors from Gower College Swansea and Bridgend College, and practice educators who assessed the students in their workplace. Representatives from the SSP consortium, Social Care Wales and Neath Port Talbot’s director of social services also attended.
The success of the first cohort resulted in the apprenticeship funding being extended to support future cohorts. Cohort two started their two-year programme in September 2023 and cohort three began year one of their two-year programme in September 2024.
This continuity means that more SSP workers can benefit from the comprehensive training and development opportunities, to enhance their knowledge and skills for their roles and future career prospects.
The lessons learned from cohort one (pilot) have helped shape a more effective and inclusive programme for future students. By building on these experiences, it’s committed to providing an excellent learning and development experience that supports the professional growth of all our SSP workers.
Another success of the pilot program is that in April 2024, the Open University confirmed they would accept the City and Guilds Level 4 SSP vocational qualification as the equivalent to their Open University in Wales SSP award, allowing entry to year two of the social work degree.
This means there is the opportunity for career development for those who wish to progress their career into social work.
The Open University has confirmed that one person from the City & Guilds pilot has successfully begun year two of the social work degree. The video case study we have developed below is an example of widening access to higher education and to show the value of higher-level apprenticeships.
The programme has encouraged collaboration among the local authorities across Wales, further education colleges, awarding bodies, practice educators and Social Care Wales. By working together, they’ve created a high-quality programme that not only raises the profile of the SSP qualification but also sets a standard for quality in social work education and training.
