Thing 3: Why digital?

Posted by on

In this Thing, you will explore why you, your employer and service users might benefit from developing digital capabilities.

Open Badge Information

Open Badge: SSSC 23 Things Digital – Thing 3: Why digital?

Introduction

In a digital world, the expectations of social service employers, the workforce and the people who use social services are changing. It’s becoming more and more important that the workforce is suitably equipped by developing its digital capabilities.

Instructions

a) Look at this snapshot review of the digital skills and capabilities of the adult social care workforce. Consider whether the key findings accurately represent your experience as a member of the social services workforce in Scotland.

b) Complete this short self-assessment scoresheet to establish your own perception of your digital capabilities, your confidence in applying them, and the extent to which you feel they are relevant to your role in social services.

c) At the SSSC, we believe that:

  • The workforce should be enabled to take advantage of the huge range of learning opportunities afforded by embracing digital learning.
  • We must work to avoid the emergence of a two-tier workforce, characterised by those who apply their digital capabilities to their everyday learning and practice, and those who “don’t do technology”.
  • Service users should expect and be enabled to take advantage of the digital opportunities in society.
  • A skilled and confident workforce needs to develop its own digital capabilities in order to support people to this end.
  • Social services workers should be able to develop and apply their digital capabilities to support their own learning as well as their everyday practice.

Spend some time thinking about the difference between your learning and your practice and what this means in terms of your motivation to develop your digital capabilities.

d) Blog

Write a blog post that covers your thoughts about the above activities and how you think a digitally capable workforce can help to improve the lives service users.