Developing skills in the justice sector

In this article from the Spring 2007 issue of Directions Steve Batty gives an overview of the work of Skills for Justice, the sector skills council for the justice sector.

Sector skills councils are independent, UK wide, employer-led organisations, developed to tackle the skills and productivity needs of their sectors. Together the 25 sector skills councils cover 85% of the UK workforce.

Skills for Justice was licensed on 1 April 2004 as the sector skills council for the justice sector. By providing a coordinated approach we hope to break down the functional silos that have hampered the sector in the past. Our overall aim is to assist the justice sector in developing a workforce with world class skills, enabling the highest levels of performance in public, private and voluntary organisations across the UK, in all subsectors.

This involves:

• reducing skills gaps and shortages
• improving productivity, business and public service performance
• increasing opportunities to boost the skills and productivity of the sector’s workforce
• developing and reviewing National Occupational Standards in order to inform and improve learning supply, including apprenticeships
• Awarding Body and higher education provision

The justice sector encompasses a wide range of essential public services, delivered by the public, private and voluntary sectors. Half a million people work in the sector, either as employees or as volunteers, in services such as community justice, court services, custodial care, customs and excise, the police and prosecution services. Since its inception Skills for Justice has been engaging with its key partners, developing a clear understanding of the current and future skills needs of the workforce.

One of the key pieces of ongoing work is the review of National Occupational Standards (NOS) for the sector. A comprehensive suite of NOS units has been developed in consultation with employers and is being applied in many ways, such as the compilation of job role profiles and the design of learning programmes. Qualifications for the justice sector are also being developed and reviewed on an ongoing basis – see the map of qualifications on the Skills for Justice website for details.

The Leitch Review highlights the need for sector skills councils to work closely with higher education, where their role is to representing employers. Skills for Justice has already formed good working relationships with many key organisations, including the Quality Assurance Agency, Foundation Degree Forward, HEFCE, UKCLE and numerous universities. One example of Skills for Justice and higher education working together is the Diploma in Probation Studies (DipPS), the recognised qualifying award for probation officers in England and Wales.

In response to employer needs Skills for Justice has developed a quality mark for learning and development – the Skillsmark. Employers were unhappy that learning provision often did not meet their needs, wanting assurance that their training investments would meet their expectations. Skillsmark is awarded to learning providers who have gone through a rigorous assessment process and have been recognised as providing high quality learning programmes, relevant to the needs of the justice sector.

Skillsmark has two parts:

1. Recognition – awarded to learning providers at an organisational level.
2. Endorsement – awarded to individual learning programmes.

Skillsmark has three main purposes:

1. Provision of information – on the most suitable courses for employees.
2. Accountability – the justice sector spends a great deal on education and training. Demonstrating that it is fit for purpose helps show that value for money is being ensured.
3. Enhancement of provision – all quality mark schemes enable good practice to be shared, and Skills for Justice will enable this wherever possible. The focus on occupational standards will enhance courses that are designed to meet employment needs.

Skillsmark is based on five key principles:

• to provide a quality mark for use within the justice sector
• to embrace all providers of education and training
• to develop a two step licensing framework (recognition and endorsement)
• to ensure the process is evaluative and based on evidence presented
• to keep bureaucracy to a minimum by using third party quality assurance reports wherever applicable

Last Modified: 9 July 2010