International workforce Sample Clauses

International workforce. Changes in national policy with regard to immigration (particularly of people with low skills) will have a relatively large impact on social care, particularly if there are also trends in UK staff migrating abroad to work, which appears to be the case. This would mean that the UK social care workforce is effectively operating within an international market in a way not seen previously, and will need to respond accordingly. In June, 2004, the UK Department of Trade and Industry completed a public consultation on a draft European Union (EU) directive. The resultant EU directive54 affects many sectors, including health and social care and has profound implications for such provision in all 25 EU member states because it has to be transposed into national law. At the heart of the directive is a set of prohibitions or limitations on governmental rules and regulations affecting a range of issues from the requirement to recognise member countries’ training and qualifications, to the way services are described, as either public services or economic activities. The inclusion of health and social care in the economic activity category is the first explicit statement by the 54 See DfES web page on EU directive and qualifications recognition xxxx://xxx.xxxx.xxx.xx/europeopen/ Commission that it views them as commodities, which can and should be traded across the borders of the Union. The European Directive 92/51/EEC makes provision for the designated Authority (GSCC) to test the ability of an applicant to the register against substantial gaps identified in their formal qualifications supplemented by their professional experience.55 The GSCC has responsibility for social work registration and qualification recognition and has introduced an aptitude test to meet the Directive. Where necessary, additional training as a period of assessed practice in the UK is required, supervised by a senior officer in a social work setting and can include taught input through in- service training or links with HEI modules. It will allow international workers to acquire the knowledge and skills which they lack but which are considered essential for the practice of the profession in the UK. It is the responsibility of applicants to secure these arrangements and guidance is given on what would be acceptable to the GSCC56.