Basic Skills

What is it and who is it for?

Basic Skills is a complex area and not one which has an easy definition. It generally refers to the identified needs of adults who are not yet functioning competently in Literacy, Numeracy or ESOL.

What does it involve?

When a candidate begins the NVQ Health and Social Care, there will be an initial Basic Skills assessment. This might be an on-line assessment or one administered by the training provider.

If a need is identified, training providers may:

1. refer the candidate to a totally separate Basic Skills programme, which would involve attendance at a number of group sessions
2. partially embed the Basic Skills curriculum into the NVQ. However, as  Basic Skills programmes are now quite prescriptive, they are related to the Care sector wherever possible but cannot always be delivered in a Care specific context

If a stand-alone Basic Skills qualification is required, contact Learn Direct whose details are on the Useful Links page of the website

Is there a certificate at the end of it and does it link to national standards?

Yes. It is possible to achieve a generic, nationally recognised qualification within the Basic Skills framework.

Since 2000 there have been national standards for adult literacy and numeracy, and in 2003 it was decided that information and communication technology (ICT) can be just as important to employers, so national standards are now in place for this third skill for life.

The national standards for Basic Skills address the levels of literacy and numeracy among the adult population and form the basis of national accredited qualifications at Entry level, level 1 and level 2. These are offered by a number of awarding bodies (e.g.  City & Guilds, Edexcel etc) through their approved centres.

Which training course should I choose?

This depends on the individual’s specific need and preferred learning style. The range includes

• Attendance at a separate Basic Skills programme
• Following an NVQ programme, which partially embeds Basic Skills into its delivery
• Working through supported learning materials (e.g. SCILS and Learn Direct, whose contact details are on the Useful Links page of the website. NB Managers living in the Portsmouth and Isle of Wight areas can access SCILS materials free of charge.).