The common core of skills and knowledge
The common core outlines the key skills and knowledge that everyone who works with children and young people is expected to have.
The common core describes the skills and knowledge that everyone who works with children and young people (including volunteers) is expected to have. The six areas of expertise in the common core offer a single framework to underpin multi-agency and integrated working, professional standards, training and qualifications across the children and young people’s workforce.
Full information can be found on the Every Child Matters website
Refresh of the common core
The 2020 Children and Young People’s Workforce Strategy set out a plan to review the six areas of the common core and explore whether they were the right ones. The refresh of the common core took place between July 2009 and March 2010 and was led by CWDC in collaboration with DCSF and other key partners.
The refresh was informed by a thorough consultation including:
- An online questionnaire
- More than 40 discussion groups bringing together members of the workforce from different sectors.
- Focus groups with children and young people with disabilities, and with parents.
- More than 20 one-to-one interviews with government officials and other key stakeholders.
We have produced a report that takes you through the journey we have been on to refresh the common core. You can read the detail of the consultations, see what children, young people, families and carers said and see how your views are now reflected in the refreshed common core.
Download the report now [567.3 KB]
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Recent news
- CWDC refreshes common core of skills and knowledge 24 March
- CWDC has launched a refresh of the common core of skills and knowledge that everyone working with children, young people and families should have.
- CWDC induction training programme for children and young people's workforce practitioners 09 September
- CWDC's induction training programme is designed to meet the broad initial training needs of newly appointed children and young people's workforce staff.
- Your chance to make a difference for children, young people and families 04 August
- We want everyone in the children and young people's workforce to help review the common core.
- Children's Workforce Network (CWN) functional map 03 February
- On behalf of the Children's Workforce Network (CWN), the Integrated Qualifications Framework (IQF) team have recently completed a project to develop a functional map for the children and young people's workforce.
- Children and young people communicate impact of the Common Core 01 August
- CWDC has worked with six groups of children and young people across England to explore how the Common Core is impacting on the roles of their workers. Each group was asked to produce leaflets and posters on the Common Core skills designed from the perspec
- More...