Competence profiles assessment for learning supporters of professionals providing care for older people – presentation of ComPro project

As a result of labour migration to the old EU countries the nursing staff in the residential and social care institutions in Poland is being extensively repalced by care assistants who are less knowledgable and competent in providing care for the elderly. Moreover the in-job education is poorly developed in those institutions and the position of an in-job educator is not clearly defined. It is observed that competences of the injob educator should be defined and promoted to improve the process of in-job education. This problem has been addressed by the muliticenter study conducted in the framework of a European ComPro project (Competence Profiles for Learning Supporters in Elderly Care) funded by Leonardo da Vinici program (2006–2008). The main goal of the project was to develop the self-assessment tool for persons responsible for in-job education of professionals caring for older persons in social care institutions. In order to help them recognize the deficit competencies the in-job educators should be specially trained to effectively detect professionals’ educational needs.