ABSTRACT
It was clear from the five research projects that the extent and quality of workplace learning in all our research sites was being affected, to a greater or lesser extent, by the influence of government policies. This chapter illustrates the impact of policy interventions through a discussion of case-study examples from three of the research projects. The chapter is divided into three main sections. The first considers direct intervention in the UK social-care sector through the development and application of occupational standards in domiciliary care. As this has resulted in careworkers being required to attain National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), we examine the ways in which the competencebased model has affected both workers and clients. Drawing on research in the school teaching profession, the second section outlines the impact of direct and indirect policy interventions. Finally, the third section considers the impact of subcontracting on learning opportunities and the nature of the learning environment in cleaning departments in the National Health Service.
