Through its £500 million support package, the UK government is making hundreds of thousands of training opportunities available for social care staff over the next three years, the Department of Health and Social Care has announced.
The Workforce Development Fund has also been confirmed for a further year (spanning 2022-23) which will offer even more career progression opportunities.
Over 2020-2, the Workforce Development Fund helped over 14,000 care workers progress their careers.
Ministers are now working with social care providers on plans for further staff training and support, which includes the development of a new knowledge and skills framework.
The framework is intended to set out clear pathways for progression in a bid to resolve the industry staffing crisis.
Using some of the £500 million announced in the Spending Review, the government will open talks with the industry and training providers regarding contracts to ensure that social care staff are privy to the best possible learning and development opportunities from next April.
Some of the opportunities will include financial support to help social care workers with the costs of continued training; a new Care Certificate qualification which removes the need for care workers to repeat training when they switch roles (with more than 100,000 training places funded by government); and a new digital hub and skills passport for the social care workforce.\
Care and mental health minister, Gillian Keegan, said that the new training and development plans would help recruit and retain more social care staff.
She said: “Dedicating your life to caring for others is not just a job, it is a calling, but it also needs to be a career.
“We know how hardworking social care staff are and they deserve our support in developing their skills through training.
“Better training ultimately means better care for residents and a better future for staff.”
The new framework will clearly outline the knowledge, skills, expected behaviours and values required to have a career in social care, as well as setting out progression and development pathways.
Ministers say that there will be additional funding for Level 5 managers to help access further training, while registered managers who do not hold a Level 5 or equivalent qualification will have access to a funded Diploma in Leadership and Management in Adult Care.
The government has also declared that it will invest in those wishing to secure qualifications at Levels 2-4, to ensure everyone working in social care is able to train and acquire qualifications at any level.
Deborah Sturdy, the chief nurse for adult social care, commented: “A key priority when I took on this role was to improve training and career opportunities for our hard working staff.
“Providing care is a skill which requires nurturing and if we want to retain the best of the profession we need to care for them too.
“The skills framework will offer progression and improved opportunities which all our staff deserve.”
Professional development opportunities will be made available for workers who want to remain in their current roles but develop further skills. As well as practical training, such as stroke awareness and mental health care training, this will include leadership training to help foster positive professional development cultures within care companies.
Photo by Luke Jones on Unsplash
