Skills for Care Workforce Strategy: Train

Over the past several months, I had the privilege of participating in the development of the new Skills for Care Workforce Strategy. During this time, many people reached out to me, seeking my insights on the strategy's three key strands. In response, I've decided to publish a three-part series that delves into these core elements, explores the recommended actions, and discusses potential future changes for managers, teams, and organisations alike.

For those interested in learning more about the Skills for Care Workforce Strategy, I recommend reading part one of this series which focuses on the “Attract and Retain” strand.

In this blog, I will focus on the "Train" strand. Below, I outline the commitments made by Skills for Care and its partner organisations, share the recommendations, and offer my own thoughts on these developments.

Career Development: Recommendations 1-6

1. Regulator signposting to what good looks like in learning development (CQC and Skills for Care)

2. Roll out of a Care Workforce Pathway (DHSC and Skills for Care)

3. DHSC to work collaboratively with health and social care systems to support person-centred, safe and effective delegated healthcare activities

4. Funding of new skills

5. Development of adult social services directors

6. Streamlining of training

Having worked in social care for 19 years, I’ve often heard from staff who feel unsupported in their career development, so it’s encouraging to see new recommendations and commitments in this area. It’s surprising that in such a regulated sector, staff training isn’t consistently monitored, leaving it up to individual providers. However, by 2025, there will be greater emphasis on training and career development from our regulator, Skills for Care, and the Department of Health and Social Care. Here are my recommendations:

• Review your team’s training using Skills for Care’s statutory and mandatory training guide.
• Evaluate your training methods by seeking feedback from your team on their effectiveness. Aim to combine face-to-face and e-learning approaches.
• Assess additional training needs based on the needs of those you support. Involve your team in identifying these areas.
• Take advantage of informal training, as it remains unregulated, and consider upskilling sessions with district nurses, fire teams, hospice staff, and other health colleagues.
• Maintain a clear training matrix that outlines the required training and refresher schedules.
• Prepare for mandatory dementia training by finding a suitable provider and planning how to incorporate it into your service, in line with the Dementia Training Standards Framework.

Training and Development: Recommendations 7-8

7. Continue the Care Certificate

8. Development of a pathway and programmes to sit alongside qualifications, to support employers to ensure that, within the next five years, 80% of direct care staff are competent to level 3 within their first three years in role. 

Skills for Care clarify that while they don't require all staff to achieve a Level 3 qualification within three years, providers should ensure their teams reach this level of competency. These recommendations align with proposals in the Recruit and Retain strategy, particularly on pay scales. Here’s how you can get ahead:

• Reintroduce the Care Certificate if you've stopped delivering it. The goal is for 80% of new direct care staff to hold this qualification within five years, so starting now will help you meet this target.
• Monitor New Zealand's approach to aligning workforce skills with the assessment of people’s needs. Their experience can offer valuable insights when similar strategies are implemented in England.
• Assess and address additional training needs based on the needs of those you support, and involve your team in identifying these areas.
• Offer apprenticeships and opportunities for your staff to upskill.
• Ensure compliance with the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS), a free online service that allows you to claim training costs, maintain your training matrix, and benchmark your organisation against others. Learn more about ASC-WDS.

Apprenticeships: Recommendation 9

There is a compelling case for investing in apprenticeships to attract a younger workforce to adult social care. However, reform is needed, as the current model isn't working. Since 2016, apprenticeships have declined by 75%, with over 60% of staff dropping out of Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships, and 70% from Level 5. Supporting our staff through their qualifications is crucial. Here are some recommendations:

• Ensure staff fully utilise their 20% study time.
• Assign a mentor or be available to support learners throughout their qualification.
• Provide support and reassurance for the end-point assessment, which has contributed to high dropout and failure rates.
• Choose a reliable apprenticeship provider to avoid issues like bankruptcy that could leave your team without support.
• Ensure compliance with the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) to claim training costs and access additional resources.

Improving the supply of training: Recommendations 10-14

10. Ensure high-quality training

11. Increased awareness and signposting of NHS England’s free functional skills offering.

12. Programmes to upskill and train social care staff on the use of digital, data, technology and AI in social care to be developed by early 2025 (The Association of Colleges and the Association of Employment and Learning Providers)

13. Skills for Care to consider how to improve quality in the learning market

14. DHSC should have a three-year funding plan for training to allow the sector to plan.

Skills for Care has recognised the rise of online learning since the pandemic, but not all of it meets high standards. With more adult social care training providers facing financial difficulties, the market is shrinking. Here’s what you can do:

• Review your organisation’s current training offerings: Are they meeting expectations? Do they effectively upskill your staff? Are they engaging and something staff want to attend? Ensure training isn’t just a tick-box exercise.
• Explore training in AI, digital, and data skills. There is plenty of funding available, and it's worth looking beyond social care.
• Research reliable training providers with a strong track record, like Care Business Associate Training, which supports multiple sectors with a wide range of courses.
• Collaborate with local providers to share training costs.

Regulated professional workforce: Recommendations 15-24

15. DHSC, DfE, SWE, BASW and Skills for Care should collaborate on new role categories such as social work assistants or consultant social workers (2025)

16. Community of Practice: SWE, BASW, ADASS and Skills for Care to foster opportunities for sharing good models of multidisciplinary working across regulated professions in adult social care

17. Invest in the development of occupational therapists

18. Develop a national career and skills framework for adult social care occupational therapy (2025) including advanced practitioner roles to support career progression, transferability of knowledge, skills and capability across integrated care systems (ICSs).

19. Develop a strategy to improve continual professional development (CPD) and supervision of occupational therapists to grow the workforce 

20. Develop and implement a career framework for registered nurses working in adult social care 

21. Employers to develop employer-funded preceptorship programmes for newly registered nurses and nursing associates transitioning into their roles 

22. Adult social care to be promoted in higher education

23. Registered nurse-led research opportunities should be devised.

24. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) should establish a standard process for registered nurses and nursing associates working in social care (including students)

It's encouraging to see social care nurses and therapists recognised in the workforce plan, though I'm concerned that Skills for Care has overlooked physiotherapists. Nurses and therapy staff receive training with a strong focus on supervision, continuous development, and accountability as part of their professional registration. It will be interesting to see how these recommendations impact social care. Over the next decade, therapists and health professionals are likely to play a greater role in meeting people's needs. Here are some actions to consider:

• Offer nurse or therapy apprenticeships: This can enhance service delivery, especially if you don't currently have these roles, and raise awareness of social care among those in training, potentially drawing more people into the sector.
• Engage with your local Social Care Nurse Advisory Council if you employ nurses.
• Implement a clear career pathway within your organisation.
• Partner with educational institutions such as local colleges, high schools, or universities.
• Offer work experience opportunities for these roles in your services.

Leadership and Management: Recommendations 25-29

25. Implementation of a roadmap for social care, outlining clear expectations for leaders and managers

26. Professional body for registered managers to be costed which would include a code of conduct, competency and development framework to include degree and master’s level qualifications.

27. Enhanced support programmes to be implemented for new managers, occupational therapists and social workers, similar in style to the ASYE programme for newly qualified Social Workers

28. Skills for Care, supported by DHSC, will ensure that it is a requirement for care services to be led by a qualified registered manager with a minimum foundation degree qualification (level 5)

29. CQC to consider how the registration process for registered managers assures that people are equipped and competent to be successful in that role, and able to deal with the considerable responsibilities and requirements on them.

I welcome the commitment to developing new managers and appreciate Skills for Care’s four recommendations in this area. The fifth recommendation, urging the CQC to review its ‘Fit Person’ process, is particularly important. In recent years, we've seen an increase in unscrupulous providers exploiting the system, only to re-emerge under new names. I hope the revised fit person process, along with stricter CQC monitoring, will help eliminate this issue.

Here are some steps you can take for your organisation:

• Join the CQC Go Vocal platform to share your views on upcoming changes, including the fit person process. You can join Go Vocal here [link].
• Review your induction programme for managers to ensure it meets current standards.
• Evaluate development opportunities for managers to network and upskill.
• Support managers in joining their local Skills for Care Registered Manager network, including the new network for deputies.
• Consider allocating time for senior staff to watch The Caring View weekly to enhance their knowledge and inspire innovation in service delivery.
• Facilitate connections between managers in multi-service organisations to share insights and strategies.
• Offer Level 5 Health and Social Care qualifications to senior staff, deputies, and managers.
• Provide Leadership and Management qualifications to strengthen leadership within your organisation.
• Ensure clear career pathways linked to training and development programmes.
• Explore the ASYE programme for newly qualified Social Workers to understand future expectations for new managers, occupational therapists, and social workers.

Many providers are likely already implementing some of these practices, but there may still be areas worth exploring. I strongly recommend creating a document that outlines all relevant Skills for Care recommendations, along with an overview of your current practices and plans for addressing or enhancing these areas. This approach will not only improve your service but also provide valuable evidence for your next inspection, demonstrating your commitment to Skills for Care's recommendations and your dedication to continuous improvement.

If you’d like to learn more about the Skills for Care Workforce Strategy, you can find it here.