The Government has announced a support package worth hundreds of thousands of pounds in an effort to tackle the social care staffing crisis.
The £500m Workforce Development Fund, which funds training opportunities for social care staff, has been approved for an additional year.
The announcement comes amid growing concern over the shortage of staff in the social care sector.
The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee recently said billions of pounds ‘urgently’ needed to be injected into the system to meet both short-term and long-term needs, including dealing with the staffing crisis.
In 2020/21 the Workforce Development Fund, financed by the Department of Health and Social Care and disseminated by Skills for Care, helped more than 14,000 care workers from more than 2,300 establishments to progress their careers, according to the Government.
The £500m confirmed today will go towards helping adult social care employers with the costs of continued professional development (CPD) for registered nurses and other allied health professionals.
It will also fund 100,000 training places for new care workers to complete the Care Certificate qualification, and will help fund a digital hub and skills passport for the workforce.
Minister for care and mental health Gillian Keegan 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.’
