Senior man greeting male care worker making home visit

Skills for Care Announces £3 Million Fund to Develop Managers

As part of its commitment to supporting the development of registered managers, Skills for Care has confirmed that a total of £3 million will be made available to care providers from the Workforce Development Fund to support the professional development of care managers and their deputies.

Following the announcement, Skills for Care chief executive Andy Tilden said ““We’ve been talking to registered managers through our local registered manager networks and engaging through our membership scheme and other initiatives. They’ve been telling us loud and clear that they really need this support.” 

With the role of the registered manager becoming increasingly complex and an estimated 10,000 due to retire in the next 15 years, this funding is essential to ensuring current managers are able to function effectively and the next generation of managers receive the training they will need. Read on to learn more about the Workforce Development Fund and how you can apply for your share of the £3 million training fund.

The Workforce Development Fund (WDF) is funding from the Department of Health and Social Care, managed by Skills for Care. Its aim is to support the provision of high-quality care and the continuing professional development within the adult social care sector by helping to fund learning. The WDF allows you to claim funding towards many of its management development courses including the Lead to Succeed programme for aspiring managers, as well as support with salary costs, coaching and wage replacement costs.

Follow Our 3 Steps to Accessing Funded Training to Develop Your Managers:

  1. Find Out What’s Available: Go to the Workforce Development Fund section of the Skills for Care website where a full list of all courses is available. As well as Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management and the Lead to Succeed programme, the site provides details of a series of new series of management courses, due to be launched in the autumn.
  2. Learn How to Apply: Your route to accessing funding will depend on your location but whichever approach you take, the deadline for application is 28th February 2020. Some providers will be able to apply directly to Skills for Care whilst others work with an employer-led partnership. For full details of funding arrangements for your local authority, contact Skills for Care which will be able to provide further information and advice.
  3. Choose Your Learning Provider: You’re free to use whichever provider you choose for WDF-funded training so feel free to shop around and compare what’s available. Even if a WDF partnership has its own training arm, you’re not obliged to use it and can source your own provider. However, the Skills for Care Endorsement is an indicator of an approved training provider so it’s worth checking the endorsed provider directory of the Skills for Care website as a starting point.