Skills for Care consult on future of adult workforce funding

Workforce development body Skills for Care has launched a consultation on the future of a Department of Health fund it channels into adult social care training.

The consultation will examine how the Training Strategy Implementation (TSI) fund can be reviewed to take account of the significant changes currently taking place in the sector, notably the government’s agenda to personalise care.

Skills for Care wants to know whether TSI funding should be extended to cover a wider range of qualifications. Currently it can only be used to fund NVQs in health and social care, the achievement of the common induction standards for social care and a few other qualifications.

Social work degree

Skills for Care is asking whether it should also cover, among others, the social work degree and post-qualifying awards, teacher and learner support qualifications or specialist units for personal assistants directly hired by service users.

It is also asking how TSI should be delivered – whether, as now, through “lead partner” employers in each region to other organisations, or directly to eligible employers.

Skills for Care chief executive Andrea Rowe said: “There is no doubt that TSI funding has made a significant difference to workforce development across the sector and we want to use this consultation to make sure it is targeted to close skills gaps effectively and is fit for purpose in a rapidly changing social care sector.”

The consultation closes on 12 September.

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