Partnerships and organisations invited to disburse the Workforce Development Fund 2013/14

News release 28 January 2013

Skills for Care has now opened the application process to allocate Workforce Development Fund (WDF) to large national organisations and lead partners of employer led partnerships.

The WDF supports the achievement of qualification units and the on-going professional development of staff across the adult social care sector. It is a funding stream from the Department of Health disseminated by Skills for Care via a network of employer led partnerships and large national organisations.

Large national organisations are responsible for distributing funding within their organisation to individual establishments.

The lead partner of an employer led partnership is responsible for disbursal of WDF to its members, and for supporting those members to comply with Skills for Care's eligibility criteria and evidence requirements.

In a significant change to the way the WDF is distributed, Skills for Care will now make three year agreements with partnerships in recognition that a longer term commitment will help employers make the most of this fund.

Lead partners must ensure partnerships are open to all members within the adult social care sector, including micro-employers and individual employers (people who employ their own care and support staff). Partnership requirements have been created to set out the criteria lead partners should exercise in disbursing the WDF.

"The Workforce Development Fund has already supported a large number of adult social care employers to create a capable, confident and skilled workforce that will be well placed to deliver high quality care to people who use services," says Skills for Care CEO Sharon Allen.

"The WDF is a scarce resource in these tough economic times and the new three year agreements with partnerships is clear evidence of our commitment to sustained investment in workforce development."

The tender process closes on 22 February 2013 and employers will be able access WDF 13/14 funding from April 2013.

For further information please visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/wdf

Media enquiries:

Paul Clarke: 0113 2411297/ 07977519287. paul.clarke@skillsforcare.org.uk

1. Skills for Care is the employer-led strategic body for workforce development in adult social care in England, which is licensed jointly with its UK allies by UKCES to be the 'Skills for Care and Development' Sector Skills Council (SSC). Both organisations are chaired by Professor David Croisdale-Appleby. The other members of the SSC are the Scottish Social Services Council, the Care Council for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Social Care Council.

2. Skills for Care forms a strategic overview of workforce needs in adult social care, which accounts for nearly 1.68 million workers, spread over 48,300 establishments employing care staff. Skills for Care members are drawn from groups representing public, private and voluntary sector care employers, along with representatives of staff, trainers, service users and informal carers. Social care includes residential care, domiciliary care and social work with all its specialisms.

3. Skills for Care and its SSC allies promote and develop the social care sector's National Occupational Standards which are statements of competence that describe 'best practice'.

4. Skills for Care area networks are major brokers of funding for social care workforce development.