Skills for Care is looking to work with a small number of system partners as part of a Care Workforce Pathway direct support programme.
The Care Workforce Pathway is a comprehensive career framework for adult social care, detailing the knowledge, skills, values, and behaviours essential for delivering high-quality, personalised care and support.
Systems and adult social care providers can use the Pathway to help build a more confident, capable workforce. For system partners, it supports key priorities such as strengthening workforce capability, supporting providers, and enabling more joined-up working across health and care.
The support programme aims to help system partners get started with the Pathway, so they feel able to continue to influence and support local activity at the end of the programme.
About the programme
The programme aims to help system partners to:
- Build shared understanding and alignment.
- Strengthen confidence in the Pathway.
- Support adult social care providers to engage in practical, manageable ways.
- Create the conditions for consistent local Pathway adoption.
What does participation involve?
System partners will need to:
- Nominate a system lead and Pathway champion.
- Convene partners from across the local system to join a small number of focused online and face to face sessions, acting as the system lead and providing a suitable venue to host the in person sessions .
- Develop a basic plan for local activity.
- Deliver one joint adult social care provider activity.
- Use networks to encourage adoption locally.
These are proportionate first steps, not full implementation. You’ll also be asked to share insight and learning.
Who is the programme for?
Workforce, commissioning, and quality leads within system partners who influence the adult social care workforce, including:
- Local authorities
- Integrated Care Boards (ICBs)
- Care provider associations
Important information about the programme
- This is the first year of a phased support approach delivered over three years.
- The systems programme will be delivered from September 2026 to February 2027.
- Limited places are available each year, we are unable to offer direct support to all systems who apply to take part.
- Submitting an application form does not guarantee a place on the programme.
You don’t need to wait for the support programme to adopt the Pathway
You can begin by:
- Building shared understanding across partners.
- Aligning around common language and expectations.
- Using available guidance, learning, and resouces to support local conversations.
Apply now
Thank you for your interest in the direct support programme for system partners.
System partners who have been part of previous Pathway support programmes will not be considered for this programme, as we want to extend this opportunity to system partners who have not previously accessed Pathway support.
Please note there are a limited number of places available.
We will undertake an initial sift of responses and may contact you to request further details to support the next stage of the process.
Applications should be submitted by Thursday 30 July 2026 and you will be informed of the outcome of your application by no later than Friday 7 August 2026.
Please note that we are unable to provide feedback on individual applications.