Each year, we disburse funding to user led organisations (ULOs) and/or disabled peoples organisations (DPOs) to deliver training for people who employ or contract with personal assistants (PAs).
We’ve successfully awarded 25 organisations to deliver training courses for 2025/26. These courses are fully funded and designed by people with lived experience specifically for individual employers and personal assistants.
Find local and virtual training opportunities for individual employers and personal assistants in our
training directory.
For more information, please contact funding@skillsforcare.org.uk
Aim of the funding
ULO funding grants are awarded to pay for training which will improve the knowledge and skills of personal assistants (PAs) and their employers (individual employers).
- Individual employers are people who employ their own care and support staff using a social care direct payment from their local authority or their own money.
- Personal assistants (PAs) are people who are employed directly by individuals (or families) who require care and support, rather than care providing organisations.
Funding update for 2026/27
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed it will continue supporting the training of individual employers and their personal assistants, including those personal assistants who are self-employed, through a dedicated fund of up to £1 million in the financial year 2026/27.
The funding is available to user-led organisations (ULOs) or disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) only. ULOs/DPOs will use the funding to deliver tailored training for individual employers and personal assistants, helping to ensure that care is personalised and responsive to individual needs.
From 1 April 2026, the fund will be administered by NHS Business Services Authority on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care (formerly administered by Skills for Care).
See the guidance on the application process.
Case studies
PDF - 121 KB
Learn how Disability Positive's Learning Service has helped employers and PAs develop their skills.
PDF - 87 KB
Personal assistant Larissa Pavlova shares how she benefitted from accessing training through ULO funding.
Helpful links
Find support for individual employers and personal assistants.
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