Discover our new suite of support for delegated healthcare activities

We’ve launched a new range of resources to support with delegated healthcare activities. Find out more about the new support available.

Delegated healthcare activities continue to be a critical area for collaboration between health and adult social care. Over the past year, Skills for Care has been working with local systems, national partners, care providers and people with lived experience to better understand how delegated healthcare is being delivered, what support the workforce needs, and how we can strengthen confidence, clarity and consistency across the sector.

Our National Delegated Healthcare Learning Exchange, held on the 10 March, brought this work together. More than 100 colleagues from across health and social care joined us to explore emerging practice, hear from Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), and reflect on the new set of national resources now available to the sector.

Four new short guides to support safe and appropriate delegation

A key highlight of the Learning Exchange was the launch of our four new short guides, co‑produced with a wide range of sector partners, including professional and regulatory bodies, unions, individual employers, TLAP, and people with lived experience.

The guides are designed for:

• care workers
• regulated healthcare professionals
• provider organisations
• people drawing on care and support

They set out clear, accessible expectations around roles, communication, clinical oversight, competency and review, giving systems a practical foundation for well‑governed delegated healthcare.

Three new Innovations in Practice from local Integrated Care Boards

We also launched three Innovations in Practice, developed through close collaboration with Coventry & Warwickshire, South Yorkshire, and Devon ICBs. These short examples show how different systems are putting governance, clinical oversight and partnership arrangements in place as they develop their approaches to delegated healthcare.

They illustrate the real processes and tools local systems are using and offer practical insights for others at different stages of their journey.

New case studies

Skills for Care has also published new case studies, showcasing examples of delegated healthcare activities in practice from across the country, including:

• supporting people with motor neurone disease through delegated healthcare
• improving care outcomes through structured delegation and training
• delegation of insulin administration in care homes
• post‑fall assessments using the iStumble tool
• using RealWear technology to enable remote clinical support

Together, the case studies show how services are navigating delegated healthcare in practice.

Video case studies themed around the guiding principles

Alongside the written case studies, we've released a set of short videos, filmed at our regional roadshow events. These videos are themed around the four guiding principles and include reflections from providers, care staff, registered professionals and people with lived experience.

They offer a quick, accessible way to see delegated healthcare in action and hear directly from those involved in delivering and receiving these activities.

Learning Exchange insights and national collaboration

The Learning Exchange also featured contributions from members of our National Delegated Healthcare Steering Group, including colleagues from the CQC, Northern Care Alliance and individual employer networks. Their reflections underscored the value of a shared national space for discussion, where partners can explore challenges, test solutions and shape consistent expectations across health and social care.

The event also demonstrated how delegated healthcare links into wider system priorities, including the Care Workforce Pathway, workforce planning, and sector insights captured through the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC‑WDS).

Our new resources are designed to support anyone involved in delegated healthcare activities, from providers and care workers to regulated professionals, commissioners, managers and ICB partners.

We encourage you to explore them and share them with your networks.

Did you know about the CQC assessment framework consultation?

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is currently consulting on their new draft assessment framework. The consultation asks whether the proposed frameworks will lead to clearer, more transparent judgements about quality, help providers understand what CQC will assess, and better identify and address inequalities in care.

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