Significant blow to social care sector as workforce training fund cancelled

Responding to the government's decision to discontinue the Adult Social Care Training and Development Fund, Nuffield Trust Deputy Director of Policy, Natasha Curry said:

"Taking away limited funding that had been set aside for upskilling and training much needed social care staff looks desperately shortsighted and is a significant blow for the sector. This, taken on top of the indefinite delay to a cap on social care costs announced by the Chancellor, looks like yet another troubling decision to deprioritise social care in order to plug gaps in health funding.

"We urgently need to invest in staff to reinforce the skills required to build a strong and sustainable workforce that can meet growing and changing need in our society. Having aspirations to implement a care career pathway and encourage uptake of a new care qualification will remain mere aspirations unless dedicated investment underpins them. 

"The new government states that it is committed to the workforce and long-term plans for social care reform. We now need to see concrete action to reassure that these promises are not simply rhetoric. Sadly, so far what we have seen is consistent with social care continuing to play poor relation to the NHS."

Ends.

Notes to Editor:

The Minister of State for Care's statement is available here