Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 59
59
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 196
Restore social care staff free access to NHS training by July 2023.
Recommendation
Better training and career development pathways in social care will be an essential part of driving recruitment and retention in the sector. The Government must commit to restoring social care staff free access to the same NHS training as community health colleagues by July 2023.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees on the importance of training and development for social care staff, outlining existing funding through Skills for Care and the Workforce Development Fund, and committing to work with partners to identify joint training opportunities.
Paragraph Reference:
196
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government agrees with recommendation 59, insofar that better training and career development pathways in social care will be an essential part of driving recruitment and retention in the sector. In the White Paper People at the Heart of Care, the Government committed to improve social care as a long-term career choice by improving knowledge, skills, health and wellbeing and recruitment policies. Through our continued funding of Skills for Care, the Government provides a range of resources and practical toolkits for social care providers to help them attract, train and retain staff. This includes distributing funding annually through the Workforce Development Fund, which enables employers to bid for financial support towards the training and development of their staff. New learning opportunities, for example, training and online resources to build digital skills in the care sector, are also being provided. Furthermore, we published our Integration White Paper in February 2022 and have committed to work with national and local partners to identify opportunities to remove barriers to collaborative planning and working, to create joint career pathways, and joint learning and training opportunities for the health and social care workforce.