While we’re in the middle of an election campaign, you could be forgiven for missing the launch of the new Adult Social Care Certificate.
A result of the Skills for Care commissioning by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), the ambition is to support people to not only remain in the social care workforce but build a rewarding and fulfilling career.
It also offers an opportunity for increased collaboration between training providers and local employers and greater community support for some of the most vulnerable people.
Who is it for?
Adult social care depends on the dedication of millions providing care. But the sector is facing a severe recruitment and retention crisis.
There are more people working in adult social care than the NHS – 1.54 million on average compared to 1.3 million – and the sector’s predicted to grow by almost half a million jobs by 2035. Nevertheless, it faces an average turnover rate of 28.5 per cent per year.
Primarily aimed at those who enter without a qualification, the new Care Certificate is for people currently working in social care without professional certification. According to Skills for Care, this represents more than half (54 per cent) of the workforce.
The DHSC’s ambition is for everyone who works in care to feel valued and recognised. They want to build a workforce of the right size with the right skills to meet the growing need for care and support. This is a difficult ask that’s made more challenging with the news that the original £53.91m for 37,000 fully-funded places has been postponed due to the election.
While I’m disappointed and hope the next government picks this up urgently following July’s outcome, we’ve launched the qualification as we firmly believe that the Adult Care Certificate is a valuable tool in helping to raise standards and professional outcomes.
What will the impact be?
Social care is served by an aging workforce, meaning a pipeline of talent is crucial to maintaining a pool of skilled staff. It’s essential that quality training pathways such as the Care Certificate, which is aimed at those aged 19 and over, encourage younger people into the sector.
Unless they have direct experience of care, it will continue to be unfamiliar to younger workers. Skills for Care reported that only a quarter of the current workforce is aged 25 or under.
A lack of opportunities for progression is also a common criticism, but the new Care Certificate will allow people to explore different types of roles. With training providers and their facilities enhancing delivery, there will be far greater opportunities for professional development.
For example, as well as a package of free resources to support delivery, NCFE is offering an additional funded qualification alongside the Care Certificate, creating opportunities to specialise in areas such as dementia support, end-of-life care or assisting people with learning disabilities.
The new qualification, along with the additional specialist training areas, also brings opportunities for Local Skills Improvement Plans to provide a clear focus on social care requirements, delivered through community partnerships.
Looking ahead
I urge the next government, whoever it may be, to revisit the funding promises as soon as it’s in place. This qualification is not only a much-needed investment in our social care workforce, it’s an investment in the care of the entire nation.
Social care needs more recognition as a professional career, and carers themselves must feel empowered to deliver high-quality care and develop and progress in their careers.
Through recognising skills, more people will be able to visualise a role that is both rewarding in its nature but, crucially, also delivers on providing progression opportunities and the building blocks of a successful career.
We recognise the need to make sure we’re equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills they need to work with some of society’s most vulnerable people. But it’s much more than certification; it’s about empowering our carers to understand the profound impact they have on society.
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