Government Funding Available For Employers Accessing The New Open Awards Adult Social Care Course

Government Funding Available For Employers Accessing The New Adult Social Care Course By The Liverpool City Region's Open Awards

The Open Awards team behind the development of the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, from left - Validation Officer Irene Oliver, Head of Development Julie Goodwin and Director of Business and Development Nina Hinton (Credit: Supplied/Image was provided to The Liverpudlian to share, courtesy of the Publicist on behalf of their client. We make no claim to this content).

Adult social care sector employers can access up to £1,500 of funding for staff enrolled on a new training course offered by Open Awards.

The Liverpool-based awarding body has launched the new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate to support government plans to develop the domestic care workforce and standardise training across the sector.

Carers who complete the programme cover a selection of topics ranging from exploring the basics of the role to key areas of care including safeguarding, basic life support and infection prevention.

'Care offered by this important sector of the workforce helps to maintain quality of life for people who need assistance while continuing to live in their own home.' - Heather Akehurst OBE, Open Awards Chief Executive.

Open Awards Chief Executive, Heather Akehurst OBE, said: 'This new qualification will help to support the government’s aim of improving and standardising the training that is available to carers who play such a vital role in our communities.'

She added: 'Care offered by this important sector of the workforce helps to maintain quality of life for people who need assistance while continuing to live in their own home.'

Open Awards Chief Executive Heather Akehurst OBE (Credit: Supplied/Image was provided to The Liverpudlian to share, courtesy of the Publicist on behalf of their client. We make no claim to this content).

Heather, said: 'We believe this course will help to improve career pathways for carers and ensure that service users receive the best care possible.'

She said: 'Financial support the government is offering will help to drive adoption of this new approach to social care training, and we would urge employers to seize this opportunity to access funds to upskill their teams.'

Open Awards developed the new programme to support plans from the Department for Health and Social Care, and Skills for Care - the strategic workforce development and planning body for adult social care in England - to develop the domestic care workforce.

Government funding totalling £50 million is being made available to support training the 37,000 workers in direct adult social care roles.

Announcing the plans in January, Minister for Social Care, Helen Whately, said: 'The workforce is the heartbeat of the social care sector and staff should be given the recognition and opportunities they deserve. These changes will give brilliant care workers the chance to develop rewarding careers in social care.'

She added: 'Turnover of staff is lower where there is access to learning opportunities to gain skills and qualifications, according to social care workforce development body Skills for Care. Investing in better training and supporting staff to develop their careers will act as an incentive for people to join or stay in the workforce.'

To be eligible to complete the programme, learners must be employed full-time or part-time in a suitable role within an adult social care setting. The programme is open to both domestic and international workers aged 19 or over.

'Completing this qualification will give both employers and service users additional confidence that the staff we employ understand their role, have a strong understanding of how to deliver compassionate and safe care, and have invested time in their career development.' - Denise Wherton, Training Manager at Staffordshire-based provider Nexxus Care.

Employers will be linked with a training provider, and learners required to complete a portfolio of evidence showing they have the required knowledge and skills to meet 15 care standards set out by Skills for Care.

Denise Wherton, Training Manager at Staffordshire-based provider Nexxus Care, said: 'We’re very excited about the launch of this new course and the opportunity it provides to support the development of our workforce.'

Denise added: 'Completing this qualification will give both employers and service users additional confidence that the staff we employ understand their role, have a strong understanding of how to deliver compassionate and safe care, and have invested time in their career development.'

Open Awards provides Ofqual-regulated qualifications across a range of sectors. Its qualifications are used across a range of education settings including Further Education, schools, sixth-form colleges, prisons, private training providers and third-sector organisations.

To find out more about the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, or how to become a training provider, visit the Open Awards website. Employers who choose to put their staff through the programme can claim funding of up to £1,500 per employee from June 2024 until March 2025.