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The Adult Workforce Development Fund (WDF) is a critical resource for care employers, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and disseminated by Skills for Care. In this blog, we will break down the process of accessing the WDF, to provide care employers across England with a clear understanding of how you can utilise this fund to enhance the skills of their teams and improve the quality of care.
What is the Workforce Development Fund?
The WDF contributes towards the costs of vocational learning and the continuing professional development (CPD) of staff within the adult social care sector. It helps employers claim back money for a broad range of qualifications and learning programmes, including digital learning modules, for their paid staff.
Who is eligible?
Any organisation that provides adult social care services and employs paid care staff in England can access the WDF. This includes care providers who have recruited staff from abroad or those working on a Health and Social Care Visa.
Benefits of the WDF
Employers have reported significant improvements in care quality, better meeting of specialist needs, addressing skills gaps, and enhanced staff morale as direct benefits of accessing the WDF.
Funding details
You can claim up to £2,000 per learner per funding year. Funding can be claimed for multiple years to support ongoing development. The costs covered include course fees, employee salaries during training, coaching, mentoring, venue costs, and wage replacement.
Courses covered
All courses listed in the WDF qualifications for the 2023-24 financial year are funded. However, with the launch of a new government fund for training, some courses may shift to this new fund. Learners enrolled before the launch will continue to receive support through the WDF.
The courses covered include our:
- Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care
- Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care
- Level 4 Diploma in Health & Social Care
- Level 5 Diploma in Health & Social Care
- Level 3 Lead Adult Care Worker Apprenticeship
- Level 5 Leader in Adult Care Apprenticeship
Application process
There are two routes to access the WDF:
- Claim funding through a partnership: For those outside specific local authority areas, you can join an employer-led partnership to access the WDF. These partnerships pool workforce development needs and commission training collectively.
- Direct application with Skills for Care: In certain local authority areas, a direct application might be available.
What is changing with the Workforce Development Fund in 2024?
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is developing a new learning and development fund for adult social care, which will be accessible via a new digital service. Skills for Care will not administer the new fund, instead working with the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) on behalf of the DHSC.
Our understanding is that the new fund’s structure is different, allowing direct reimbursement payments to employers. DHSC will provide additional details in the spring. DHSC has set up an email account, ASCreimbursement@dhsc.gov.uk, for any questions concerning the changes.
The implementation of the new fund will have an impact on the WDF, which will be reduced in 2024-25. In 2024-25, WDF will only be available for learning that is currently in progress. This is to ensure employers who have already paid for training and development aren’t left out of pocket.
In the meantime, if you’d like to explore more funding opportunities for learning and development, take a look at our access to Government Funding and European Social Funding here.
