Workforce Development Fund

The Workforce Development Fund (WDF) is funding from the Department of Health and Social Care disseminated by Skills for Care. It is distributed in Norfolk by N&SCS.

The fund allows you to claim back money towards the costs of workers completing a broad range of adult social care qualifications and learning programmes. This includes money towards the cost of course fees (or employer contributions) and associated costs, such as employees’ salaries whilst they are undertaking training, coaching and mentoring costs, venue costs for the training and wage replacement costs.

Step 1: Join the Norfolk Workforce Development Partnership

All adult social care employers in Norfolk can join the Norfolk Workforce Development Partnership. If you wish to join, download and complete a Partnership Membership Form and a 2019/20 Service Level Agreement and send them to N&SCS. These can be sent in the post or emailed to Katy Michie. A single set of forms completed by a parent company can cover groups of establishments by using the labelled boxes at the end of the form.

For existing partners, a new Partnership Membership Form is not required, however a signed 2019/20 Service Level Agreement will be needed before you can claim funding.

Step 2: Complete your Adult Social Care - Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) (the new name for the NMDS-SC)

Employers must have updated their ASC-WDS records to the required level since 1st April 2019. The requirements to be eligible can be downloaded from the left of this page.

If you are have any questions or need further advice then call the Support Service on 0113 241 0969 or email ascwds-support.@skillsforcare.org.uk. Their helpful team will be happy to guide you.

Step 3: Claiming

Once your membership has been confirmed, and your ASC-WDS is up to date, you will be able to claim. To do this, you will need to send the following to N&SCS. These can be posted or emailed.

Learner Record Form

This is a cover sheet for the claim stating who the claim is for and what qualifications are being claimed. All boxes on the form must be completed.

Evidence

A copy of the learner’s certificate showing the complete qualification. This must be dated in 2019.

Once you have sent your claim and evidence to N&SCS your claim will be processed and sent to Skills for Care. Any queries with the claim will be addressed with you before being forwarded. You will usually hear about your claim within 1-2 weeks of receipt and receive the funding within 4-6 weeks.

If you have any questions about claiming please call the N&SCS office and chat to a member of the team. We are very happy to talk you through the process.