Workforce Development Fund

WDF 2020-21 on hold

*** Update 8/6/20 ***

Following positive discussions with the department around the balance between supporting new staff and continuing development, Skills for Care are now looking at how they will resume funding workforce development training through a revised WDF in the coming weeks. This will be subject to formal confirmation of DHSC funds.

Skills for Care have informed us that Workforce Development Funding (WDF) for the upcoming 2020-21 funding year has been put on hold. An explanation is below. We will update you as soon as we hear what is happening later in the year.

Tendering for Workforce Development Fund 2020-21 was undertaken earlier this year and here at N&SCS we were planning to continue distributing WDF to the Norfolk care sector as we have done for many years. Since that time, the impact of COVID-19 has created a very challenging environment for many social care services as well as more broadly.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is supporting the sector by funding rapid induction for newly recruited workers, volunteers’ induction and essential refresher training for existing staff. This training is being delivered by twelve of Skills for Care’s endorsed providers and is being funded by the Workforce Development Fund.

Skills for Care’s aim, working with DHSC, is to help employers quickly train the new volunteers and recruits (including people redeploying around the sector) they need at this difficult time. These funding arrangements will be reviewed through 2020. 

Skills for Care are also aware that many employers’ training needs will have changed significantly as a result of COVID-19 and that many qualifications have been paused or starts have been delayed.

As a result of the current unprecedented and quickly changing situation, Skills for Care are not in a position to award funding for WDF 20-21 at this stage. They hope that you understand the need to prioritise the finite funding available. They will review the level of funding that has been utilised for the rapid induction and essential training and will provide an update in September in relation to WDF 20-21.

Skills for Care are sorry that they cannot, at this time, give any certainty about the availability of funding over the coming months. They hope that you’ll understand the need to support the sector with the immediate COVID-19 crisis

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.

*** NB. Our WDF 2019-20 funding has now been fully allocated***

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: 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 2: 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 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 or 2020.

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.