Briefing notes archive

Health and Social Care skills gaps: What the latest evidence tells us

Posted in Food for Thought on June 17th, 2025

This briefing note outlines the main cross-sector skills challenges identified in Skills England’s sector evidence report, with a focus on their impact on the health and adult social care sector. The report draws on engagement events and national data analysis. Health and adult social care was selected as one of...

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Key Insights on Adult Social Care Apprenticeships (2023/4)

Posted in Food for Thought on April 11th, 2025

This note summarises the critical trends and findings regarding apprenticeships in the adult social care sector, drawing from the Skills for Care analysis of Department for Education data. This information is essential for informing your strategic decisions in workforce planning, recruitment, and training. Significant Decline in Apprenticeship Starts There has...

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A Fair Pay Agreement and workforce impact

Posted in Food for Thought on March 4th, 2025

This briefing note summarises the proposal to establish a Fair Pay Agreements (FPA) process in the adult social care sector, aiming to improve pay and working conditions through sector-wide negotiation, addressing workforce shortages, retention issues, and the impact on care quality and the broader economy as outlined in the government’s...

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Navigating the Better Care Fund

Posted in Food for Thought on February 5th, 2025

The Better Care Fund (BCF) is a vital initiative. It aims to integrate health and social care across the UK. For social care providers, understanding the BCF is essential. This briefing note breaks down the key aspects of the Better Care Fund policy framework 2025 to 2026. It highlights the...

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AI Opportunities Action Plan

Posted in Food for Thought on January 13th, 2025

  In this briefing note, we look at the AI Opportunities Action Plan led by Matt Clifford CBE, tech entrepreneur and Chair of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA). The document has 50 recommendations for government to: grow the UK’s AI sector. drive adoption of AI across the economy...

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How social care is funded in England

Posted in Food for Thought on December 5th, 2024

In this briefing note, we look at how social care is funded in England, drawing upon insights provided by the following reports: CIPFA – Charging for adult social care in England Reform and routes forward UK Parliament research – Funding for adult social care in England The King’s fund –...

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Procurement Act’s impact on delegating healthcare activities in UK Social Care

Posted in Food for Thought on November 22nd, 2024

In this briefing note, we look at how the new Procurement Act 2023 aligns and interacts with the new Adult Social Care Workforce Strategy and the Delegated Healthcare Activities Guiding Principles. What do social care employers need to know to ensure they are aware of the likely impact on their...

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Awareness of proposed Delegated Healthcare Activities is crucial

Posted in Food for Thought on November 15th, 2024

Skills for Care has recently launched its ‘Guiding Principles for Delegated Healthcare’ and employers need to be aware of proposed principles to ensure they provide safe and appropriate care. Here’s why: Understanding the Scope: Delegated healthcare activities are typically clinical in nature and involve tasks usually performed by registered healthcare...

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Skills shortages in the UK economy

Posted in Food for Thought on October 29th, 2024

This briefing note summarises the key findings based on the Edge Foundation report: ‘Skills Shortages in the UK Economy’ bulletin. The report finds there are several key challenges, including a mismatch between the skills that young people are being taught and the skills that employers are looking for, a decline...

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Costs of Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training rollout

Posted in Food for Thought on October 16th, 2024

This briefing note summarises the main costs associated with rolling out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training (OMMT), and the suggested cost per person under Options 1 and 2, as outlined in the provided Department of Health and Social Care impact assessment “Mandatory training on learning disability and autism: code of...

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Insights on training and qualifications in adult social care

Posted in Food for Thought on October 10th, 2024

This briefing note looks at training and qualifications in adult social care, incorporating information about the new workforce strategy taken from the Skills for Care “The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England 2024” The new Workforce Strategy for adult social care in England aims to...

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Key skills challenges and opportunities in England’s social care sector

Posted in Food for Thought on September 30th, 2024

This briefing note outlines key skills challenges and opportunities within the English social care sector, as identified in the “Skills England: Driving Growth and Widening Opportunities” report. It is intended to inform learning and development professionals working within this crucial sector. Current demand and future projections The “Occupations in Demand”...

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Adult Social Care Workforce Strategy in England

Posted in Food for Thought on August 5th, 2024

This briefing document outlines a comprehensive workforce strategy for the adult social care sector in England, acknowledging significant challenges and proposing actionable recommendations to build a sustainable and thriving workforce. Most Important Ideas/Facts A Looming Crisis Demographic Shift: England faces a rapidly aging population, with the number of people aged...

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