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

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 been a substantial decrease in adult social care apprenticeship starts, falling by over 76% from nearly 100,000 in 2016/17 to 23,420 in 2023/24. This represents a 5% decrease compared to the previous year, contrasting with a 1% increase in all apprenticeship starts. The market share of adult social care apprenticeships has also fallen significantly, from 20% in 2016/17 to 7% in 2023/24.

Low achievement rates

Well under half of those starting adult social care apprenticeships complete and pass them. The achievement rate was 38.7% in 2022/23, significantly lower than the average across all apprenticeships (54.6%). This highlights challenges in retention and completion within the sector’s apprenticeship programs.

Reasons for low participation and achievement

Several factors contribute to these trends, including low apprenticeship funding rates potentially leading to poor quality provision, difficulties for employers (especially homecare providers) in accommodating the 20% off-the-job training requirement and supervision needs. The absence of backfill funding for off-the-job learning also creates pressure. Concerns exist regarding the suitability of current apprenticeship standards to reflect the breadth and depth of required skills. Additionally, the lack of other funded training options may lead to unsuitable candidates starting apprenticeships.

Demographic profile of apprentices

The majority (81%) of adult social care apprenticeship starters in 2023/24 were aged over 24. The proportion of younger starters (under 25) has decreased. The sector also sees a higher proportion of female starters (83%) and an increasing proportion of starters identifying as having learning difficulties or disabilities (17% in 2023/24).

Popular apprenticeship standards

The Lead Adult Care Worker (9,490 starts) and Adult Care Worker (6,240 starts) apprenticeships were the most popular in 2023/24. There were also around 1,390 starts in the Social Worker degree apprenticeship (Level 6).

Levy funding

Three in five (60%) of adult social care apprenticeships were supported by levy funds in 2023/24, lower than the average for all apprenticeships (68%). The Social Worker degree apprenticeship had the highest proportion of levy-funded starts (98%).

Regional variations

The South East had the highest proportion of adult social care apprenticeship starts (17%), while London and the North East had the lowest (6%). Apprenticeships appear to be under-represented in London compared to the distribution of filled posts.

Comparison with other sectors

Adult social care has a higher proportion of Level 5 apprenticeship starts compared to comparable sectors like administration, hospitality, retailing, and service enterprises. However, its retention, pass, and achievement rates in 2022/23 were generally lower than these sectors.

Apprenticeships and the workforce (ASC-WDS Data)

As of March 2024, apprentices in the adult social care workforce were more likely to be in manager roles compared to the overall workforce. Apprentice care workers had a similar median hourly rate (£11.00) and employment status (permanent contracts, full-time/part-time hours, zero-hours contracts) as non-apprentice care workers.

Strategic implications

The report highlights a critical need to overhaul adult social care apprenticeships, addressing both content and funding, to realise their potential for attracting and retaining staff. Understanding the reasons for low completion rates and the demographic profile of apprentices is crucial for designing effective learning and development strategies.

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