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Workforce Development Funding (WDF) is a funding stream from the Department of Health, disbursed by Skills for Care

Association for Real Change (ARC) is a National Lead Partner disbursing the Workforce Development Fund, on behalf of Skills for Care, throughout the whole of England. The Workforce Development Fund enables Adult Social Care providers to claim funding towards the cost of completed eligible qualifications for their staff.

 

Changes to the Workforce Development Fund for 24/25

 

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have recently announced their plans to develop the adult social care workforce in England as part of their plans for ongoing reform work. The announcement includes details of an uplift to the Workforce Development Fund (WDF), which is for the remainder of the 2023-24 financial year.

DHSC is planning a new learning and development fund for adult social care which will be claimed through a new digital service. DHSC will be working with Skills for Care to put transitional arrangements in place between the new fund and WDF.

The introduction of the new fund will have implications for the WDF which will be scaled down in 2024-25. In 2024-25, all employers will claim directly from Skills for Care, it will only be possible to claim WDF for learning which is already in progress. New learning and development will be claimed through the new fund. More information can be found on the Skills for Care website.

ARC England’s WDF services will come to an end on 31st May 2024. Until then, the partnership agreements will continue as normal and we will continue to process WDF claims as usual.

If you have not already done so, we are asking Partners to complete Partnership forms and return them to us as soon as possible. Please ensure you list all of the Organisations you may wish to make a claim for throughout 2023/24. If you need to add additional establishments, please do so on the Members-Declaration-Form-2023-24 and return to us.

ASC-WDS updates can be completed for the current year by visiting the Skills for Care website click here

We are also asking all organisations to update their ASC-WDS account and to send us a screenshot of your eligibility.  Once we have received your screenshot we can email you a copy of the Claim Form for you to send in any claims you may have.

If you have any questions or you need any help submitting your claims please contact [email protected]