Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of training and support provided to those employed in the care sector.

The Government is working alongside stakeholders in the adult social care sector to ensure there is the right number of people, with the right skills, knowledge and values to meet increasing demand, and deliver high quality, person-centred care and support.

The Department’s delivery partner, Skills for Care, monitors levels of qualifications and training and works to improve standards and increase uptake of training and qualifications for those working in adult social care. This includes distributing £12 million a year through the Workforce Development Fund to support employers fund training.

We know that there is more that we can do, and the Government will publish a Social Care Green Paper at the earliest opportunity setting out proposals for reform to ensure the social care system is sustainable for the future. It will include a vision for the workforce, and proposals to boost recruitment, retention, and workforce development in the longer term.