Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to increase the financial support available to care workers who are seeking to gain new qualifications.

We are committed to supporting a professional, well-supported social care workforce. On 6 September 2024, the Department launched the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme, which allows eligible employers to claim for funding for certain training courses and qualifications on behalf of eligible care staff. Over 150 courses and qualifications are eligible for funding from this scheme, including the new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification. We will continue to work with the adult social care sector and representative organisations to monitor the impact of the funding under the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme.

Furthermore, we are working with care workers and employers to develop the next part of the Care Workforce Pathway, the new national career structure for adult social care, which we will publish in due course.