SfC&D and employers secure investment for the social work, social care and young people's workforce

Thursday, 08 December 2011 15:39

Skills for Care and Development (SfC&D) is delighted to announce that it has secured £2.2million to invest in employer initiatives to continue the development of this very important, highly skilled workforce. This funding has been awarded by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills following a competitive bid for funding from the Employer Investment Fund (EIF).

Social care and children's services are required in every single community, supporting (often vulnerable) families, and providing many more people with work.  This work is invaluable to the whole population. Quality services in early years, for example, help to give children the best start possible. Every day the dedicated and skilled workers in social care and children's services give 5 million people in the UK support, keeping them safe and promoting independence and participation in employment and communities. 

For crucial continued investment in the social work and care sector, we worked with employers across the UK to develop and submit high quality proposals for tools, solutions and developments needed by the sector.

Professor David Croisdale –Appleby OBE, Chair of Skills for Care and Development said " This funding is a testament to the recognition of the pivotal importance of the sector in the UK economy.  A high functioning and skilled social care, social work and children's services sector is a vital support to the economic growth and high quality services we need in the UK" 

Sarah McCarty, Executive Director of Skills for Care and Development said "We are very pleased to be able to announce that following dynamic engagement with employers, to identify propositions that will raise further our collective ambition to develop the workforce we have managed to secure investment to support the development of four initiatives that are critical additional step to achieving our ambition for a world class workforce" 

SfC&D is the Sector Skills Council for the social work, social care and children's workforce across the whole of the UK.  Our ambition, which we share with employers in this sector, is for a world class workforce;: a high impact, progressive workforce that contributes to the UK's economic growth. It will sustain communities, support people's ability to work longer, live in mainstream society and have a higher quality of life, less diminished by health and social conditions.  It will increase public confidence and trust in the services provided across the UK.

www.skillsforcareanddevelopment.org.uk