The Quality Assured Care Learning service reviews course quality, making sure training is accessible, high-quality, and meets the needs of both the workforce and people who draw on care and support.
Application and eligibility
Applications are now open and will close on Wednesday 13 November 2024.
Training Providers may apply to have their courses and qualifications quality assured through the Quality Assured Care Learning Service (QACL) if they offer anything that is on the list of Eligible training courses and qualifications with the exception of Positive Behavioural Support training which we will not be quality assuring in this application window.
In-house training teams are not currently eligible to apply. The QACL Service is intended to be a route to funding through the DHSC’s Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS). At present, training delivered in-house is not eligible for LDSS funding, even if the employer is an accredited learning centre. The QACL Service will operate within the scope of the LDSS, so will expand to quality assure internal provision in line with LDSS service iterations.
Application window 2 will open on Monday 25 November 2024 and close on Friday 3 January 2025. Eligibility criteria will be confirmed at the time.
This new service from the Department for Health and Social Care will review the quality of individual courses and qualifications delivered by training providers to ensure that training and development is of good quality, easily accessible, meets the needs of the workforce and users of care services.
Background
The Government is fully committed to a professional, well supported social care workforce, and are committed to enhancing skills for staff working in social care. It is of critical importance that the learning, development and training is of outstanding quality, relevant and accessible.
Care providers currently have to replace almost a third of their workers each year due to staff leaving their jobs. High turnover worsens the quality of care. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is therefore investing in retention through better workforce training, recognition, and career progression, and has:
This programme of reform centres on identifying, providing, and funding better training and development for the workforce.
The Quality Standards
The Quality Standards developed are a bespoke measure of quality learning and development for the adult social care workforce. They are designed to set a benchmark for quality training delivery and support employers to make informed choices.
To be successful in their application to the Quality Assured Care Learning Service, training providers will have to provide evidence which meets the Quality Standards designed for all training providers delivering to the adult social care sector, as well as providing evidence for the Quality Standards related to specific accredited qualification(s).
The Quality Assured Care Learning Service is funded by DHSC so there is no cost to training providers to access the service. The service will be open to all training providers who meet the eligibility criteria published prior to set application windows.
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All training providers applying to have their courses quality assured will be asked to provide evidence to meet nine Quality Standards.
Benefits
Successfully meeting the Quality Standards will result in specific courses and qualifications being:
- provided with a Quality Assured Care Learning logo that can be used in promotion materials for the course or qualification
- recommended to DHSC for inclusion in the list of Eligible training courses and qualifications included in Learning and Development Support Scheme for the adult social care workforce.
- linked to relevant role categories and learning outcomes in the Care Workforce Pathway as suggested learning
- included in a publicly available list of quality assured courses and qualifications intended to direct adult social care employers and commissioners of learning towards organisations offering high quality learning and development opportunities.
Over time, it is the government’s ambition that all training and development identified or funded through the Learning and Development Support Scheme for the adult social care workforce will be quality assured by the Quality Assured Care Learning Service. We recognise that this represents a significant change for the sector and will take time to achieve, therefore quality assurance of training provider’s courses and qualifications will occur in phases:
Phase 1
During the 2024 – 2025 financial year training providers will be able to apply to be quality assured. Employers will be able to claim funding for courses and qualifications identified in the Learning and Development Support Scheme for the adult social care workforce that are not quality assured.
Phase 2
In the 2025 – 2026 financial year courses and qualifications delivered by training providers that have been quality assured will be identified as preferred options for the sector. Employers will be able to claim funding for courses and qualifications identified in the Learning and Development Support Scheme for the adult social care workforce that are not quality assured.
Phase 3
In the 2026 – 2027 financial year only courses and qualifications delivered by training providers that have been quality assured will be eligible for funding or inclusion in the Care Workforce Pathway. Employers will not be able to claim funding for courses and qualifications identified in the Learning and Development Support Scheme for the adult social care workforce that are not quality assured.
How to apply
We have created guidance and a self-assessment tool to help you decide if you meet the Quality Standards and complete your application.
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This guidance will help you through the application process to ensure you are providing all the evidence needed to be properly assessed.
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Common questions about the Quality Assured Care Learning Service.
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Use this self assessment tool to determine if your service is elligible to be Quality Assured.
If after reading the guidance and completing the self-assessment you think your organisation is eligible to apply and can meet the Quality Standards please complete the
online application form.