Claim directly from Skills for Care

To benefit from the Workforce Development Fund (WDF) in 2024-25, you need to claim funding directly from Skills for Care.

To make a claim from the WDF, you need to sign up by completing and returning your declaration form by 28 February 2025, updating your Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set account and submitting your claim by 31 March 2025.

There are a few simple steps you'll need to follow and below you'll find some useful tips to help you complete each step.

Complete your ASC-WDS Account

You’ll need your Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) account number to complete your declaration form. If you haven’t got an ASC-WDS account you’ll need to set one up. Find out how to create an account.

To claim WDF for your organisation you must complete or update both the workplace record and 90% of your staff records in your ASC-WDS account(s) on or after 1 April 2024 and by 31 March 2025.  

Set up or log-in to a ASC-WDS account

Access the fund

Your completed declaration form must be sent to Skills for Care by 28 February 2025.

When your declaration form has been fully checked and you have updated your ASC-WDS account, a grant letter is issued to you electronically for signature.

Once we have received your signed grant letter, we will send you a claim form which includes your grant reference, along with all the necessary information on how to make a valid claim. 

Making a claim 

To be funded qualifications and apprenticeships must have started on or before 31 March 2024 and must complete by 31 March 2025.

The evidence requirement to claim funding is a copy of the learner’s certificate and is issued following completion of the learning.

Qualification certificates, including the apprenticeship diploma certificate

The learner certificates must include the following information:

Final apprenticeship certificate

Please note: the certificate must be issued by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE).

Once your learner has completed their qualification or apprenticeship, complete the grant holder claim submission form and the claim form that has been sent to you by Skills for Care and submit these with a copy of the learner’s certificate(s) to us.

Please refer to our how to put a WDF claim together guidance to support you in making a claim directly from Skills for Care. This includes details of where to email your claim to.

As an employer, you’re responsible for maintaining a clear audit trail of funding received and spent. We recommend you keep evidence of learning and development funded through WDF as you may be asked to confirm details.

Receiving payment from Skills for Care

Once the claim has been verified, you’ll receive payment from us.

To enable all employers to have the opportunity to claim funding during the year, we operate limits to the amount that can be claimed by individual organisations. We’ll advise you if you reach your limit. If you do reach your limit there may be opportunity to access additional funds at the end of the funding year which will be communicated directly during March 2025.

FAQs

FAQs for employers applying via Skills for Care

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