Workforce development fund
Skills for Care Workforce Development Fund 2023/24 (England Only)
We regret that there is no comparable funding by Skills for Care's equivalent bodies in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Workforce Development Fund 2023/24 is now OPEN for claims
Please read the employer guidance and check the list of funded qualifications to ensure your claim is eligible before submission.
We can only accept claims for funding if your ASC-WDS (NMDS-SC) information has been updated since 01/04/2023. If you require assistance please see the guidance on the WDF requirements for ASC-WDS (NMDS-SC) or contact them on 0113 241 0969. Claims received where the ASC-WDS (NMDS-SC) requirements have not been met will NOT be processed. The deadline for members to update their ASC-WDS requirements for WDF by is 17:00 on 28/03/2024. The deadline for joining our membership has now passed, we are unable to accept any new members into our partnership.
Please complete a Cost Summary Sheet for each learner and submit this with the learner's certificate. An Employer Claim Submission Form MUST be fully completed and sent with each batch of claims.
All certificates MUST have a completion date after 01/01/2023.
Send your claims in now to ensure continued funding. The timescale to submit WDF Claims has been extended from 31 March 2024 to 31 May 2024.
The evidence requirements are set out below. Please note that dates differ depending on the type of learning.
Claims for qualifications and apprenticeships
- Certificates with a date of issue between 1 January 2023 and 31 May 2024 will be accepted as evidence in support of WDF 2023-24 claims.
Claims for learning programmes
- Learners must complete their learning programme by 31 March 2024. The date of issue of the certificate must be between 1 January 2023 and 31 March 2024 to be accepted as evidence in support of WDF 2023-24 claims.
Claims for digital learning modules
- Learners must complete digital learning modules by 31 March 2024. The date of issue of the certificate must be between 1 January 2023 and 31 March 2024 to be accepted as evidence in support of WDF 2023-24 claims.
This extension to the deadline is to allow more time to get the certificates to evidence learning that took place in 2023-24.
The Department of Health and Social Care have confirmed that the Workforce Development Fund can be used to support the development of individuals who have been recruited internationally and those who are working on a Health and Social Care Visa. The usual WDF eligiblity criteria applies.
Downloadable WDF 2023-24 documents:
WDF ASC-WDS and WDF requirements 23-24
WDF list of funded qualification 23-24
WDF employer claim submission 23-24
WDF employer guide for claiming through a partnership
WDF member's declaration form 23-24
More information:
Workforce Development Fund (skillsforcare.org.uk)