What is Skills for Care?
Skills for Care is the workforce development charity for adult social care in England. Funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, it plays a critical role in supporting care providers, employers, and care workers across the sector. For care managers and registered managers, understanding Skills for Care's function and resources is essential to compliance, staff development, and organisational excellence.
The organisation exists to improve the quality and continuity of care by developing the skills and knowledge of the adult social care workforce. It does this through setting training standards, providing learning resources, publishing workforce data, and supporting employers with practical tools and guidance.
Skills for Care's Role in the Care Sector
Skills for Care fulfils several key functions within the adult social care landscape:
Setting training standards and qualifications frameworks that define what care workers need to know and do
Publishing the State of the Adult Social Care Sector report annually, which provides crucial workforce data on vacancy rates, turnover, pay, and demographics
Developing and maintaining the Care Certificate, the standard for induction and foundation learning
Providing learning and development resources including e-learning modules, qualification pathways, and apprenticeship frameworks
Compliance penalties for breaches are substantially higher
Administering the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS), which collects workforce information from care providers
Supporting registered managers through networks, peer support groups, and development programmes
Offering guidance on mandatory training, safeguarding, and compliance requirements
The Care Certificate and Skills for Care
The Care Certificate is one of Skills for Care's most significant contributions to the care sector. It is the standard for induction and foundation learning for care workers in health and social care settings, developed by Skills for Care in partnership with employers and industry experts.
The Care Certificate consists of 15 standards that cover essential knowledge and skills:
Standard 1:
Understand the values of care and support
Standard 2:
Know your employee rights and responsibilities
Standard 3:
Understand how to keep yourself safe in care settings
Standard 4:
Understand how to keep others safe in care settings
Standard 5:
Know how to promote good health and wellbeing
Standard 6:
Understand safeguarding and the duty of care
Standard 7:
Understand equality, diversity and inclusion
Standard 8:
Know how to communicate effectively
Standard 9:
Understand how to support someone to maintain their personal hygiene and appearance
Standard 10:
Know how to support someone to live healthily
Standard 11:
Know how to support someone to maintain their personal hygiene and appearance
Standard 12:
Understand the importance of good nutrition and hydration
Standard 13:
Know how to support someone to maintain their wellbeing
Standard 14:
Know how to develop effective working relationships
Standard 15:
Know how to recognise and address abuse and poor practice
For more detailed information on the Care Certificate and how it aligns with your compliance requirements, see our dedicated Care Certificate page.
Mandatory Training Guidance from Skills for Care
Skills for Care provides comprehensive guidance on mandatory training requirements for care workers and care settings.
Mandatory training typically includes:
Skills for Care's guidance emphasises that mandatory training should be refreshed regularly, typically annually, though some topics may require more frequent updates. Care providers must keep comprehensive records of training completion and maintain evidence for CQC inspections.
Free Resources Hub
Access free CQC checklists, templates, and guides to help with registration, inspection preparation, and ongoing compliance.
The ASYE (Assessed and Supported Year in Employment)
The ASYE is a structured programme for newly qualified social workers in England. Skills for Care does not directly administer ASYE, but the framework aligns closely with Skills for Care's workforce development principles
ASYE is designed to support newly qualified social workers through their first year of employment in a social care setting.
Key features of ASYE include:
Structured supervision and mentoring from an experienced social worker
Regular assessment of competence against a set framework
Protected learning time and professional development opportunities
Support to achieve the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF)
Many care providers employ newly qualified social workers, and providing robust ASYE support enhances staff development and retention.
Skills for Care Workforce Data
Skills for Care publishes the State of the Adult Social Care Sector report annually, providing essential workforce intelligence. This report includes:
Vacancy rates and recruitment challenges across the sector
Staff turnover and retention statistics
Pay and conditions analysis
Qualifications and training completion rates
Demographic information on the care workforce
Trends in digital skills adoption
For care providers, this data is invaluable for benchmarking workforce performance, understanding sector trends, and making strategic decisions about recruitment and retention. The data is collected via the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS), which care providers are expected to complete.
Learning and Development Resources
Operating a temporary staffing arm alongside your domiciliary care service requires additional operational systems. Your staffing operation must comply with the Employment Agencies Act 1973, the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003, and agency worker regulations including holiday pay accrual, pension auto-enrolment, and IR35 considerations.
Skills for Care offers a comprehensive range of learning and development resources:
E-learning modules covering core competencies and mandatory training
Qualifications frameworks aligned to the Care Certificate
Apprenticeship standards (Health and Social Care Supervisor, Advanced Practice, and Leadership qualifications)
Continuing professional development guidance
Specialised training resources for different care settings (residential, community, supported living, etc.)
Many of these resources are available through Skills for Care's learning portal and partner training providers.
CQC Regulated Activities Explained
Not sure which regulated activities apply to your service? We explain all 14 activities, which ones domiciliary care and supported living providers need, and the consequences of getting it wrong.
The Workforce Development Fund (WDF)
The Workforce Development Fund is a key funding mechanism that helps care providers invest in staff training and development.
The WDF is managed by local authorities and distributed based on several criteria, including:
Care provider size and type
Staff turnover and recruitment challenges
Qualifications held by the workforce
Participation in the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS)
Care providers must meet specific eligibility criteria to access WDF funding, typically related to compliance with CQC ratings and staff development standards. The funding can be used to support staff training, qualifications, and development.
Skills for Care Registered Manager Resources
Registered managers play a crucial role in care quality and compliance. Skills for Care offers targeted support including:
Registered manager networks and peer support groups
Development programmes and training on management and leadership
Guidance on workforce planning and strategic development
Resources on supervision, appraisal, and staff development
Information on mandatory training and compliance requirements
These resources help registered managers develop their leadership skills and maintain high standards of care quality.
Contact us on 0333 577 0877 or email hello@caresyncexperts.co.uk for a personalised quote.
Skills for Care and CQC Compliance
Skills for Care's standards and guidance directly inform CQC (Care Quality Commission) compliance frameworks.
CQC inspectors assess care providers against the Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs) which include questions about workforce development, training, and qualifications.
During a CQC inspection, inspectors will review:
Evidence of staff training and competence
Induction and foundation training completion (Care Certificate)
Mandatory training records
Supervision and appraisal documentation
Qualifications held by staff
Workforce planning and retention strategies
Care providers who follow Skills for Care standards and guidance are better positioned to achieve positive CQC ratings.
Digital Tools and the ASC-WDS
The Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) is a digital tool that collects standardised workforce information from care providers. Participation is expected of most adult social care employers and is increasingly a compliance requirement.
The ASC-WDS captures data on:
Staff numbers and demographics
Qualifications and training completion
Turnover and vacancy rates
Sickness absence
Pay and conditions
The data collected through ASC-WDS informs Skills for Care's annual sector report and helps local authorities and central government understand workforce trends.
Our Process
Want to know exactly how we help you get CQC registered? From your first consultation to post-registration compliance, see our 6-step process.
How Care Sync Experts Uses Skills for Care Standards
At Care Sync Experts, we recognise that Skills for Care standards form the foundation of effective care provision. We use Skills for Care guidance and frameworks in several key areas:
Skills for Care standards
By working with Skills for Care standards, we help care providers build competent, compliant, and motivated workforces that deliver high-quality care.
Our care agency startup package includes;
Creating tailored training matrices that align with Skills for Care standards and CQC expectations
Developing compliance documentation that reflects Skills for Care's mandatory training guidance
Supporting care providers with ASC-WDS submission and workforce data analysis
Aligning induction and foundation learning with the Care Certificate standards
Ensuring registered managers have access to development resources that meet industry expectations
By working with Skills for Care standards, we help care providers build competent, compliant, and motivated workforces that deliver high-quality care.
Frequently asked questions
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