Care Doesn’t Stand Still. Neither Should Your Workforce.

The care sector needs people, but also needs to keep them.

Adult social care employed around 1.6 million people in England during 2024/25, yet the sector still had approximately 111,000 vacant posts. Turnover within the independent sector stood at 24.7%, and Skills for Care estimates that around 470,000 additional posts could be needed by 2040.

Care employers do not need a report to tell them recruitment is difficult.

They already know.

They know because the same vacancies keep appearing.

They know because experienced managers are spending evenings checking recruitment sites.

They know because a perfectly organised rota can become a work of fiction before Monday lunchtime.

Recruitment will always matter, but constantly replacing people is not a sustainable workforce strategy. Care providers also need to develop the people they already have. That means helping new employees build strong foundations, giving experienced care workers opportunities to progress and preparing future leaders before a management vacancy suddenly appears.

When employees can see a future within an organisation, they have another reason to stay. When they are given the knowledge to do their jobs well, they are more likely to feel capable rather than overwhelmed. And when employers invest in people before they threaten to leave, rather than during the slightly awkward counter-offer conversation, everybody benefits.

Training should improve care, not simply complete a file

Care organisations need evidence of learning.

Certificates, reviews, observations and development records all play an important role in demonstrating that employees are appropriately trained.

But a completed certificate is not the final outcome.

The real questions are:

Can the employee apply what they have learned?

Can they recognise a concern?

Can they communicate confidently with individuals, relatives and colleagues?

Do they understand why procedures exist, rather than simply knowing which box to tick?

Can a senior employee guide others through difficult situations?

Can a manager create a safe, person-centred service while also managing people, performance, risk and change?

That is where the quality of the training relationship matters. A provider should not simply enrol an employee, issue some resources and reappear when a document needs signing. Good training should connect learning to the employee’s actual role and the employer’s real priorities. It should make a difference on the floor, in the home, during supervision and in the everyday decisions that affect the people receiving care.

Apprenticeships are not only for brand-new employees

The word “apprentice” still makes some employers picture a teenager arriving for their first day of work with a new notebook and no idea where the staffroom is.

That can be an apprentice.

But apprenticeships can also support existing employees of different ages and at different points in their careers.

Your next apprentice might be:

• A relatively new care worker who needs structured development
• An experienced employee who has never gained a formal care qualification
• A senior care worker preparing to supervise others
• A deputy or aspiring manager who is ready for greater responsibility
• A long-serving employee who has plenty of practical experience but wants to strengthen their professional knowledge

An apprenticeship allows employees to develop while continuing in their role. Their workplace is not separate from their learning. It is where much of that learning becomes meaningful. They can explore a subject, apply it in practice, reflect on the outcome and gradually build the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for their occupation. For an employer, that means development is linked to the actual work the organisation needs people to perform.

Building strong foundations at Level 2

The Level 2 Adult Care Worker apprenticeship supports employees working directly with adults who have care and support needs.

The latest version of the apprenticeship began on 27 May 2026 and includes the mandatory Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification. This accredited qualification was developed from the existing Care Certificate standards to create a recognised and portable foundation for adult social care workers.

For employers, this provides an opportunity to give developing care workers a more structured start.

It supports the essential knowledge and practical competence employees need to provide safe, compassionate and person-centred care.

It can be particularly valuable for employees who are new to the sector, but it may also suit existing workers who have gained experience informally and now need to consolidate that knowledge through a recognised programme. Good care depends on strong foundations. People cannot confidently progress into senior roles if the basics have never been properly explored, observed and embedded.

Developing frontline leaders at Level 3

The best care worker on the team will not automatically become the best supervisor. They may be brilliant with the people they support, calm under pressure and the person everyone asks when something goes wrong. But leading other employees requires additional skills.

They may need to learn how to delegate, give constructive feedback, guide less experienced colleagues, handle difficult conversations and take greater accountability for standards of care.

The Level 3 Lead Adult Care Worker apprenticeship is designed for employees providing frontline leadership and direction within adult care.

The current standard includes the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care and requires the apprentice to meet the Care Certificate standards. It is relevant to roles including senior care worker, care supervisor, senior support worker and team leader. This is where employers can begin turning natural ability into confident leadership.

Instead of promoting somebody and hoping they work it out as they go along, you can give them structured development alongside their new responsibilities.

That is better for the employee, better for the colleagues they supervise and considerably better for the manager who would otherwise be answering twelve questions before 9am.

Preparing managers and leaders at Level 5

Management in adult care is demanding. A manager must balance the needs and rights of the people receiving support with staffing, regulation, quality, safeguarding, budgets, risk, performance and the occasional printer that has chosen inspection week to stop cooperating.

It is not enough to be good at completing paperwork. Care leaders need to build positive cultures, develop employees, manage change, understand regulatory responsibilities and ensure that safe, person-centred practice is maintained throughout the service.

The Level 5 Leader in Adult Care apprenticeship is intended for roles such as registered manager, deputy manager, assistant manager, unit manager and service manager.

It includes the Level 5 Diploma in Leading and Managing an Adult Care Service and covers areas including statutory frameworks, compliance, health and safety, risk management, professional development, change and leadership. For employers, this programme can support succession planning.

Rather than waiting until a manager leaves and immediately searching outside the organisation, you can identify promising people earlier and begin developing them.

You already know their values.

You know how they work with individuals and colleagues.

You know whether they remain calm when three things go wrong at once.

An apprenticeship can help them build the wider leadership capability needed to take the next step.

Short courses help tackle specific needs quickly

Not every development need requires a full apprenticeship. Sometimes a team needs focused knowledge in a particular area.

Perhaps your service is supporting more people living with dementia. Maybe a review has highlighted the need for stronger understanding of falls prevention, infection control or safeguarding.

Employees may need more confidence supporting people with diabetes, mental health needs, autism or behaviours that challenge.

This is where short courses can sit alongside your apprenticeship strategy.

ELA offers accredited short courses covering subjects including:

• Dementia awareness and the principles of dementia care
• End-of-life care
• Falls prevention
• Infection prevention and control
• Nutrition and health
• Safeguarding and Prevent
• Diabetes care and management
• Working in mental health
• Autism
• Behaviour that challenges
• The Mental Capacity Act 2005
• Education and training for aspiring workplace trainers

The courses are designed to build focused knowledge and confidence in areas that matter across care and support services.

Employers can use them strategically.

A dementia care provider might strengthen specialist knowledge across a whole team.

An organisation that has experienced several falls could focus development around recognising and reducing risk.

A senior employee who regularly supports new starters could complete an education and training qualification to improve the way workplace learning is delivered.

The answer is not to enrol everybody onto every available course and hope for the best. That would result in a great many certificates and very little time left to provide care. The aim is to match development to the needs of the employee, the service and the people being supported.

Why work with one training partner?

Using one provider for apprenticeships and related development can make the entire process more coherent.

Your provider gains a better understanding of your organisation, including:

• The type of care you deliver
• The people you support
• Your recruitment and retention challenges
• The strengths and gaps within your workforce
• Your future leadership needs
• The practical pressures affecting staff participation

This makes it easier to recommend appropriate programmes rather than simply promoting whichever course happens to be available.

It also gives employers a clearer point of contact.

Fewer separate systems.

Fewer repeated explanations.

Fewer moments spent attempting to remember which password contains the capital letter, the number and the punctuation mark.

At ELA, we work with employers to connect learning with workplace practice, helping apprentices apply what they learn within real care settings. Our wider portfolio allows organisations to combine longer-term apprenticeship development with focused short courses according to their workforce needs.

Apprenticeship funding may make development more affordable

Apprenticeship funding arrangements depend on factors including the employer, the apprentice, their age and the programme start date.

For non-levy-paying employers, the government will generally fund 95% of eligible apprenticeship training and assessment costs, with the employer contributing 5%. Some apprentices qualify for full funding.

From 1 August 2026, eligible apprenticeship starts for people aged 16 to 24 can receive full funding up to the relevant funding-band maximum, subject to the applicable rules.

Funding rules can change and individual circumstances matter, so employers should check eligibility before enrolment.

Thankfully, you do not need to become an apprenticeship-funding expert in your spare time.

That is what your training provider should help with.

What could your workforce look like next year?

Take a moment to think about the people already working within your service.

Who has the potential to become a senior?

Who is leading others informally but has never received leadership development?

Who needs stronger foundations?

Who could become your next deputy or registered manager?

Where does your team need deeper specialist knowledge?

And how many good employees might stay longer if they could see that your organisation was genuinely invested in their future?

The care sector needs new people.

But it also needs to hold on to experience, recognise potential and build confident professionals at every stage.

That does not happen through one-off training booked in a panic.

It happens when workforce development becomes part of the organisation’s plans.

At ELA, we help care employers bring apprenticeships and focused short courses together, creating development that supports the employee, strengthens the service and improves outcomes for the people receiving care.

Because your workforce is not simply one of the things that keeps your service running.

Your workforce is your service.