Care workers across Wales will be able to develop their skills and gain qualifications through a new National Social Care Academy.
The Welsh Government is today announcing £1.5 million in funding to support the first phase of the academy.
It will build on the success of established local care academy models already operating in several parts of Wales. These models offer paid employment alongside training, enabling care workers to develop their skills and gain nationally recognised qualifications.
This will help make careers in social care more attractive while supporting workforce development and creating clearer pathways for progression into more senior or specialist roles over time, for those who wish to pursue them.
Several local authorities in Wales have already seen the difference their care academies can make with better staff retention, higher morale, clear progression opportunities and a shift in how the public perceives working in care.
Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden, said: “Social care workers are skilled and provide dignity and compassion to our most vulnerable people – yet for too long the sector has struggled to offer the career pathways these dedicated professionals deserve.
“This Academy approach changes that. Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, there will be a route to develop skills, gain qualifications, and see career development and progression.”
The Minister is also making further announcements today signalling a step change in how Wales supports its social care workforce.
This includes the launch of a consultation on a Social Care Negotiating Body that would develop Fair Pay Agreements for social care workers in Wales.
Establishing this body to develop these agreements would represent a significant milestone, enabling enforceable pay levels for social care workers in Wales for the first time.
The consultation is now live at gov.wales/consultations and everyone with an interest is being encouraged to respond.
The Minister added: “The social care workforce deserves fair pay and real progression opportunities, the offer of specialist training, and the confidence that social care is not just a job – it can be a lifelong career. Today’s announcements are about making that a reality.”
