Increasing Skills in Social Care Fund

Important news about the fund

All applications for Increasing Skills funding must be processed by the end of March. As there are a number of stages to the process of applying for funding, and to ensure that we can process your claims, the following deadlines have been put in place:

• All new organisations registering for funding must register by Friday, 12th March 2010
• All claims for funding must be submitted and verification documents (letter from training provider) must be with us by Friday, 26th March 2010

If you submit a claim and do not send in the letter from the training provider by the deadline, we will not be able to process your claim.

Which NVQs does the funding cover?

Independent, private and voluntary social care organisations can access funding for staff that register for Level 3 and 4 NVQs in Health and Social Care and Level 4 NVQ in Leadership and Management (Children and Young People's pathway) between now and March 2010.

The fund is also available to all foster care providers (including local authorities) registering foster carers to undertake Level 3 NVQ in Health and Social Care.

Register new candidates for their NVQ using our online funding system.

End payments for candidates already registered on our system can be claimed as before.

Please read our new funding principles before applying for funding.

New funding principles

1. The fund cannot be claimed retrospectively. Candidates must either be new (starting on or after 1 December 2009) or already registered as undertaking NVQ on our system and eligible for the end payments.
2. Funding will be provided for NVQ in Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) at Level 3 and for the NVQ in Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) at Level 4 or the NVQ in Leadership and Management for Care Services at Level 4.
3. CWDC will only fund the completion of one of the Level 4 awards. Candidates will not be funded for the completion of both. However, candidates who have successfully completed the NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) may also apply for funding towards one of the Level 4 awards. 
4. Funding is provided directly to private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector employers of staff working in children's social care in England, and to local authority fostering services for their foster carers. Employers need to register their organisation via the online system. This system allows CWDC to have a direct relationship with its employer base and gives employers the maximum flexibility over accessing training for their workforce. Organisations accessing funding must be able to show that they are an employer of social care workers who work with children and young people (see FAQs 3 and 4 for further information).
   
   Please note: CWDC includes foster carers and children's social care volunteers in the definition of ‘people working in children's social care'.
     
5. Training providers, schools and colleges cannot claim funding for students. Employers should register for funding and may then pay training providers, schools or colleges to deliver the NVQ to their employees.
6. Funding is provided by way of a registration fee of £800 and then a further single payment of £200 upon achievement of a full NVQ Level 3. This is in line with the key principle set out in "Building brighter futures" of a workforce with minimum level three entry and graduate-led.
   
   To claim funding, the following steps must be followed:
   
   • Register your organisation online
   • Submit supporting documentation for verification
   • Register the details of employees undertaking NVQs and submit a start claim once the employee has commenced the NVQ
   • Submit supporting document (a letter from the awarding body or training provider confirming that the candidate is registered on the course and the date they are registered) by post or e-mail
   • Start payment will be released
   • Submit an end claim once the employee has completed the NVQ
   • Submit candidate's certificate of completion by post or e-mail.
   Please note: Employers must submit a candidate's registration paperwork within one month of registering the candidate on the system.
7. Where employers are accessing Train to Gain funds the registration amount will be reduced to £400. This is a total payment of £600 towards the cost of the NVQ, of which £400 will be paid on registration and the remaining £200 on completion.  
8. CWDC will only fund the completion of the CWDC Induction Standards as part of the completion of the NVQ. This funding is included within the registration fee.   
9. Employers can only claim funding for employees that will commence their NVQ training after the date that the organisation registered for the Increasing Skills in Social Care fund and between 1 December 2009 and 31 March 2010.

Further information

Should you require any further information with regards to the Increasing Skills in social care funding then please read our frequently asked questions about the funding or contact Natalie Hudson at CWDC on 0113 386 2281 or email us at socialcare@cwdcouncil.org.uk