Managed by Skills for Care, the Workforce Development Fund supports continuing professional development in the adult social care sector.
Skills for Care is the employer-led workforce development body responsible for improving qualifications, training and development in adult social care. We were appointed by Skills for Care to evaluate the three strands of the Workforce Development Fund: the mainstream fund, Individual Employer funding and the Innovation Fund. The evaluation assessed the suitability and sustainability of the delivery model, benefits for employers and care workers and the net economic impact of the funding. We also provided Skills for Care with recommendations to help strengthen the delivery and outcomes of each strand going forward.
Our evaluation method included:
A telephone survey of 300 employers that had received funding to train their staff.
Qualitative consultations with strategic stakeholders, training providers and user led organisations.
In-depth qualitative case studies with employers to showcase impact and effectiveness.
Analysis and interrogation of performance management data.
"It’s a great report, and I’ve submitted it to the Ofsted inspection team." – Strategic Commissioner, local authority
“Thanks for such a thoughtful report. It will be very useful to us and other organisations. Another great job from York Consulting!” Local Authority Director
“Thank you for this very helpful evaluation. I have only received positive feedback on it. It has been great working with you.” Local Authority Head of Service
“Your report was extremely thorough, and I appreciate how responsive you were to our additional requests for analysis.” Government department
“The team at York Consulting were professional and a delight to work with. I am very grateful for their input.” Government department
"Well done – a lot of work in a short space of time and at such high quality.” Sector Skills Council
"Your workshop was extremely well received and enabled managers to gain detailed insight, drawing on your expertise and knowledge.” Senior manager, not-for-profit organisation
"It [YCL’s final report] is one of the most impressive evaluation reports I’ve had the pleasure to read.” Principal, Further Education College
“YCL staff understand our organisation…I have developed a great relationship with them and I hope to work with them again.” Housing Association
“I’ve enjoyed working with you on this project. Thanks for your co-operation and flexibility.” Government department
