This page contains information that explains the Workforce Development Fund (WDF). It outlines eligibility and evidence requirements. If you are learning about WDF for the first time or are preparing to lodge your first claim, read this page first.

Click here for information explaining how to submit your claim for reimbursement from the WDF through Devon Care Home Collaborative (DCHC).

What is the Workforce Development Fund (WDF)?

The WDF for 2022-23 is a retrospective funding stream from the Department of Health and Social Care disseminated by Skills for Care. This means that an employer must have directly incurred costs for the qualifications or learning undertaken by their staff before a claim is made through WDF on completion of the learning. The fund focuses on the achievement of qualifications, learning programmes and digital learning modules and supports the continuing professional development of staff across the adult social care sector in England. In 2022-23 WDF will respond to a key sector priority: 

Additional support to registered managers and service managers as this is key to providing quality care. Enhanced funding will continue to be available for completion of leadership and management qualifications, learning programmes and digital modules.

How do I become eligible for funding?

There are three things that you must do before you become eligible for WDF:

1. Complete a member’s declaration form indicating your choice to claim your WDF reimbursements through DCHC.
2. Comply with the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) requirements or be prepared to meet these prior to claiming funding. Last updated June 2022.
3. Have employees who have completed eligible qualifications, learning programmes or digital modules for which you want to claim funding, see the list of funded qualifications and learning.

How do I comply with the ASC-WDS requirements?

For a workplace to meet the ASC-WDS requirements for the Workforce Development Fund in 2022-23, the following three things must be completed:

1. A workplace which has completed an ASC-WDS workplace record before 1 April 2022 must fully update its workplace data. 
2. The workplace must fully complete individual ASC-WDS staff records for all workers with a minimum of 90% of the data completed. 
3. Individual staff records completed before 1 April 2022 which are included in the 90% calculation must be both fully completed and updated. Once the above requirements have been met, a workplace will be able to claim WDF until 31 March 2023. A workplace’s ASC-WDS account is expected to be an accurate reflection of its service and workforce. If your service or workforce changes significantly during the year it is expected that ASC-WDS will be updated. Failure to do so could affect your ability to claim funding.

How can I tell if I have met the ASC-WDS requirements?

When logged into your ASC-WDS account you can run a report to check whether your account meets the requirements for WDF. The is also a browser indicator within the ASC-WDS platform that shows if the WDF requirements are met.

Can I claim learning that has been completed as part of an apprenticeship:

In 2022-23, WDF will respond to key sector priorities including completion of the adult social care apprenticeship standards. The apprenticeship standards that can be claimed for are:

▪ Adult Care Worker (level 2)

▪ Lead Adult Care Worker (level 3)

▪ Lead Practitioner in Adult Care (level 4)

▪ Leader in Adult Care (level 5)

What you can claim for is different depending on whether you are a levy paying or non-levy paying employer.

I'm a levy payer, what can I claim for?

As a levy paying employer, you’ll use your levy pot to pay for the training and end-point assessment costs of the apprenticeship (up to the Government apprenticeship cap) – you can't claim WDF for this.

You can claim WDF towards any other associated costs of the apprenticeship up to our advertised funding value. For example, the learner is required to complete 20% off-the-job learning to fulfil the criteria of the apprenticeship, WDF can be used to cover wage replacement costs (if required).

I’m a non-levy payer, what can I claim for?

As a non-levy payer, the Government will contribute 95% of the training and assessment costs, up to the Government apprenticeship cap, and you can’t claim WDF for this. The remaining 5% and any additional cost will be met by you, the employer – you can claim WDF towards this cost.

You can also claim WDF towards any other associated costs of the apprenticeship, up to our advertised funding value. For example, the learner is required to complete 20% off-the-job learning to fulfil the criteria of the apprenticeship, WDF can be used to cover wage replacement costs (if required).

Engaging with End-point Assessment Organisations (EPAO)

All employers of apprentices need to engage the services of an EPAO to deliver the end-point assessment to their apprentices. Early engagement with the EPAO significantly increases the chances of a successful outcome for the apprentice.

Download the leaflet to help with the process.

Already receive funding?

Employers can claim from more than one source of public funding but you must ensure that you aren’t claiming the same cost from more than one source. For example, if the course fee has been covered from one source of public funding, or paid for by the apprenticeship levy, it can’t be claimed via the WDF.

How does reimbursement work?

Once a member of your staff has completed some learning that is eligible for funding, you should claim funding from DCHC by submitting the relevant forms along with with a copy of all of your learners’ certificates. You must include details of any qualifications which are being claimed as part of an apprenticeship or declare that none of the learning within the claims is part of an apprenticeship.

It is important to note that a maximum of £2,000 per learner can be claimed in any funding year. The funding year for 2022-23 is 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. The WDF funding contribution is a maximum of the value set out on the list of funded qualifications and learning even if you have incurred higher costs than this figure. If you have incurred lower costs than the value advertised, it’s possible to claim a lower amount of funding by advising your partnership of the amount that you want to claim.

Qualifications evidence

To claim funding for a qualification a copy of the learner’s certificate must be submitted which contains the following information: 

• Candidate name
• Candidate registration number
• Unique learner number
• Name of qualification and qualification number as per the list of funded qualification and learning
• The date of issue of the certificate must fall within our advertised dates for the funding year, so 1 January 2022 – 31 March 2023 
• Name of Awarding Organisation 
• Name of Learning Provider or centre number. 

Apprenticeship standards evidence

The evidence to claim an apprenticeship standard is a copy of the learner’s diploma certificate to claim the diploma within the apprenticeship standard (full detail as set out in the qualification evidence section above) and a copy of the final apprenticeship standard certificate. The final apprenticeship standard certificate must contain the following information:

• Candidate name 
• Unique learner number 
• Name of the apprenticeship standard 
• Apprenticeship standard code as per the list of funded qualifications and learning (this can be written on) 
• The date of award must fall within our advertised dates for the funding year, so 1 January 2022 - 31 March 2023
• The certificate must be issued by the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education (IfATE). You can claim for the diploma once completed and certificated, and the apprenticeship standard at a later date once the end point assessment has been completed and the certificate for the apprenticeship standard has been issued. 

Learning programmes evidence

To claim funding for a learning programme a copy of the learner’s certificate must be submitted which contains the following information: 

• Candidate name 
• Date of birth 
• Name of learning programme
• Our code as per the list of funded qualification and learning
• The date of issue of the certificate must fall within our advertised dates for the funding year, so 1 January 2022 – 31 March 2023
• Name of endorsed learning provider. 

Digital learning modules evidence

To claim funding for a digital learning module a copy of the learner’s certificate must be submitted which contains the following information: 

• Candidate name 
• Date of birth 
• Name of digital module 
• Our claim code as per the list of funded qualifications and learning 
• The date of issue of the certificate must fall within our advertised dates for the funding year, so 1 January 2022 – 31 March 2023.

Ready to lodge claim?

When you are ready to lodge your claim for reimbursement through DCHC, click here to learn how to claim.

Who can help me? 

• For queries relating to claiming the WDF please contact DCHC wdf@devoncarehomes.org
• For general enquiries about the WDF please email wdf@skillsforcare.org.uk. 
• For information about any other Skills for Care resources or projects or the ways Skills for Care can support you, please contact info@skillsforcare.org.uk or 0113 2411275 
• For ASC-WDS queries please contact the ASC-WDS Support Service on 0113 2410969 or ascwds-support@skillsforcare.org.uk 

Other resources

• WDF Brochure from Skills for Care