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It [is more important than] ever that care providers have an open-minded approach to ways they can support staff in developing and diversifying their skills – whether that be carers, chefs, managers, or housekeepers.

Across the sector we practice values-based recruitment, but this approach shouldn’t stop once you get in the front door: values-based learning, growth and development is also really important when it comes to readying colleagues for leadership roles.

By opening up development pathways to a wider, more diverse, audience, we’re moving away from traditional career trajectories and discovering fantastic new talent amongst our existing workforce. Providing a demonstrable, clear progression opportunity helps not only to attract new starters but also retain existing colleagues.

We’ve seen through our Aspiring Home Managers Programme how much giving somebody the confidence in their skills and abilities can develop them into great leaders.

Moreover, it builds sustainability as it dials up a level of readiness in our aspiring Home Manager community which supports with succession planning and can expediate filling vacancies more quickly– a positive move for the sector which struggles to attract and retain people with the right skillset for this complex role.

The most important factor in any learning and development offer is that it has a meaningful impact in equipping the care workforce to best meet the needs of people using social care services.

Those of us working in the sector know all too well the misrepresentation that care is an unskilled profession, with little opportunity for development. It’s up to us as providers and sector leaders to counter this myth, and to foster a culture of learning and professional advancement however we can.

Investing in such a culture pays out – it supports succession planning and workforce development, not to mention ultimately reducing high recruitment and productivity costs.

More importantly, when we focus on valuing and developing the skills that already exist in the care sector, we better equip individuals and organisations to meet the increasingly complex needs of those we care for. This will raise parity of esteem with other sectors, and help to future-proof ourselves against being faced with the same, or worsening, workforce pressures again and again in the next few years.