People who employ their own care and support staff (individual employers) can apply for funding from Skills for Care to cover the full cost of care related training for both themselves and their personal assistants.
In addition, as part of a pilot project in 2015, funding is also available to personal health budget (PHB) holders employing PAs;Â see funding for PHB holders below.
Whilst Skills for Care does not directly arrange the training, we can fund courses and qualifications that meets the learning needs of the individual employer and/or their personal assistant(s). The training must be started by 31 March 2016.
If an application is successful, we will usually notify the individual employer within 30 days and arrange payment directly into their bank account.
More information and useful resources about employing your own care and support staff can be found on the information hub for individual employers and personal assistants.
Guidance This document explains about the funding, how to complete the application form and what to send with your application; such as your status as an individual employer and formal quotes from the training providers who will provide the course or qualification.
Application:Â Must be completed in full and sent to Skills for Care with all required documents before 5pm on Monday 29 February 2016.
Individual employers can ask for assistance to complete the application form, but the choice to apply for this funding remains with the employer as they will be asked to agree to the condition of the grant.
Skills for Care consider all applications for funding on a case by case basis.
Guidance:Â This document explains about the funding, how to complete the application form and what to send with your application; such as your status as a personal health budget holder and formal quotes from the training providers who will provide the course or qualification.
Individual employers can ask for assistance to complete the application form, but the choice to apply for this funding remains with the employer as they will be asked to agree to the condition of the grant.
Not all requests for training will be able to be met from the individual employer fund. This is because the NHS is free at the point of use and the NHS has a responsibility to provide everything that is necessary to deliver your agreed care. It is not appropriate for the fund to cover costs of essential training necessary to delivery your agreed care plan.
NHS England has asked Skills for Care to test the use of the fund for the NHS and that this will inform decision about if it continues for PHB holders in the long term.
Nearest tube: Elephant & Castle underground station (Northern and Bakerloo lines).
Nearest Railway Station: Elephant & Castle
Buses from Elephant and Castle: ask bus driver for Burgess Park. Bus numbers: 12, 171, 148, 176, 68, 484, 42, 40, 45