Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 2024/25 Ministerial Annual Report

Part 3: Care Services Reporting Process

Section 9 of the Act places a Duty on Scottish Ministers to publish, and lay before Parliament an annual report setting out;

a) How Local Authorities and Integration Authorities have carried out their duties under sections 3, 7 and 8 of the Act when providing, planning or securing care services,

b) The effect that staffing levels in care services have on the discharge of those duties,

c) The steps that Ministers have taken to support staffing levels in care services in order to assist the discharge of those duties,

d) How the matters detailed above will be taken into account in determining the future supply of registered nurses, medical practitioners and any other care professionals who fall within the scope of the duties imposed by sections 3 and 7, and

e) The steps that Ministers have taken to ensure that funding is available to any person who provides a care service in order to assist the discharge of those duties.

This section of the Ministerial report sets out a summary of how the duties imposed in Part 1 and Part 3 of the Act have been taken into account by those providing, planning and securing care services, and the steps taken by Ministers considering the information set out above. It sets out the extent and nature of compliance with the Act by Local Authorities, Integration Authorities, and care services whilst having regard to:

• The guiding principles for health and care staffing.
• The guiding principles etc. in care service staffing and planning.
• The Duty on care service providers to ensure appropriate staffing.
• The Duty to ensure appropriate training of staff.

The care services referenced in the Act relate to care homes (including care homes for children and young people), school care accommodation, nurse agencies, secure accommodation, offender accommodation, adoption, fostering, adult placements, childminders, day care of children services (such as nurseries, playgroups, out-of-school care, and holiday clubs), housing support and support services (such as care at home).

It is important to note that whilst the Scottish Ministers have overall national policy responsibility for Social Care in Scotland, Scottish Ministers do not commission or provide care services. As a result, the Scottish Government does not hold the data required to report on how the duties of the Act have been taken into account and has gathered this data from Local Authorities, Integration Authorities, the Care Inspectorate and from relevant publicly available data relating to the sector and its workforce.

The Act states Scottish Ministers must have regard to a number of reports and information. Some examples include reviews and reports from the Care Inspectorate, information from people who provide and plan care services such as Local Authorities and Integration Authorities, and any report of information provided to Ministers from external bodies including the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).

To support relevant organisations in fulfilling their care reporting duties, Scottish Ministers published statutory guidance to accompany the Act and relevant secondary legislation. This guidance was developed in close collaboration with NHS and care staff; Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019: statutory guidance - gov.scot^[9]

Duties on Local Authorities and Integration Authorities

Purpose

Section 3 of the Act, Guiding principles etc. in care service staffing and planning, places duties on Local Authorities and Integration Authorities (“Authorities”). Section 3(2) of the Act requires that in planning or securing the provision of a care service from another person under a contract, agreement or other arrangements, every Local Authority and every Integration Authority must have regard to:

a) The guiding principles for health and care staffing.

b) The duties relating to staffing imposed on persons who provide care services

a) by virtue of subsection (1) and sections 7 to 10, and

b) by virtue of Chapters 3 and 3A of Part 5 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.

Section 3(6) of the Act also requires every Local Authority and Integrated Authority to publish and submit an annual report to Scottish Ministers detailing how they have carried out their duties under the Act when planning or securing provision of a care service from another person. In the first year of implementation, Authorities had to publish their reports by 30 June 2025; and moving forward reports must be published by 30 June each year.

The purpose of the annual reporting requirements is to:

• Identify steps taken by the organisation to comply with the duties in the Act.
• Identify areas of good practice that can be shared.
• Identify any challenges or ongoing risks which may affect the organisations' ability to comply with duties in the Act.

Reporting

Authorities were provided with an annual reporting template to complete and submit to Scottish Ministers. The template asked Authorities to answer two questions, offering an overview of how they have adapted their approach to implement the Act, by requesting detail on:

• the steps taken as an organisation to comply with section 3(2) of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019.
• any ongoing risks that may affect the organisation’s ability to comply with the Duty set out in section 3(2).

The annual reporting template included guidance and specific criteria for specific elements within each of the individual duties of the Act.

Overall Assessment of Local Authority and Integration Authority Compliance

To comply with their duties set out in the Act, all Authorities have completed and published their annual reporting template, as well as submitting a copy to Scottish Ministers.

These reports will allow for the implementation of the Act to be assessed and monitored going forward, provides data on both good practice within Authorities and providers and sets out risks and challenges within the sector that could impact on the Act. This valuable data and sector insight will inform policy development and exploring opportunities to deliver care more effectively and efficiently through the Service Renewal Framework.^[10]

The level of detail shared by Authorities in this first year of reporting varied widely. Scottish Government officials will work with Authorities and the Care Inspectorate ahead of the next reporting year to consider improvements to the reporting template based on lessons learned in the first reporting year.

It is worth noting that not all care services are commissioned by Authorities and so their reports will only cover part of the services that are in scope of the duties of the Act.

The evidence provided by Authorities, indicates that all local areas have taken structured and proactive approaches to embed the Act’s requirements into their processes when planning and securing care services.

Some Local Authorities and Integration Authorities, covering similar geographic locations, submitted combined reports to the Scottish Government for this reporting year. This has meant that the total number of reports submitted and included in this section’s analysis is 41, as opposed to the potential total of 64 reports. In addition, due to the open nature of the questions asked of Authorities in this first reporting year and the resulting varied responses received, we believe that not all reports have explicitly outlined all of the specific steps that the Authorities may have taken. Therefore, this section of the document only reports on specific steps that were outlined by Authorities, which could likely represent an undercount of the true number of areas that have taken these steps.

Overview of steps taken

Around three quarters of Authorities have reported that they have taken measures to review and revise their procurement and contract frameworks and procedures, to ensure they reflect the requirements of the Act and that providers are fully aware of their duties under the Act when commencing a service.

Just over half of Authorities have also reported they are ensuring providers compliance with the Act through contract monitoring mechanisms that they have put in place. Authorities reported they have approached contract monitoring in a number of different ways and steps include assurance meetings and visits with providers, as well as the use of provider surveys and end of year reports to provide additional assurance around compliance. Authorities also reported they had conducted training with their own staff to ensure they had the relevant skills to undertake these contract monitoring duties.

Over a quarter of Authorities reported they now require care service providers to produce information on their workforce policies and to demonstrate how they have given regard to Act principles in how they staff their services and on staff training.

In setting out the steps taken to comply with the Act, just over a quarter of Authorities have also reported that they conduct due diligence checks on providers including ensuring compliance with Care Inspectorate registration, SSSC registration and Codes of Practice, as well as compliance with the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme and Health and Social Care Standards.

Nearly a quarter of Authorities have advised that they used Scotland Excel Frameworks when securing care services and flagged the Scotland Excel undertake quality assurance checks to ensure compliance with the Act.

Several Authorities have also reported that they had not commissioned any new services in the 2024/25 financial year. However, they advised that steps have still been taken to ensure they are complying with the Act.

Ongoing risks

Authorities were also required to report on any ongoing risks that may affect their ability to comply with the duties set out in the Act. Whilst no Authority reported that they were unable to comply, a number of common risks were identified across the reports which include:

• Recruitment and retention challenges which were raised by nearly three quarters of Authorities as potentially impacting providers ability to comply with the Act. Authorities have reported that they continue to monitor this and respond appropriately.
• Financial pressures were raised by nearly half of Authorities as a potential risk. Authorities raised that this could limit resources for implementing the Act’s requirements and increase pressure on their own staff. The impact financial pressures are having on providers was also raised as a risk, with nearly a quarter of Authorities highlighting the UK Government’s increase in employer National Insurance Contributions as putting additional pressures on providers.
• Several Authorities reported a potential risk in accessing data from providers on how they are complying with their duties in the Act. However, solutions to this risk were being actively sought.
• Nearly a quarter of Authorities reported that limited numbers of care providers could affect their ability to comply with their duties in the Act, particularly in more rural areas.
• A number of Authorities also asked for further guidance to support their Health and Care Staffing Act reporting duties around care services.

Duties On Providers

Whilst the Act places duties on anyone providing a care service (“providers”) to have regard to the guiding principles for health and care staffing and to ensure that at all times they have suitably qualified, competent and appropriately trained individuals working in services, these individual providers do not have to officially report on these duties. To understand how individual care providers are discharging their duties, the Scottish Government have sought insight from the Care Inspectorate as the care regulator of the sector.

Care Inspectorate Safer Staffing Programme

The Care Inspectorate regulates and supports improvement in care services in Scotland to ensure high standards and improve outcomes for people experiencing care. As of 31 December 2024 there were 10,811 registered care services in Scotland.

The Care Inspectorate Safe Staffing Programme (SSP) was established in response to a commission from the Chief Nursing Officer Directorate to support the transition from the Public Service Reform Act 2010 and the commencement of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019.

The SSP, funded by Scottish Government, have been supporting the care sector in relation to the enactment of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 and working in collaboration with service providers, people who experience care and all other relevant stakeholders. SSP activity has included;

• Extensive engagement and consultation with the sector to gather insight and data which has been used to develop Act support and guidance as well as reporting.
• Development of several guidance tools for providers and Local and Integrated Authorities, including;
• Creation of the SSP Hub on the Care Inspectorate website, which includes a range of guidance in different formats and relevant signposting.
• Frequently asked questions document .
• Bitesize guidance video .
• One to one and group information and guidance sessions.
• Recorded Webinars and Podcasts.
• National in person events.
• Development of inspector induction sessions with SSP packs to ensure active learning for new staff.
• Commissioned a Provider Survey to gather valuable insight from providers who have no obligation to report under the Act.
• Extensive support to Scottish Government reporting via use of Annual Return, consultation and survey data.

More detail can be found on all SSP work in their annual reports on their Safe Staffing Project Hub.^[11]

Each year the Care Inspectorate asks all registered care providers in Scotland to complete an annual return. The Care Inspectorate publishes several annual statistical publications and shares some data with other organisations. The intelligence gathered through the annual return helps the Care Inspectorate: target improvement activity; identify, drive and track improvement; and identify trends and topics to see where best to focus improvement support work.

The deadline for most recent annual return submissions was 2 March 2025 and covered the period of 1^st January 2024 to 31^st December 2024 and 89.9% of registered care providers responded to the 2024 annual return question:

“Are you complying with the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019?”

The overall level of assurance self-reported by care providers with regard to compliance with their duties under the Act is summarised in figure 3 below.

91.7% indicate yes-complying, 4.6% indicate unsure and 3.7% indicate no-not complying.

Limitations of this data: The Act came into effect on 1 April 2024, therefore it should be noted that for the first three months of the annual return reporting year, the Act was not yet in place. This may affect the relevance and accuracy of responses returned during this period. Additionally, compliance figures are based on provider self-reporting, with no external validation of the figures provided. Furthermore, organisations were not asked about their understanding of the Act or their responsibilities under it, so providers may have varied levels of understanding which could have influenced how they interpreted and responded to this question.

Compliance With Individual Duties

Section 3 Duty to have regard to guiding principles for health and care staffing

The Act requires anyone who provides a care service, and every Authority when they are planning or securing the provision of a care service, to have regard to the guiding principles of the Act.

That the main purpose of the Act is to:

• Provide safe and high-quality services, and
• Ensure the best health care or care outcomes for service users.

The Act then lists principles to be met, insofar as they are consistent with the main purposes, when relevant organisations are arranging staffing including:

• improving standards and outcomes for service users.
• taking account of the particular needs, abilities, characteristics and circumstances of different service users.
• respecting the dignity and rights of service users.
• taking account of the views of staff and service users.
• ensuring the wellbeing of staff.
• being open with staff and service users about decisions on staffing.
• allocating staff efficiently and effectively.
• promoting multi-disciplinary services as appropriate.

Key findings

As there is no Duty on providers to report on how they are having regard to the guiding principles of the Act, the data Scottish Government has to report on how this is being discharged is limited in this first year of reporting. Scottish Government officials are currently exploring how this data could be gathered for future reports.

Through the data received from the Authorities we understand that around three quarters of local areas, when planning and securing services, have reviewed and revised their procurement procedures and contract frameworks and nearly a quarter have made specific mention to the guiding principles of the Act. One example given was requiring providers bidding to deliver services to answer mandatory questions on their awareness of duties of the Act and to abide by the guiding principles of the Act.

Achievements/Successes and Learning

Nearly a quarter of Authorities reported steps have been taken to review that services align with the Act’s guiding principles once a care contract is being delivered. One example given was updating service review tools to capture how providers align with the Act’s guiding principles, especially around staffing and outcomes.

To understand how individual care providers are having regard to the guiding principles of the Act, the Scottish Government sought insight from the Care Inspectorate as the regulator of the sector.

To support their work around the Act, in March 2025 the Care Inspectorate commissioned a survey of care service providers, as part of their ‘Safe Staffing Programme End of Year Report Survey’.^[12] Respondents to this survey highlighted some measures they have in place to support the health and wellbeing of their workforce, which is a key aspect in the guiding principles of the Act. These measures included:

• Supervision and check-ins: regular supervision, appraisals and one-to-one check-ins that are used to monitor wellbeing, provide feedback and identify any support needs early.
• Open communication and listening: an emphasis on open communication and the importance of open-door policies encouraging staff to raise concerns freely.
• Wellbeing initiatives and activities: Wellbeing focused activities such as coffee mornings and wellbeing days to foster a positive work environment and provide staff with opportunities to relax, connect and feel valued outside of their routine duties.
• Training and development: including induction programmes, continuous learning opportunities and targeted training such as emotional regulation and menopause awareness as ways to build staff confidence and competence, which in turn supported their overall wellbeing.
• Work-life balance and flexibility: the use of flexible working and leave policies where there is capacity to provide this to promote work-life balance and to helped reduce stress and improve staff satisfaction.
• Mental health and emotional support: resources providing access to counselling, trauma-informed practices, and wellbeing champions to help staff manage stress and maintain emotional resilience.

Challenges (risks)

As providers are not required to report on how they are discharging their duties regarding the guiding principles of the Act, the data available to Scottish Government on this is limited.

We understand from Authorities reports there are challenges employers face that could impact the guiding principle of the Act including recruitment and retention challenges that could have potential impacts on workforce wellbeing. However, Authorities have also reported of measures being taken to mitigate against such potential impacts including updating contracts to include reference to the wellbeing of staff, evaluating staffing plans to ensure they support staff wellbeing and local assurance checks with providers.

Workforce insights

Between January and February 2025, the SSSC conducted their first annual ‘Have Your Say Workforce Wellbeing Survey 2025’.^[13] It should be noted this survey falls outside of the reporting timeframe for the Health and Care Staffing Act 2024 Ministerial Report. However, it provides valuable insight from people working in the social work, social care and children and young people workforces, and covered topics including wellbeing, access to training and qualifications as well as general experiences of working in the sector.

The report found that overall, just over half of respondents said they were satisfied with their current job (56%) and just over a third were dissatisfied (35%). The majority said they felt safe in their work environment (60%), while just under half said they would recommend their organisation as a great place to work (47%).

Around two thirds of respondents agreed that they feel able to meet the needs of people they support (65%). However, some issues with wellbeing at work were suggested: 60% said they find it difficult to switch off when they leave work, only 43% said they have enough time to do their job well, and just 30% said enough support is in place for dealing with stress.

Section 7 Duty to ensure appropriate staffing

The Duty to ensure appropriate staffing in care services is designed to enable the provision of safe and high-quality services which meet the needs of service users through having appropriate staffing, with the right people, with the right skills, available at the right place, at the right time, to provide care.

The Act is not prescriptive in stipulating numbers or skill mix of professions, does not prescribe minimum staffing levels or fixed ratios and does not seek to preclude the use of innovative new models of care delivery. Rather it seeks to support local decision-making, flexibility and the ability to redesign and innovate across multi-disciplinary and multi-agency settings.

In considering whether providers are ensuring appropriate staffing, the Care Inspectorate published guidance for providers on the assessment of staffing levels in 2021 and updated in 2022 ; Safe Staffing Project | Care Inspectorate Hub.^[14] This framework provides guidance for assessing what the appropriate staffing level is for the individuals supported by them. The necessary staffing levels and training requirements will change as a result of the individual needs, numbers, and risk assessments, of those receiving care.

The Section 7 Duty outlines that staffing must be appropriate for the health, wellbeing and safety of service users, the provision of safe and high-quality care, and in so far is it affects either of those matters, the wellbeing of staff. The following must be considered by providers when determining what constitutes appropriate numbers of staffing:

• The nature of the care service.
• The size of the care service.
• The aims and objectives of the care service.
• The number of service users.
• The needs of service users.

It should be noted that day care of children settings must be staffed according to specific ratios to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the children according to their age and developmental stage. These ratios are set by the Care Inspectorate and are a regulatory issue, and the Act does not confer any change to the operation of ratios in these settings.

Key Findings

As there is no Duty on individual providers to report on how they are ensuring that at all times suitably qualified and competent individuals are working in care services in appropriate numbers, the data that the Scottish Government has to report on how this is being discharged is limited in this first year of reporting. Scottish Government officials are currently exploring how this data could be gathered for future reports.

A number of Authorities specifically advised they have embedded the requirement of the Act to ensure appropriate staffing into procurement and commissioning procedures and documentation when services are being planned and secured. Authorities reported of requiring providers to demonstrate compliance with appropriate staffing duties through contract terms, service specifications, and method statements during tendering.

Staffing levels across the care sector are determined using a combination of factors, including service user needs, geographical considerations and complexity of care. Providers often rely on feedback from service users, carers, and professionals, alongside internal audits and Care Inspectorate guidance to inform staffing decisions. Authorities have reported that many providers are using structured staff rotas and risk assessments to maintain appropriate staffing levels

Overall, while approaches vary slightly across regions, Authorities have reported there is a consistent emphasis on aligning staffing decisions with the Act’s guiding principles - ensuring safe, high-quality care and positive outcomes for service users, while also supporting staff wellbeing and sustainability.

Achievements/Successes and Learning

A number of Authorities advised that collaboration with providers is central to ensuring appropriate staffing and set out that their commissioning teams are working closely with care providers to ensure services with safe and effective staffing are in place are procured. Ongoing contract management and quality assurance frameworks support this, with regular engagement, supervision and reporting mechanisms in place.

Authorities have reported that they are using monitoring processes, and some have added specific questions to contract review processes to assess ongoing compliance including assessing appropriate staffing ratios where appropriate. One example given included requiring providers of care to submit quarterly Quality Assurance reports, containing information on the number of service users, turnover rates, recruitment activity and a plan for managing risks to provide assurance that they have an appropriate staffing tool in place, as well as a process for escalating workforce risks to prevent service disruption.

Other examples of measures used by Authorities to support appropriate staffing include;

• Embedding mandatory questions in tender documentation requiring providers to confirm awareness of staffing duties under the Act.
• Establishing short life working groups and workforce plan groups focused on recruitment, training, development, succession planning, and staff wellbeing. These structures are transitioning into permanent governance mechanisms.
• Appointment of leads within Authorities to support provider compliance, delivered training to providers, and embed staffing requirements into procurement and commissioning frameworks.
• Ongoing contract monitoring actions with providers in relation to their compliance with the Act.

Challenges (Risks)

Staffing levels are a critical determinant of whether Authorities and providers can meet their statutory duties under the Act. Insufficient staffing can compromise care quality, staff wellbeing and service sustainability.

To understand how individual care providers are having regard to the guiding principles of the Act, the Scottish Government sought insight from the Care Inspectorate as the regulator of the sector.

The Care Inspectorate’s commissioned survey of care service providers, undertaken in March 2025 as part of their ‘Safe Staffing Programme End of Year Report Survey’^[15], does provide some insight into staffing challenges in the sector. This sets out that 64% of respondents identified recruitment and sector workforce shortages as a key risk encountered when implementing the Act into everyday practice. Common concerns included lack of staff, difficulty in balancing shift cover with staff training and development, and financial constraints.

A number of Authorities reported that they face challenges in assuring appropriate staffing at the point of planning and securing services. However, it is clear from their reports that they have taken significant steps to address this including through procurement, commissioning and monitoring processes.

Section 8 Duty to ensure training of staff

This Duty requires providers to ensure that, in complying with the Duty imposed by section 8, individuals working in a care service receive appropriate training for the work they are to perform. Section 8 also requires that adequate time and assistance is provided for individuals to undertake training.

The SSSC is the regulator in Scotland for social work, social care and children and young peoples’ workforces and has responsibility for registering professionals and regulating education and training in the sector. As part of this, to be registered with the SSSC and work in the sector, staff are required to complete an annual declaration which confirms they have kept a record of their learning and that they have completed mandatory learning on trauma awareness, protection of children and protection of adults.

Through its Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) offer and Learning Zone service, the SSSC provides access to a host of learning opportunities (including a range of relevant NHS Education for Scotland learning resources available on TURAS) designed to support providers and staff to ensure workforces are equipped with the correct training and skills to carry out their roles.

It should be noted that a condition of registration with the SSSC is that a member of the workforce is either already holding or working towards specific qualifications depending on their role, and a condition of maintaining that registration is engaging with and evidencing CPL each year.

The reports received from Authorities gave an insight into how providers and workforces are accessing these resources and the wider measures being taken to support the appropriate staff training.

Key findings

As with the other sections of the Act, there is no Duty on individual providers to report on how they are ensuring that individuals working in their care service receive appropriate training and suitable assistance to obtain further qualifications appropriate to their work.

In their annual reports, Authorities cited various measures providers are taking to support their staff in accessing training resources and develop their skills in response to service demand.

Achievements, Successes and Learning

A number of Authorities have reported that to ensure appropriate training, providers are offering structured training to their staff including comprehensive induction programmes, ongoing professional development (including SVQs), and shadowing and mentoring support. Several Authorities require providers to maintain training records and records on support for staff development, with providers reporting on this to Authorities annually.

One Authority has reported that some providers in their local area work with external partners including placements with universities to enhance service delivery and staff development.

Authorities reported that providers are making use of national tools including the Portable National Induction Framework developed by SSSC and NES and the use of MyTuras which brings together a host of learning tools and resources for social care staff. It was also reported that this is often supported by shadowing and mentoring offers to new staff, with ongoing support for staff in working towards the attainment of SVQs and other qualifications.

Several Authorities reported that they require providers to report on training completion and qualifications as part of contract monitoring and this is also reported on in Care Inspectorate Annual Returns

In addition, the SSSC hosts a CPL portal offering access to a range of learning opportunities for the Children’s and Young People’s workforce, including online modules on topics like child development, additional support needs, and parental engagement. Practitioners can also access further resources through platforms like Education Scotland’s National Improvement Hub and the Care Inspectorate’s Hub, which offer self-directed learning materials and professional learning programmes. These national tools are used by Authorities to provide assurance of consistency in approach to staff training and development.

Challenges (risks)

As part of the Care Inspectorate’s commissioned survey of care service providers as part of their ‘Safe Staffing Programme End of Year Report Survey’^[16], 43% of the providers surveyed reported that allowing staff appropriate time to complete training and development was a key risk in their ability to implement the Act’s principles into everyday practice.

The reports from Authorities flagged that many providers have structured training programmes in place, but there are some difficulties in ensuring staff in some areas are appropriately skilled and qualified. However, it is clear that many Authorities are taking steps to ensure appropriate training for staff including building compliance with this Duty into providers contracts and through contract monitoring processes.

A number of Authorities have set out that high turnover rates reduce continuity of staff and limits the ability to invest in long-term training and shortages of qualified staff means that some providers often rely on agency or bank staff, who may not have access to the same training pathways.

Workforce insights

Data from the SSSC ‘Have Your Say Workforce Wellbeing Survey 2025’^[17], indicate generally positive attitudes from the social work, social care and children and young people’s workforces around training and learning opportunities.

The 2025 report was the first time the SSSC conducted this survey and whilst this was carried out from January to February 2025 – which falls outside of the reporting timeframe for the Health and Care Staffing Act 2024 Ministerial Report – this provides valuable insight from the 6,581 registered and some non-registered workers who responded. This set out that:

• 85% of respondents expressed a desire to improve their knowledge and skills.
• 73% said there are training and learning opportunities available to them.
• 69% said they have enough training/learning opportunities to fulfil their CPL requirements.
• 69% said they get the right training to do their job well.
• 65% agreed they are supported to gain qualifications for registration purposes.
• 61% know how/where to look for a new role to match their skills and experience.
• 51% need more training to progress their career/get promoted .

Whilst three in ten of respondents said that there are no barriers to training, the report does highlight some of the challenges experienced by other respondents to training. The most commonly mentioned barriers to training reported were lack of time (29%), employers not allowing time off for training (24%) and availability of courses (24%).

The SSSC Workforce Skills Report 2025^[18], looks at the current provision of qualifications for the adult social care, children's residential care and early years workforces and provides a snapshot of the SSSC register on 1 October 2024. The report splits into two subsections - adult social care and children’s services – and as part of this report, in February 2025 the SSSC surveyed services to ask managers their views on staff accessing qualifications.

The SSSC have flagged that there were low response rates to this survey and low focus group attendance which means that the findings are not statistically representative of all services.

Nevertheless, 36% of day care of children managers who responded to the survey, and 22% of managers in residential care services for children, said it was ‘impossible’ to undertake qualifications in work time. These challenges were also indicated by managers surveyed working within adult social care services, with around 20% of care at home, housing support and care home respondents reporting undertaking qualifications in work time was ‘impossible’.