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Balancing Costs and Building Skills in Adult Care with Lesley O’Connor

Balancing Costs and Building Skills in Adult Care with Lesley O’Connor

Brewing better care

A Sector Under Pressure

Adult care providers are facing some of the most difficult circumstances the sector has ever experienced. The demand for safe, high-quality, person-centred care continues to grow, yet the financial and workforce pressures on employers are becoming increasingly hard to manage.

Meeting Growing and Complex Care Needs

The UK’s ageing population, coupled with a rise in complex care needs, has placed unprecedented demand on adult care providers. People are living longer, often with multiple long-term conditions, requiring more specialised and person-centred support.

The Rising Cost of Care Delivery

Rising staff costs, including higher business tax and National Insurance contributions, are already stretching budgets. At the same time, reduced contributions from local authorities are making it harder for providers to meet everyday operational demands.
Care providers must meet rigorous regulatory standards, with the CQC expecting consistent, high-quality, person-centred care. Achieving compliance while managing staffing pressures is a daily challenge for many organisations.

The Workforce Challenge: Recruitment and Retention

Despite the vital role they play, adult care staff are among the lowest-paid in the healthcare sector, contributing to high turnover rates and widespread burnout. Consequently, there are over 131,000 vacancies (an 8.3% vacancy rate) in the adult care sector. Many employers find themselves relying on agency staff just to maintain services, which places even more strain on existing adult care teams.

The True Cost of Underinvestment in Training

In this environment, finding the financial resources to invest in staff development can feel impossible. However, the risks of not doing so are significant: higher staff turnover, increased recruitment challenges, and a workforce that may not be equipped to meet the growing complexity of care needs.

Unlocking Fully Funded Training Opportunities

At Realise, we understand these pressures – and we’re here to provide solutions.
We work closely with adult care employers to unlock 100% funding through the Adult Skills Fund, ensuring essential training can be delivered at no cost to the organisation or the employee.

Upskilling Staff, Strengthening Services

Our funding-efficient programmes are built around the needs of the care sector and help employers to:

  • Reduce reliance on agency workers by upskilling existing staff.

  • Improve retention and staff morale by creating clear career pathways.

  • Maintain compliance and quality standards across services.

  • Access fully funded qualifications from entry level 2 through to leadership, with specialist routes in areas such as mental health, learning disabilities and autism, and dementia care.

Don’t Miss Out on the Funding You’re Entitled To

It is concerning that so many care providers remain unaware of the fully funded training available to them through the Adult Skills Fund and the Apprenticeship Levy. In today’s challenging economic climate, failing to take advantage of this support is a missed opportunity the sector can ill afford.
These funding streams are designed specifically to protect budgets, upskill staff, and strengthen services without adding extra financial strain on employers. At a time when recruitment is tough and the cost of care delivery continues to rise, making full use of training that is already paid for is not just sensible – it is essential to sustaining high-quality care and safeguarding the future workforce.

Proven Results with Leading Care Providers

Realise has a proven track record of working with some of the UK’s largest care providers, including MHA, Anchor, Harbour and Springfield. Our partnerships have enabled these organisations to deliver fully funded, sector-specific training, improve staff retention, and maintain consistently high care standards across multiple services.

Partner with Realise to Invest in Your People

If you’re looking for ways to balance rising costs with the need to strengthen your team, Realise can help. Our fully funded training solutions are designed to give your workforce the skills and confidence they need to thrive.

If you remember one thing from this brief article, it’s to make use of what is there!


Get in touch with us today to find out how we can support your organisation.

 

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