Care Workforce Pathway
The Care Workforce Pathway is the national career framework developed by DHSC. It defines the knowledge, skills, values and behaviours needed across adult social care roles in England and provides the first universal career structure for the sector's workforce of around 1.5 million people.
It was developed in partnership with Skills for Care, care providers, workforce representatives and people with lived experience of care. The pathway covers 18 role categories across both direct care and supporting roles.
Key objectives
- Create clear career pathways within adult social care
- Improve recruitment and retention
- Support workforce development and professional recognition
- Provide greater consistency in role expectations, skills and progression
- Help employers develop and retain staff
What the pathway includes
The pathway sets out role-specific expectations for:
- Knowledge and skills
- Values and behaviours
- Learning and development opportunities
- Career progression routes
It covers roles ranging including:
- New to Care
- Care or Support Worker
- Enhanced Care Worker
- Supervisor and Leader
- Deputy Manager
- Registered Manager
as well as supporting functions such as administration, catering, domestic services, maintenance and quality assurance.
Key benefits
...for employers
- Supports recruitment by clearly describing career opportunities
- Provides a structured framework for supervision and appraisal
- Helps identify training and development needs
- Supports workforce planning and retention
...for the workforce
- Greater clarity about career progression
- Improved access to learning and development
- Recognition of transferable skills and experience
- Better opportunities to move into leadership or regulated professions such as nursing and social work
