What is the Care Workforce Pathway?
When we launched the Care Workforce Pathway (the Pathway) in 2024, we set out an ambitious vision: to create the first universal career structure for adult social care, giving clearer opportunities to develop, progress, and build rewarding long-term careers in a sector that supports millions of people every day.
The Pathway was designed to provide consistent expectations around the knowledge, skills, values and behaviours needed to deliver high-quality, personalised care, as well as recognition for the huge breadth and diversity of the care sector.
Since then, we have continued to work closely with care workers, people who draw on care and support, providers, professional bodies, and partners across the sector to build and expand the Pathway. Creating a skilled, supported and confident workforce is fundamental to the changes we want to see, where consistent, high quality and personalised care is the norm.
We have now published the third part of the Pathway – a significant milestone.With an additional ten new role categories, we have expanded coverage to include emerging roles that are increasingly important to modern care delivery, such as care technologists as well as other “care-adjacent” roles, reflecting how the sector is continuing to evolve in response to the increasing complexity of health and care. Just as importantly, they help employers recognise specialist skills and create more structured routes for career growth.
You can read the guidance on part three of the Care Workforce Pathway on the Government website. Click here
This will support care workers' development and progressionThe significance of this publication goes beyond adding new roles. For the first time, a workforce of around 1.5 million can see their contribution reflected within a single, coherent career structure. Whether someone is entering the sector for the first time, building specialist expertise, or considering moving into nursing, social work or leadership, the Pathway helps them and their employer understand the skills and experience they need to take the next step. We know that careers in adult social care can open doors to a wide range of professions across a more joined up health and care system and the Pathway helps make those opportunities more visible.
We know there is still more to do, but with a newly expanded pathway, we have taken another significant step forward. For care workers, it means clearer routes to develop and progress their skills and expertise, including greater recognition for specialist skills. For employers, it provides a practical framework to support recruitment, retention and development. And for people who draw on care and support, it provides reassurance that their care workers will have the knowledge, skills and values needed to provide safe, effective, personalised care.
The bigger pictureThis milestone also represents another major step forward in our sector support programme that has been co-developed and delivered in partnership with Skills for Care. From the outset, they have been central to shaping and implementing the pathway, ensuring that it reflects the realities of frontline care and meets the needs of employers of all sizes and settings. With coverage now extending to almost all unregulated workforce roles that aren’t health or social work, Skills for Care's ongoing work will be vital in supporting implementation across England and helping employers realise the benefits of adopting the Pathway.
The expanded Pathway is also an important step as we build the foundations for a National Care Service, alongside wider reforms to improve pay, conditions, learning and development opportunities. Creating opportunities for people to develop and progress, while ensuring they feel recognised and valued for the vital work they do, is central to building a care system fit for the future.
Together, government, Skills for Care and our partners are building a workforce that is recognised, supported and equipped to meet the evolving needs of people and communities across England. As we continue to support more providers and systems to embed the Pathway, we have a stronger foundation than ever for workforce development and professional recognition, as we progress towards our ambition to deliver a National Care Service.
Join the Care Workforce Pathway support programme Get practical support, templates and guidance to embed the Care Workforce Pathway in your organisation. Applications are now open. Find out more
seen at 16:48, 17 July in Social care.