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Funding boost for social care training

  • Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 8th August 2025
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Grants from the Scottish Government are now open to support voluntary sector workforce development.

Applications are now open for the 2025–26 Voluntary Sector Development Fund (VSDF), which helps employers cover the cost of essential qualifications for social care staff.

The funding supports workers in gaining the qualifications required for registration with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) – the national regulator for the social care workforce.

The VSDF is particularly valuable for small and medium-sized organisations, but is open to all voluntary sector employers, regardless of size.

Welcoming the continued support of professional development for staff Minister for Social Care Tom Arthur, said:

“The Scottish Government recognises that the social care sector is facing a number of challenges, and this scheme is just one of the ways we are working to support social care employers and their staff.

“That is why we’re continuing to invest in this important fund, helping hundreds of workers gain the skills they need to deliver high-quality care to some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

“I would urge all voluntary sector social care organisations to consider applying for this funding to help with the costs of staff training”

Background

Guidance and the application form for the VSDF can be found at https://news.sssc.uk.com/news/2025-26-vsdf-open-for-applications Applications for the years fund will close at 5pm on Friday 5 September 2025.

The fund supports voluntary sector organisations providing social services that are registered charity and are registered with the Care Inspectorate. Funding can be used directly to support training and development needs associated with meeting the requirements for registration with the SSSC.

Around £780,000 is available for the Fund in 2025-26, and each organisation can apply for a maximum of £24,000.

Visit the Scottish Government website for more.

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