Realise Achieves 11 QACLS Endorsements
A host of health and social care courses delivered by leading training provider Realise have received the new Quality Assurance Care Learning Services (QACLS) endorsement.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has taken on responsibility for reviewing the quality of individual courses and qualifications delivered by training providers within the sector.
Realise submitted 11 of its health and social care programmes to be quality assured – and all received the stamp of approval, including the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate.
Funding for health and social care qualifications is now provided through the Government’s Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS), which has replaced the Workforce Development Fund.
From April this year, only courses and qualifications delivered by training providers that have been QACLS endorsed will be identified as preferred options by LDSS.
And from next year onwards, employers will only be able to claim LDSS funding for courses that have been quality assured.
Care providers currently have to replace almost a third of their workers each year due to staff leaving their jobs. This high turnover has a negative impact on the quality of care – and the DHSC hopes the QACLS endorsement will help boost retention.
Lesley O’Connor, Head of Strategic Development at Realise, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to be one of the first training providers to achieve endorsements across a wide range of courses.
“This new system marks a step-change for the industry as it means, for the first time, individual courses are being reviewed rather than the training provider as a whole in an attempt to drive up standards.
“The approval process was thorough, looking at evidence of quality of delivery, testimonials, achievement rates and policies.
“Being QACLS endorsed is very important as it demonstrates quality and also allows employers to continue to claim LDSS funding. Soon employers will have to pay the full price for programmes that are not endorsed.
“We look forward to working with employers who can benefit from quality assured training.”
The QACLS endorsement lasts for three years, with regular monitoring every six to nine months.
Realise will strive to have all its health and social care programmes approved through QACLS during phase two and three of the process. Phase two runs from now until the end of the 2025-26 financial year, and phase three follows immediately after.
The Government says it is “fully committed to a professional, well supported social care workforce” with learning, development and training that is “of outstanding quality, relevant and accessible”.
The full list of Realise’s 11 quality assured courses are: Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Autism, Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Autism, Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, Level 2 Certificate in Understanding the Care and Management of Diabetes, Level 2 Certificate in Falls Prevention Awareness, Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Nutrition and Health, Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care, Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care, Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care, Level 2 Certificate in Understanding the Safe Handling of Medication in Health and Social Care and Level 2 Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems
For more information, visit www.realisetraining.com
