A discovery about the Workforce Development Fund service for Skills for Care

We were asked by Skills for Care to deliver a discovery phase project to inform decisions about how the Workforce Development Fund claims process might be improved.

The Workforce Development Fund is an established method for the state to provide a contribution towards the cost of learning for employees in the adult social care sector in England.

The fund is disbursed by Skills for Care on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

We conducted user research with people who had made claims before, and people who hadn’t previously made claims, as well as others involved in the process. 

We interviewed 21 users, and ran 4 observational sessions and 2 surveys. We also interviewed 10 stakeholders, and conducted thorough data and technology reviews.

Towards the end of the discovery phase we ran a co-design studio to help develop possible solutions, involving end-user representatives and the client. 

We presented detailed recommendations, supported by a backlog of validated and prioritised user stories, and a set of concept prototypes, for Skills for Care stakeholders to consider.