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Skills for Care – Individual Employer Funding

Skills for Care – Individual Employer Funding

The Individual Employer Fund is now open for applications for 2025/26.

This funding can be used to cover:

  • Training costs to develop your skills as an employer

  • Direct costs of completing training or qualifications

  • Hiring replacement support while your usual Personal Assistant (PA) is on training

  • Travel costs linked to training

You can apply for up to five training courses per person at a time. Once you’ve completed those courses, you can apply again for more.

All training is bespoke and personalised to you as an Individual Employer (IE) and your specific needs.

For Personal Assistants (PAs)

If you are a PA interested in learning and development, please speak to your employer.
Funding is available for your training, but your employer will need to submit the application.

Who can apply?

This funding is available for Individual Employers who:

  • Live in England

  • Are aged 18 or over

  • Employ their own PAs or contract* self-employed PAs, using:

    • Their own money

    • Adult social care direct payments

    • NHS Personal Health Budgets

*‘Contracted’ means PAs with true self-employed status. You can check if you are self-employed using the  Check employment status for tax tool.
Self-employed PAs will need to provide evidence of their employment status.

How to apply

  1. Read the terms and conditions, code of conduct, and privacy policy.

  2. Complete the application form.

  3. Email it to funding@skillsforcare.org.uk.

Need help?

If you have any questions or need support to complete your application, contact us:
📩 Email: funding@skillsforcare.org.uk
📞 Call: 0113 241 1275

“It’s been a game changer” – why you should consider applying for the Individual Employer Fund with Skills for Care:

“The Individual Employer Fund has been a game changer for me. It’s allowed me to employ the right people – those who share my values and understand what I need. It’s not just about skills, but about feeling valued and capable in our roles.”
— Isaac Samuels, Co-chair of the Skills for Care Individual Employer & Personal Assistant Steering Group

Isaac and fellow co-chair Jacqui Darlington both live with complex health and social care needs, and both come from racialised backgrounds. The training they’ve accessed through the fund has been tailored, meaningful, and co-produced – meeting their physical, cultural, and emotional needs, as well as those of their personal assistants.

“Being able to access the fund has meant I can shape the training to fit my real-life needs, not some generic course. That knowledge has empowered me to take control of my care in ways I never thought possible.”
— Jacqui Darlington

“The training opened my eyes and gave me the tools to be a better ally and support worker. I felt seen and heard as a PA, and that’s not always the case.”
— Yasmin, Personal Assistant

“Without the funding, I simply wouldn’t have been able to afford that kind of development. It’s made a huge difference to how I work and how I support others.”
— Alvydas, Personal Assistant
Published
11 August 2025