- Cera’s pioneering career pathway takes individuals with no care experience, trains them to become skilled carers, all the way to become healthcare professionals, and develop nursing skills
- The programme provides Cera carers and business employees, regardless of starting level, the opportunity to reach a Director of Operations role via a degree apprenticeship
- Cera’s innovative programme formally launches alongside the pledge from the Department of Health and Social Care to improve the prospect of the adult care workforce
- Cera plans to hire and train 40,000 new carers in the next four years
Cera, the leading home-care provider, today announces its commitment to the learning and development of UK carers, investing over £5 million in the launch of its Academy Career Pathway programme.
A recent pledge from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) outlines plans to improve the career prospects of the adult social care workforce through training, qualifications and a coherent career path. With high turnover rates, heavy workloads and limited opportunities for progression driving vacancies, the industry has reached a critical turning point where long-term career opportunities must be forged for carers.
Cera’s Academy Career Pathway, formally launching this month, successfully facilitates the progression of carers in the healthcare industry by enabling employees to gain fully-funded and professionally recognised qualifications alongside their current work. The Pathway is split into two streams – development opportunities for skilled carers and middle management, and an apprenticeship pathway for early-career carers and operations staff.
In pilots, 245 Cera employees have enrolled on the programme choosing from up to 50 different training options ranging from Level 2-5 care qualifications, skills to support complex or learning disability care, and supervisory or management positions. The programme aims to also address the carer workforce crisis by attracting new people to the sector via the offer of a career pathway.
As part of its Carer Value Proposition, Cera is formally endorsed as a training provider by Skills for Care – the national body for social care workforce. With many of its carers joining with no previous experience or being relatively new to the industry with a desire to qualify, Cera is seeing impressive growth in registration for its Level 2 Adult Social Care apprenticeship. Recent data has shown that there has been a 150% increase in Cera carer registrations for the course since 2023.
Those with more experience and looking to develop their skills further can progress to Level 3 and 4 in Adult Social Care via Cera’s pathway. This enables progression into the more senior Field Care Supervisor and Care Coordinator roles, unlocking higher pay bands via new management positions and greater responsibility.
All carers have the opportunity to reach management positions via progression through Cera’s advanced pathway. The higher degree apprenticeship levels of the scheme have proven popular, with 65 managers trained to date and a further 100 carers registered for 2024. This year, 16 people are enrolled in the Level 5 Leader in Adult Care programme, where the company supports branch managers with their goal to move into higher management roles (i.e. Registered Manager with CQC). From Q4 2023 to Q1 2024, Cera saw an 82% increase in the enrollment of managers.
Importantly, training is available for those beyond care and central operations. Cera provides opportunities for employees to explore interests in other areas of the business, with its Recruitment and Finance teams completing training in Digital Marketing and Accounting areas.
Dr Ben Maruthappu, Founder and CEO of Cera, comments: “In the NHS and social care, turnover rates for staff have always been notoriously high, and a huge driver of this is a lack of a clear progression. When employees see limited opportunities for skill development and growth, they may become disengaged and lose motivation. While it’s positive to see the government finally take a stance with its new pledge, we hope that our Academy Career Pathway acts as a model example for other care providers looking to support the professional development of staff in line with the Government’s new pledge.”
Maruthappu adds, “By offering our employees new learning and development opportunities, we are illustrating our commitment to enhancing the quality of social care and offering rewarding careers. The domestic healthcare industry is fuelled by intelligent and driven carers, who deserve new incentives to foster professional growth and overall job satisfaction.”
Annabel Taylor, Chief People Officer at Cera, comments: “At Cera we want our carers to have a career, not just a job. Being a carer is an incredibly rewarding role, supporting the most vulnerable in society. Our Academy Career Pathway enables our carers to achieve their career aspirations and enhance their skills to their full potential, opening new opportunities for promotion. In 2023, 44% of all Cera branch roles were filled through internal promotions, and it’s a statistic we are very proud of. We hope our programme further increases this number throughout 2024.”