While the expectations placed on the care workforce are growing, significant challenges remain in ensuring that education and training pathways are accessible, relevant and fit for purpose.

This report examines how well Scotland’s colleges are meeting this challenge, and asks: is what we’re doing good enough for the learners who are pursuing careers in care sectors? The report evaluates how well Scotland’s colleges are planning, promoting, and delivering a care curriculum, and the impact on learners.

Broader industry insights reveal persistent issues with workforce readiness and qualification structures, underscoring the critical need to better align education and training with the evolving demands of the care sectors. [1]

In this report, the term ‘care’ refers to a broad range of subjects, including early learning, childcare, and health and social care. While the report focusses specifically on the full-time qualifications funded by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC); it recognises that independent training providers also play a key role in delivering care qualifications to support the development of skills.

HM Inspectors and associate assessors (AAs) visited a selection of colleges across Scotland. The selection included colleges of varying size, and those in urban and rural areas.

Prior to the visits, HM Inspectors analysed information from SFC, the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) and the Scottish Wider Access Programme (SWAP). This included learner demographics and programme outcomes published between 2018 and 2023. 

The review was framed by quality indicators (QIs) from How Good is Our College? (HGIOC): 

• Leadership of learning and teaching (QI 1.2)

• Curriculum rationale, design, and development (QI 2.2)

• Learning, teaching and assessment QI 2.3)

• Partnerships (QI 2.6)

• Equity, attainment, and achievement for all learners (QI 3.2)

Inspection teams met with managers, learners, teaching staff and external partners. They observed learning and teaching and collected feedback through a combination of discussions, interviews, and meetings. This ensured a diverse range of perspectives and first-hand experiences had the opportunity to be represented. The team also took account of feedback from employers' organisations and awarding bodies. 

Leadership of the care curriculum

All college curriculum managers engage with labour market information (LMI) to ensure their care curriculum offer aligns closely with local, regional and national priorities and industry needs. Almost all managers contribute productively to regional strategic groups, partnerships and committees to stay up to date with employer needs, sector developments and emerging workforce priorities. However, a few curriculum managers do not engage sufficiently with partners or industry forums. This limits their ability to fully support and inform future curriculum planning to meet employer needs. 

Most colleges offer clear and structured progression pathways enabling learners to advance in their education, secure employment or obtain promoted roles. Managers use outcomes of self-evaluation to support constructively continuous improvement. However, in a few colleges, self-evaluation happens too late or too infrequently. This prevents curriculum teams from identifying problems early enough to make timely improvements that would benefit learners within the same academic year.  

The majority of curriculum teams collaborate effectively with industry partners, ensuring the range and content of programmes meets sector needs, supports learners to gain relevant skills and knowledge, and ensures learners are well-equipped for entering the workplace. However, some curriculum teams do not have strong enough partnerships with employers. This is often due to a lack of resource or insufficient industry connections. As a result, this limits their ability to respond to evolving workforce demands.

The range of care programmes varies significantly between colleges, with those in urban areas typically offering a wider variety of programmes than those in rural areas. Appendix 1 illustrates this contrast by showing the full-time programmes available at two large colleges in different geographical locations in Scotland. One college offers access and entry-level options starting at SCQF level 4, along with a broad range of subjects at both FE and HE level. In contrast, the other begins progression at SCQF level 5, and the breadth of offer is much more limited. This highlights how geographical demand is influencing care curriculum provision. While variability in the curriculum offered is largely driven by local employment needs, in some colleges, the curriculum is overly influenced by staff skills and preferences rather than learner or industry demand.  

Learning, teaching and assessment 

Curriculum teams integrate effectively multiple learning methods within care programmes. Teaching staff make good use of digital platforms, virtual learning environments (VLEs), and classroom-based lessons to personalise and enhance learning. Increasingly, they create high-quality, online resources. These are valued by learners and allow them to consolidate and enhance learning at their own pace within and outside lessons. However, in some colleges, learners experience challenges in accessing online resources due to issues with technology and connectivity. 

Teaching staff use collaborative learning approaches extensively to promote teamwork, idea sharing, and problem solving. They use simulations and case studies skilfully to help learners develop decision making and problem-solving skills. Almost all work-based experiences provide practical opportunities to develop essential skills, including empathy and communication, helping learners develop confidence and skills in handling real-life challenges in care settings.

Teaching staff engage learners effectively to critically reflect on their learning. Almost all teaching staff facilitate discussions that motivate and support learners to analyse their progress and performance and identify areas for improvement and personal growth. They provide learners with encouragement and support to take responsibility for their own learning. This approach is helping learners to apply the Code for Social Service Workers when appropriate and reflect on their practice to identify ways to improve.

Teaching staff tailor guidance resources to individual learners' needs and preferences. They adapt teaching approaches to help learners overcome specific barriers to learning and collaborate effectively with support service staff to arrange specialist assistance when needed. Curriculum and support staff work well together to provide academic tutorials, study skills workshops and regular opportunities for learners to discuss their progress and plan next steps as well as supporting learners to cope with the demands of their programme.  

Teaching staff work productively with employers and industry partners to align theoretical and practical classes with current industry standards and practices. Those staff who are also actively working in care, enrich learning by drawing upon their professional insights and experiences. 

Staff use a variety of assessment methods effectively to enable learners to demonstrate knowledge, understanding and skills, including the ability to demonstrate skills in various vocational contexts. Most teaching staff use both formative and summative assessments to provide comprehensive feedback and guidance. However, some learners report that feedback is not always timely or helpful. 

The quality of teaching across colleges shows notable variation. While some lessons effectively engage learners and support deeper understanding, a number of lessons were overly-reliant heavily on passive teaching methods, including prolonged explanations and extensive use of presentation slides. These approaches limit learner interaction and reduce opportunities for practical application. Feedback from learners indicates that certain lessons lack clear structure, relevance, and variety, which diminishes motivation and inhibits the connection between theory and care practice. Additionally, some teaching staff demonstrate limited confidence in the use of digital tools, impacting the effectiveness of online and blended learning. This variability in teaching quality directly influences learner engagement and the development of essential skills such as critical thinking and problem solving.

Some awarding body assessment materials are insufficiently aligned to current industry practice. Most curriculum teams have taken steps to address this by producing additional materials and incorporating activities that reflect current industry standards. 

Development of vocational skills

Curriculum teams work well together to plan and deliver care programmes that offer flexible learning options and incorporate opportunities for learners to develop and enhance their vocational and digital skills. 

Care departments use blended learning approaches effectively to personalise the learner experience. Curriculum managers work closely with staff to incorporate a wide range of skills including communication and numeracy, meta skills, problem solving, and teamwork within programmes. Almost all programmes include training on mental health awareness and trauma-informed practice, helping learners recognise signs of mental health issues and apply approaches that assist those experiencing trauma. These activities encourage open and meaningful discussion about emotional well-being.

Curriculum teams also work well together to plan and coordinate additional learning experiences to widen learners’ understanding of the care sector. Almost all incorporate additional qualifications and awards to enhance learners’ knowledge in preparation for working in care establishments. Examples include the Scottish Manual Handling Passport Scheme, first aid certificate and food hygiene certificate. Many early learning and childcare programmes incorporate awards like forest kindergarten, and specific training in areas such as, reading, oral health [16], and Child Smile and working with parents and families[17]. 

Almost all curriculum teams align their programmes with Scotland’s Digital Health and Care Strategy, Enabling, Connecting and Empowering: Care in the Digital Age. They are increasingly contextualising the use of digital technology to provide learners with digital skills, supporting employed learners on workforce development programmes to adapt to use new digital tools in the workplace. 

Curriculum teams for all care programmes embed government policy and initiatives within their teaching. For example, in early years, Realising the ambition: Being Me - Play Scotland, which highlights the importance of outdoor education in supporting holistic child development and, The Promise Scotland (care experienced people) with a focus on equity and inter-agency collaboration to support care-experienced children. These initiatives align with the UN Convention on Rights of a Child (UNCRC) - UNICEF UK which emphasise children’s rights to play, the right to education, and the right for protection. Together, these frameworks shape the structure and delivery of early years education within Scotland’s colleges.

The SQA Next Generation HNC qualifications in Childhood Practice and Social Services are designed to modernise learning and better meet industry and learners needs. Pilot centres delivering these qualifications use innovative, project-led approaches, which are receiving positive feedback from both learners and staff. Feedback highlights that integrating sustainability principles and digital technology is highly relevant and beneficial for modern workplaces.

However, despite these strengths, challenges remain. The integration of vocational and digital skills across programmes is inconsistent, with some programmes providing limited practical opportunities to apply these skills. Some additional qualifications are not fully embedded, leading to gaps in learners’ readiness for specific care roles. While pilot centres for the Next Generation HNC qualifications use innovative project-led approaches, these remain limited in number and have not yet been adopted widely across colleges. There are also variations in how well programmes contextualise sustainability and digital technology, which can affect how relevant and up-to-date learners’ experiences are. Overall, these shortcomings hinder the full realisation of the curriculum’s potential to prepare learners comprehensively for the evolving care sector.

Developing skills for employment

Work placements are a key feature of many care programmes and vary in attendance patterns and time requirements. Learners must access suitable placements to demonstrate practical skills. Higher education programmes include substantial placements, such as the HNC Health Care Practice’s 288 hours over the academic year, and a minimum 60 days for both HNC Social Services and HNC Childhood Practice. Further Education (FE) programmes such as NC Childhood Practice and the Education Support Assistant programmes also have placements. 

All learners undertaking work placements must be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme to ensure they are suitable for the role. 

Teaching departments are heavily reliant on providers and employers offering meaningful placement opportunities to learners. Curriculum teams engage proactively to negotiate placements to suit the needs of learners. However, they face challenges including staff shortages, regulatory restrictions, and the need to provide adequate supervision for learners. These constraints can limit placement availability, leading to delays in practical learning experiences that impact learner assessment and completion rates. Almost all colleges work closely with care organisations to develop solutions, such as flexible scheduling, and a minority of colleges are exploring the possibility of using virtual placements to help alleviate the problems.

Curriculum managers and staff highlight the challenges in managing varied placement requirements across the range of qualifications. For example, full-time learners on HE level programmes typically attend college 2.5 days per week, with placements for 2 days a week, sometimes in blocks involving 12-hour shifts. As almost all placements are unpaid, many full-time learners face financial strain, often having to leave part-time employment to maintain their studies. A minority of colleges have established partnerships with employers to secure paid placements for learners. As a consequence, learners on HE programmes with paid placements have significantly higher successful completion rates. Overall, most learners find it challenging, to maintain their studies alongside work placements, both financially and personally. This leads to some learners withdrawing from their programme early. 

To tackle these challenges, colleges are strengthening relationships with care providers to establish a mutual understanding of expectations and constraints. Flexible placement models, e-portfolios, and digital platforms are increasingly being used to streamline communication, assessment, and feedback arrangements. Most colleges are improving pre-placement preparation to reduce the burden on providers, and feedback mechanisms aimed to benefit both learners and providers.

In some colleges, closer collaboration with local councils and care providers is improving placement coordination and planning, ensuring learners gain meaningful and relevant sector experience. 

Almost all learners report that their placement improves their skills significantly. However, some learners’ express concerns that placements offered do not always match their needs or interests. This limits their ability to fully engage with benefit from the opportunity. Many colleges experience challenges in securing placements for learners in rural areas and for learners undertaking qualifications in specialised care. 

Across all colleges, care departments offer extra practical activities beyond placements, such as field visits and volunteering. This helps to support learners to connect theory with real-world care practice. These experiences deepen learners’ understanding of the sector; are valuable to their development; and are generally well received and enjoyed by the majority of learners.

Curriculum teams frequently arrange for care professionals to deliver workshops and presentations, widen learners’ knowledge and understanding of the sector and the range of career opportunities available to them. Increasingly, teaching departments are arranging online presentations by guest speakers to increases opportunities for learners to gain insights and perspectives from experts in the field. 

The effectiveness of arrangements for assessing learner performance during placements varies across colleges. Many learners report positive and supportive interactions with work-based assessors; however, some learners want more constructive feedback and guidance. In some colleges, insufficient communication and coordination between work-based assessors and teaching staff negatively impacts the experience, particularly in relation to assessment criteria and expectations.

Most care departments provide comprehensive information to school pupils who are interested in a career in the sector. However, many full-time learners felt unprepared for the academic demands of their programme on entry. A few school-age learners reported that career guidance they received before leaving school placed a greater emphasis on the qualifications required for university entrance, with less emphasis on college vocational routes. 

Not all colleges provide sufficiently diverse placement opportunities, particularly for learners in rural areas and those pursuing specialised care qualifications. Financial barriers remain a challenge, with limited availability of paid placements or additional support. Pre-placement preparation is not consistently thorough, and flexible placement models are not yet widely adopted. Career guidance varies, with some learners lacking adequate information about vocational routes. Collaborative partnerships with care providers and local authorities are still developing and are not fully established across all colleges. 

Planning for learner progression

Most curriculum leaders design their curriculum carefully to provide learners with appropriate entry levels and progression routes. In all colleges, care departments adjust recruitment and selection arrangements to take better account of the motivation, experience and skills of learners. 

Most college websites provide comprehensive information about the range and content of care programmes, teaching facilities and admissions criteria. However, some learners report that the lack of detailed information and programme descriptions on college websites led them to enrol on a programme that did not meet their needs. 

Enrolments to 6 care programmes at SCQF Level account for the largest proportion of care learners. However, there is notable disparity in progression opportunities between social care learners and those in early years education. Early years learners have the choice of programmes such as the PDA in Education Support Assistance or the NC Childhood Practice. Both are SCQF Level 6 qualifications that directly lead to employment and enable learners to register as qualified practitioners.

In contrast, social care learners at the same level face significant challenges transitioning to employment, primarily due to the lack of full-time registerable qualifications. This disparity creates inequality, as health and social care learners struggle to enter employment or achieve registered practitioner roles. Despite completing similar levels of programme to those in early years, social care learners face barriers to career progression, reflecting a notable gap in opportunities within the sector. The lack of registerable qualifications for social care learners is particularly concerning given the urgent need for qualified staff in the care sector.

Almost all care departments provide a range of articulation routes from FE to HE level study. SWAP and HN provision provides good opportunities for learners to progress to degree programmes at college or university. Curriculum teams and university partners work collegiately to deliver workshops and provide resources that help learners plan and navigate their progression to university. These arrangements work well and ease transition for learners. However, a few care departments do not provide sufficient internal progression opportunities. This impacts negatively on learners who have additional responsibilities as they require to travel to another campus or college to continue their studies.

Many curriculum teams establish formal agreements with local and regional care establishments that ensure learners who successfully complete their programme are guaranteed an interview with an employer. This arrangement provides learners with valuable interview experience and many secure employment.

Most college staff establish strong partnerships with local authorities and secondary schools.  All care departments deliver part-time programmes for secondary schools that provide pupils in the senior phase with a useful introduction to the care sector. Programmes enable school-age learners to learn about the range of progression routes in care from entry level programmes to degree level study. However, in several regions, collaboration between colleges and schools is not sufficient to support awareness and promotion of the range of progression pathways in care that are available to young people.   

Teaching staff work well with university partners to plan and implement articulation arrangements to ease transition for learners progressing to undergraduate programmes. Many teaching staff are involved in co-designing programmes in partnership with universities and other colleges. This practice is increasing across the college sector.

Almost all college staff have good working relationships with local authorities, the NHS, and other employers to design and deliver workforce development programmes for the care sector. These programmes equip employers and employees with the skills required to adopt changing industry standards and legislative requirements. Many care departments offer flexible and personalised training options, including online and evening classes, making learning accessible to employees with diverse needs and circumstances.

Colleges actively support learners seeking to transition to employment. Career fairs, workshops, and networking events provide opportunities for learners to connect with potential employers and build professional networks, fostering smooth entry into the care workforce. Colleges report that a high number of learners from SCQF level 6 and 7 care programmes successfully transition into employment or further education. These learners often secure positions within the care sector or continue their studies at university, pursuing degree-level qualifications in areas such as childhood practice, education, nursing, social work, and health sciences.

Curriculum managers actively participate in regional and national forums alongside educational institutions, employers, and policymakers to address skills gaps and emerging trends in the care sector. Curriculum teams work collaboratively with care providers to co-develop tailored training programmes that meet specific workforce needs, such as specialised training in dementia care or child protection.

Most learners attend college for more than one academic year, resulting in extended time to complete their programmes before progressing into employment or further study. Learners report a need for pathways that support quicker progression. While some departments have begun exploring ways to accelerate learner progression, a more consistent approach is needed to ensure all learners benefit from a more efficient educational journey.

Care departments make effective use of SWAP provision to support adult learners to progress to degree level study at a university. In the last five years, 4736 learners have enrolled on college SWAP nursing provision. 91% of learners were female and the average age was 30 years old. Around 62% of learners were parents, and almost a third were lone parents. Within this group, 87% did not have a qualification higher than SCQF level 5 and less than half had prior experience of the health and social care sector. Around 93% of learners who successfully complete their college SWAP provision, progress to a degree level programme. However, a few choose to enter employment at the end of their college programme, often due to family commitments or health issues. 

Progression pathways in care education are generally well planned and supported through strong external partnerships. However, challenges remain around internal progression, the limited availability of registerable qualifications, particularly in social care, and inconsistencies in career guidance and promotion. Colleges are beginning to address these issues, but further development is needed to ensure all learners can move efficiently into meaningful employment or further study.

Securing improvement

Most curriculum managers direct and support teaching teams well to engage in quality assurance and quality enhancement activities. They take good account of learner performance data and feedback from external stakeholders to identify areas for improvement. However, too many curriculum team evaluations are overly descriptive and do not identify the underlying causes of poor performance. This impedes meaningful improvement efforts, risking ongoing underperformance that directly impacts on learner outcomes.

Almost all colleges invest in management information dashboards that provide live data on learner performance. Most curriculum managers use this data well to monitor the impact of the curriculum on learner performance and adjust programmes and delivery arrangements to improve the learning experience. Teaching staff are increasingly making effective use of data to identify strengths and areas that require improvement. However, some curriculum managers and teaching staff do not use data effectively to drive improvement or raise the quality of provision.

College staff across Scotland introduce initiatives aimed at enhancing learner support and increasing programme flexibility. Academic and personal support has been expanded to include accessible tutoring, mental health resources, and financial advice. Almost all colleges have flexible learning options, such as part-time, evening, and online courses, allowing learners better balance between study and their personal life.

Most teaching staff benefit from ongoing professional learning opportunities to maintain their occupational competency and support a culture of continuous improvement. However, some staff are not encouraged sufficiently to participate in these opportunities due to limited resources and time. In some care departments, peer observation arrangements are providing teaching staff with valuable feedback to enhance their teaching practice.  

Most curriculum managers use effective strategies to improve learner retention. These include regular meetings to identify at-risk learners and the analysis of performance data. However, learners’ personal, financial, and mental health struggles often derail their studies despite available support, revealing that current interventions are insufficiently responsive or timely to meet urgent learner needs.

End-of-unit evaluations and assessments are used well by teaching staff to identify aspects that learners find challenging. They use the findings to adjust teaching approaches and provide targeted support. The majority of curriculum teams use feedback from learners to drive improvements. However, low participation in surveys significantly limits colleges’ insight into learner experiences, leaving staff unaware of crucial issues that, if ignored, undermine learner satisfaction and achievement. 

Colleges are making efforts to improve their programmes, but several ongoing challenges continue to hinder learner success. Many colleges do not fully identify the underlying causes of learner difficulties during programme reviews, which allows some issues to persist and negatively affect learner progress. While most colleges have systems to monitor learner performance, not all staff consistently use this data effectively to drive improvements.

Some teaching staff face limitations in time and resources that restrict their participation in professional development activities, reducing opportunities to enhance their teaching. Peer observation and feedback provide valuable support where implemented, but this practice is not consistent across all departments. 

Most colleges provide flexible learning options, including part-time, evening, and online courses, to accommodate diverse learner needs. However, inconsistent implementation and variable quality of these options reduce their overall effectiveness in supporting learner engagement and success.

Equity and attainment 

Learner recruitment

The majority of learners choose a care programme driven by a desire to make a positive impact on the lives and wellbeing of others. Personal experiences, such as caring for a loved one, often encourage learners to pursue a career in the care sector. Notably, a high percentage of learners come from the most deprived areas in Scotland. 

Enrolment trends underscore a number of challenges. Full-time FE enrolments have declined from 18,130 in 2020 to 2021 to 15,768 in 2022 to 2023. Although eight colleges reported increased enrolments, underpinned by a competitive job market and the rising cost of HE level study 16 colleges, particularly in rural areas, experienced declines in recruitment influenced by demographic shifts and fewer young people opting for full-time study. Full-time HE enrolments also dropped from 6,275 to 5,749 over the same period. While some colleges benefited from targeted recruitment and new programme offerings, others have been adversely affected by the lingering impact of COVID-19, funding challenges, and intensified competition from universities.

Learner attainment

Learner attainment remains highly variable. In 2022 to 2023, FE care programme successful completion rates ranged from 47.9% to 87.2%, with a sector average of 62.3%. Of the 24 colleges offering FE programmes, 11 exceeded the national average, while 13 fell short, with up to a 40% gap between the best and lowest performers. HE care programme successful completion rates varied from 54.0% to 79.5%, averaging 68.4%, with similar disparities observed among institutions. This variability signals that many learners fail to complete their courses or withdraw early, a trend that, if unaddressed, will exacerbate Scotland’s care workforce shortages.

Most colleges are employing targeted recruitment and retention strategies, yet challenges persist in attracting and supporting a diverse learner population. Under-representation of ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and male students remains acute. In AY 2021-2022, 91% of full-time learners in care programmes were female, with a significant proportion of older learners. Specifically, 38% of FE and 46% of HE enrolments were aged over 25. Many of these learners returned to education after career breaks or to transition into new professional pathways.

These learners frequently manage multiple responsibilities, including family obligations, work, and caregiving, compounded by financial pressures related to childcare, travel, and study costs.

Moreover, many learners are leaving their programmes early to enter employment in the care sector. Although some colleges have partnered with employers to introduce flexible study options, these measures are not uniformly implemented, leaving many without adequate support to succeed.

Key Insights

• The care industry is a major national employer but faces significant challenges, including high vacancy rates and staff turnover, putting service delivery at risk.

• Colleges play a vital role in developing a skilled and adaptable care workforce through diverse programmes and employment-focused training.

• Whilst overall college enrolments have declined, care programmes continue to recruit learners, demonstrating ongoing demand for sector skills.

• Learners studying care programmes at SCQF Level 6 account for the largest proportion of learners in the subject area. However, there is variability in progression opportunities at this level.

• Many full-time learners report entering programmes without a clear understanding of the academic demands, impacting on their ability to manage workload and succeed in their studies.

• Rates of learner successful completion have improved overall, but remain inconsistent across colleges, with the care sector experiencing one of the highest withdrawal rates nationally.

• Mandatory work placements are a critical part of care programmes but are often unpaid and time-intensive, creating financial and personal challenges for learners.

• Extended study periods due to multiple-year attendance highlight a need for more efficient, progression pathways to support faster transitions into employment.

• Most colleges’ staff deliver a curriculum that closely match industry needs and reflect emerging sector trends, ensuring learners acquire relevant knowledge and practical skills.

• Teaching staff use diverse methods such as digital platforms, simulations, case studies, and work-based learning to engage learners.

• Colleges’ staff provide tailored resources and additional assistance for learners with varied needs, supported by strong collaboration between teaching and specialist staff.

• Most colleges’ teaching staff combine formative and summative assessments, offering constructive feedback; however, some learners report inconsistencies in feedback timing and usefulness.

• Some awarding body assessment materials do not fully reflect current industry standards.

• A few colleges’ staff lack strong employer partnerships, which limits curriculum relevance and learners’ ability to gain practical experience.

The following recommendations are intended to assist colleges and national bodies to plan to improve and enhance the quality of care provision delivered by Scotland’s colleges. 

Recommendations for colleges 

Colleges should:

• Ensure all curriculum managers engage sufficiently with care sector partners and industry forums to support fully future planning.

• Support curriculum teams to explore performance data more, to help identify the underlying reasons to support improvement.  

• Ensure communication between work-based assessors and teaching staff to improve learner support and assessment consistency.

• Increase participation of learners in surveys to fully capture their views to improve teaching and the learner experience.

• Work with employers to provide flexible study options to address the needs of working learners to support retention.

• Widen participation to increase the diversity of the learner population to help tackle equity gaps.

•  Increase mental health and financial support services specifically tailored to care learners, given the personal and financial challenges many learners face.

• Work with secondary schools and local authorities to promote pathways in the care sector supporting young people to make informed choices. 

•  Improve rates of learner successful completion where they are too low to support both learner success and sector workforce supply.

• Strengthen self-evaluation practices to identify underlying issues and use data effectively to drive meaningful improvements in curriculum delivery, teaching quality, and learner outcomes.

• Develop placement models that offer meaningful work-based learning experiences without geographic constraints.

•  Integrate comprehensive induction programmes for learners before placements begin, ensuring both learners and employers have clear expectations.

• Improve pre-enrolment career guidance to better prepare learners for the academic and vocational demands of care programmes.

• Implement scheduled reviews of curriculum content and assessment methods in collaboration with industry partners to continuously adapt to emerging trends and standards.

• Develop specialised recruitment and mentoring programmes aimed at increasing the representation of ethnic minorities, male learners, and learners with disabilities.

Recommendations for awarding bodies

Awarding bodies should expand the range of registrable qualifications to enable learners to enter employment more quickly on completion of their programme.