The head of a long-establish Scottish homecare service says that the system that equips members of social care teams with the professional skills that are at the heart of every daily practice is breaking down, further undermining a sector that prides itself in matching its compassion with professionalism. Lynn Laughland says there is a skills crisis that threatens to undermine social care delivery in Scotland – but, although it is broken, it can also be fixed.

Across Scotland, thousands of care workers get up each day to do one of the hardest and most vital jobs there is caring for our families, neighbours, and communities.

Having run a training organisation for over 20 years and a care organisation for 32 years, I am disappointed and frustrated to see that, behind the scenes, there is a hidden crisis: the system that trains and supports these workers is falling apart.

Unless we act now, Scotland risks losing the very backbone of its care workforce.

The people who deliver social care are required by law to hold recognised qualifications. For years, training providers, colleges, community organisations, and independent centres have made that possible. They’ve trained care workers, helped people gain new skills, and kept services safe and professional.

Now, that network is breaking down.

The end of the Workforce Development Fund in 2024 has left care employers without support to train their staff. Providers have lost funding, courses are closing, and enrolments have dropped by more than half in some areas.

Meanwhile, millions of pounds paid by Scottish employers into the UK Apprenticeship Levy are sitting in a central pot — out of reach for the very people who need it. Bureaucracy and red tape from Skills Development Scotland (SDS) make it harder than ever to plan and deliver training.

As a result, we are at a skills funding cliff edge, with fewer courses, fewer qualified workers, and more strain on an already fragile care system.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Scotland knows how to fix this. We just need the political will — and the courage — to put training back at the heart of care.

Scottish and UK policymakers need to take five steps:

1. Bring back dedicated training support. Reinstate or replace the Workforce Development Fund with a ring-fenced fund that guarantees access to regulated care qualifications.
2. Let care workers benefit from the Apprenticeship Levy. Ensure that the money employers pay into the Levy reaches the social care sector, where it’s needed most.
3. Cut the red tape. Simplify the SDS funding system so providers can focus on training people — not filling out forms.
4. Fund training fairly. Align funding with the real costs of delivery so that providers can keep courses open, staff paid, and learners supported.
5. Work together. Support collaboration between independent providers, colleges, and third-sector partners to make sure every community in Scotland can access quality care training.

Why It Matters

Without training providers, there’s no way to build or sustain the care workforce.

Without a trained workforce, services can’t meet legal standards or deliver safe, compassionate care. And without care, the system we all rely on at some point in our lives — Scotland will fail its people.

This isn’t just about funding. It’s about fairness, dignity, and the future of care itself.

The message is simple. If we want Scotland’s care system to survive, we must invest in the people and organisations who make it possible.

Because without training providers, there is no workforce. And without the workforce, there is no care.

 

Lynn Laughland MBE is CEO HSC Futures Ltd and HRM Homecare Services Ltd. As a guest contributor, her views are her own.

Read more: King honours Scots in health, care and science; Care Technologists pilot expands;

Sign up to our bulletin for key health & social care updates straight to your inbox.