Care UK

How we helped Care UK drive an apprenticeship strategy that has created 93% engagement across the business

Guided by its mission to deliver the best learning experience available in the sector, Care UK and Lifetime have worked in close collaboration to develop a tailored programme that upskills its workforce and grows its internal talent.

An ambitious partnership creating 93% engagement and 10x programme growth

Since forming its partnership with Lifetime, Care UK's programme has grown significantly, increasing from 52 apprentices in 2017, to 600+ learners in 2021. And it’s clear why. From the very start of their employment, Care UK’s teams are offered the opportunity to enrol onto an apprenticeship, across all the teams and roles. This has led to an incredible 93% of its 128 nursing home sites have apprentices.

This has been achieved because apprenticeships are used to complement Care UK’s own internal development programmes. It means when its colleagues are undertaking formal qualifications, they’re able to seamlessly transfer to real ways of working at Care UK.

Their apprentices receive industry approved training in Health and Social Care, delivered through face-to-face, on-the-job and e-learning modules so Care Home colleagues are equipped with the essential skills they need to deliver the best quality care possible.

Its programme reaches its wider support teams too. With skills training in Business Administration, Hospitality (it was the first employer to deliver Chef Academy), Customer Service, Facilities, Maintenance and Team Leading, there are opportunities for learning and development across the whole organisation.

Becoming an employer of choice: Care UK supports 84% of apprentices grow their career

Care UK helps older people live happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives and aims to be the leading provider of community and hospital-based health care services, principally to the NHS.

As a leading Health and Social Care employer they have ambitious plans: to become the employer of choice for apprenticeships in the Health and Social Care Sector. Since partnering with Lifetime, it has built on its strategy for training excellence - 84% of Care UK’s apprentices say that their apprenticeship has helped their career.

Future-proofing specialist talent: 67% of apprentices are still at Care UK 1 year after achieving

Care UK have seen impressive retention through their apprenticeship programme, with 67% of apprentices still working for Care UK 1 year after achieving. Looking to the future, Care UK will evolve and build on the learning opportunities it already offers, with Lifetime helping drive Care UK’s strategy for training excellence to develop specialists in the Health and Social Care sector.

Effective programme strategy

Care UK's strategic approach has led to expansive growth in three years, growing their talent pipeline and retaining that talent to support their ambitions of being the leading provider of care in their industry.

550+
apprentices on programme with Lifetime in 2021
84%
of apprentices have said that apprenticeships have helped their career
67%
of apprentices are still working for Care UK, one year after completing apprenticeship

At Lifetime, we work closely with our partners to establish, launch and grow our programmes, offering more opportunities for even more team members.

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Since working with Lifetime, we’ve been able to take our provision to the next level. We’ve built on our strategy for training excellence, so our colleagues are equipped with the skills to deliver the best quality care possible. We’re growing and retaining our internal talent, with career pathways that make a real impact on our workforce development.

Nikki Evans, Head of Learning and Development at Care UK

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