By Hilary Woodhead, CEO, NAPA
The Prime Minister’s recent commitment to work with people who draw on care and support, providers, organisations and politicians from across the political spectrum to build a National Care Service is a significant and welcome moment for social care. Particularly encouraging is the recognition that the social care workforce must be at the heart of these conversations. Every day, hundreds of thousands of dedicated professionals provide compassionate, skilled and person-centred care that enables people to live meaningful, fulfilling lives. They deserve to be recognised, valued and invested in. At The National Activity Providers Association, this has always been our mission.
For 30 years, we have championed the importance of meaningful engagement and activity as an essential part of high-quality care. But we know that meaningful care starts with confident, knowledgeable and empowered people. That’s why learning and development have become such an important part of everything we do. If we want to build a stronger future for social care, we must continue to invest in the people delivering care every single day.
Whether someone is new to care, developing specialist skills or leading teams and services, professional development should be accessible, practical and relevant. NAPA is proud to support thousands of activity and care professionals every year through a comprehensive programme of learning designed to build knowledge, confidence and capability across the sector.
Our learning offer includes nationally recognised qualifications that provide career progression and professional recognition, alongside hundreds of flexible eLearning courses available through the NAPA Learning Space. These resources enable learners to access high-quality education wherever and whenever it suits them. For organisations looking to develop their teams, we also work in partnership to design bespoke commissioned learning programmes tailored to their individual needs, ensuring training reflects their services, values and ambitions. Alongside this, our extensive programme of open courses, delivered both online and face-to-face, provides opportunities for individuals and organisations to learn from experienced practitioners, share ideas and develop practical skills that can immediately be applied within care settings. Learning extends beyond the classroom. Through our practical resources, guidance, toolkits and evidence-based frameworks, we help organisations embed meaningful activity and engagement into everyday practice, supporting person-centred care that enhances wellbeing, independence and quality of life.
One of the highlights of our year is the NAPA National Activity Conference. The conference brings together professionals from across health and social care to learn from experts, celebrate innovation, share best practice and recognise the extraordinary work taking place across the country. It is an opportunity to connect, inspire one another and reinforce the vital role that meaningful activity and engagement play in delivering outstanding care. These opportunities to collaborate and learn from each other have never been more important.
The Prime Minister’s announcement gives us reason to feel hopeful about the future. Meaningful and lasting change will require collaboration across government, providers, educators and the wider sector, but it also requires sustained investment in the workforce itself. Training should not be viewed as an optional extra. It is fundamental to attracting talented people into care, supporting them to thrive, retaining experienced colleagues and ultimately improving outcomes for the people we support.
At NAPA, we remain committed to playing our part by providing accessible, high-quality learning that empowers individuals, strengthens organisations and helps create cultures where meaningful engagement is everyone’s responsibility. As these national conversations continue, we look forward to working alongside partners across the sector to ensure learning, wellbeing and professional development remain central to the future of social care.
The Prime Minister’s commitment recognises what those working in social care have always known, that our workforce is our greatest strength. At NAPA, we are proud to support thousands of care professionals every year through qualifications, eLearning, conferences and practical resources that enable them to deliver meaningful, person-centred care and engagement.
We look forward to continuing to work with partners across the sector to ensure every member of the workforce has access to the development opportunities they deserve.
Hilary Woodhead
Chief Executive Officer, NAPA
