Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the recruitment, retention and progression of care workers.

In the short to medium term we are developing a knowledge and skills framework, providing hundreds and thousands of training places, and delivering initiatives to support wellbeing, as outlined in our People at the Heart of Care White Paper and backed by at least £500 million. This investment will have long term benefits, boosting recruitment and retention of staff, whilst providing opportunities for staff to progress and undertake continuous professional development that demonstrates value to employers.