OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

2025-03-31-accounts

Skills for Care Ltd (Limited by Guarantee) Trustees' report and consolidated financial statements Year ended 31 March 2025 Company registered number 03866683 Charity registered number 1079836 AMENDED

1'

Contents

Contents
Chair and CEO foreword 2
Trustees' report 4
Statement of responsIb1ht1es of the trustees of Skills for Care Ltd (a company hm1ted by
guarantee) in respect of the trustees' report and the financial statements
24
Independent Auditor's report to the members of Skills for Care Ltd 25
Consolidated statement of financial actIvItIes 28
Consolidated group balance sheet 29
Company balance sheet 30
Consolidated cash flow statement 31
Notes_(formmg part of the fmanc,al statements)_ 32
Glossary of terms 52

Chair and CEO foreword

We are pleased to present the Skills for Care annual trustees' report for 2024/25

In the past year at Skills for Care we've continued to see a lot of progress despite a challenging operating environment for the whole adult social care sector A very difficult fiscal context, changing political priorities, and ever-increasing pressures on the National Health Service (NHS) combined to make 2024/25 a hard year for many care employers and comm1ss1oners It 1s at times like this that the unique strengths of Skills for Care - our data and Ins1ght, our deep sector reach and engagement, and our unrivalled policy expertise - really come to[the ] fore so that we can continue to support and empower social care leaders, employers and the wider workforce

The achievements In this report are testament to the passion and ded1cat1on of our entire team We note here some highlights that have been significant for Skills for Care and for the sector

We are proud to be the strategic workforce planning body for adult social care in England, but we recogr11se that, In a complex and fragmented system, 1t 1s only through genuine collaboration with many sector partners that we can achieve real positive change We were therefore delighted to lead the development of a new Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care in England, which was published In July 2024 For the first time ever, the sector came together to develop the Strategy It needs to ensure we have enough of the right people with the right skills to provide the best possible care and support for the people who draw on 11 Its development was truly collaborative, and It couldn't have been done without the expertise, time and commitment of so many stakeholders

As we approach the first anniversary of the launch of the Workforce Strategy, we're working with partners and government on the 1mplementat1on of the recommendations and commitments and are pleased to see the progress that has already been made We're hugely apprecIatIve of the continued support of the Skills for Care board and their investment in the oversight and 1mplementat1on of the Workforce Strategy, and of the support of members of the Oversight Executive Group and Sir David Pearson who has co-chaired the process from the start

This year's 'State of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workfrce' In England report, which analyses the adult social care workforce and the characteristics of the 1 59 million people working In It, shows that the workforce grew to 1 71 m1ll1on filled posts and vacancies fell to 131,000 on any given day for the second successive year, driven by Internat1onal recruitment But the sector faces ongoing domestic recruitment and retention challenges As ever we're hugely grateful to all social care providers who give us their data by using the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS)

We were made a producer of official stat1st1cs (added to the Official Stat1st1cs Order 2023) and in February 2025 our local authorit workforce repor was confirmed as 'accredited official stat1st1cs' following a successful assessment from the Office for Stat1st1cs Regulation (OSR) This was excellent news, and we were pleased to receive wonderful feedback for our Workforce Intelligence team, who were recognised as going above and beyond the expectations of the assessment requirements and demonstrating a commitment to upholding the standards of the Code of Practice for Stat1st1cs

We continue to fund and support the next phase of the Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard (SC-WRES) improvement programme - and we were really pleased to announce recently that our board has committed to fund this important programme for a further three years We're committed to developing and improving ourselves to be a more 1nclusIve organisation, through the way we work, and through what we do to support the sector We undertook the SC-WRES analysis internally for the first time and engaged with staff to hear their thoughts on the results It's clear from our own data that we have work to do, and we shared our own Journey and reflections towards racial equality - as, through the data and

2

having honest and brave conversations, we can make sure that we have a society and an organisation that are ant1-rac1st and inclusive

We took dec1s1ve action to reduce our deficit Despite receiving less grant funding from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) than 1n previous years, we were able to end 24/25 with an overall loss of only £0 4m This required some difficult dec1s1ons, and we had to part ways with some long-standing and valued colleagues - we wish them all the very best for the future In a fiscal context that continues to be highly challenging, we intend to take further action over the coming years to grow our business development income, to strengthen both our financial resilience and susta1nab11ity

As ever we'd like to take the opportunity to thank all the passionate and committed people who work 1n our sector and provide quality care to those who need 1t What you do 1s incredible and we're so grateful

The work we do wouldn't be possible without the ongoing collaboration with and support of the many providers, stakeholders and organisations across the sector who we work with, including 1n central government and our colleagues in DHSC, and we're delighted to continue to share our Journey with you The partnerships and relat1onsh1ps across the sector are what makes us strong and we're excited to keep working with you, building those connections, and ach1ev1ng great things together 1n the future

Of course, a huge thank you to all our Skills for Care colleagues for your hard work and ded1cat1on throughout the year Your passion and enthusiasm for everything you do 1s always astounding and makes us proud to lead you and the organisation

The board and leadership team will continue to steer the organisation's direction to make sure we meet our goals while staying true to our values We've been refreshing our corporate strategy which was approved by the board 1n March 2025 and have agreed an ambitious plan to spend our non-nngfenced reserves on further enhancing our sector impact We're excited to continue delivering our amb1t1ons against these strategic pnonlles

We hope this annual report gives you a good overview of what we've been up to over the past year and also that you'll share our amb1t1ons for the of this sector and its

John Coughlan CBE Chair of the Board

Oo Chief Executive Officer

3

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025

Trustees' report

Incorporating the strategic report

The trustees (who are also directors of Skills for Care for the purposes of company law) are pleased to present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025

Objectives and act1v1t1es

Charity objects

The charity's objects ("the Objects") are

To help, support and assist social care service users and to improve standards of social care for the public benefit by but not limited to

In these objects, "social care users" are those people in need of care and support because of old age, youth, 111 health, disability or financial hardship and the "sector' means collectively people, organisations and groups working with social care users

Public benefit

We confirm that Skills for Care has complied with Section 4(1) of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission The Commission has endorsed Skills for Care's actIvIties as a charrty to be for the public benefit, the actIvItIes below set out the reasons why

Our vision

Our vIsIon Is of a fair and jUSt society, where people can access the advice, care and support they need to live life to the fullest

Our m1ss1on

Our mIssIon Is to support and empower current and future social care leaders, employers and the wider workforce

4

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 Strategic priorities To achieve our mission and vision we have four strategic priorities • Supporting workforce capabilities to ensure staff have the right skills, knowledge, competencies, values and behaviours to meet current and future needs in our communities • Supporting culture and diversity to ensure the workforce is treated equally, feels included and valued, and is supported to stay well and pursue their careers in social care • Increasing workforce capacity to make sure we have the right number of people, with the right values and behaviours, working in social care now and in the future • Improving the social care system to ensure it is well-funded, supports people to live the lives that they choose, and attracts the right people to the workforce Achievements and performance 2024/25 saw real growth in Skills for Care's impact, despite a challenging operating context for the care sector and reduced grant funding from DHSC In this section we describe the six themes which powered our achievements and performance over the period These have driven forward real improvements for the care workforce, who in turn have delivered better outcomes tor people who draw on care and support in England 1. Adult Social Care Workforce Strategy In July 2024, we launched the first national Workforce Strategy for adult social care in England It was a landmark moment that reflects our commitment to building workforce capacity, development and sustainability across the sector We developed the Strategy in close collaboration with the whole of the adult social care sector - plus partners from health and education It sets out shared priorities to attract and retain, train and transform the workforce The launch event brought together 833 people from across the sector, including care providers, local authorities, health organisations and national stakeholders Feedback was overwhelmingly positive • 99% agreed that a national Workforce Strategy was urgently needed • 88% of attendees said the event met or exceeded expectations Attendees welcomed the strategy's alignment with the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and Its focus on learning and development, recruitment and retention, professionalisation and clear career pathways Launch event attendees said "This is a momentous occasion for the adult social care sector and this strategy could bring about a seismic shift for the sector It is a collaborative achievement and will require continued collaboration to deliver " "There is hope for real change and a new approach to the challenges facing adult social care " The Workforce Strategy includes 56 recommendations and commitments Critical to its success will be sustained action from organisations across the care sector Over 40 system leaders from 32 social care sector organisations have committed to take forward action on the Strategy Many local health and social care systems across England have begun adopting elements of the Strategy, with over half of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) mapping it to their own local plans A growing number of local authorities are also taking steps to align their approaches with the national Strategy In 24/25, we made steady progress, with partners, across all areas Some of the key achievements so far include • Launching public health training resources to support prevention-focused care 5 -

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 • Establishing the Care Workers' Wellbeing Day, now a recognised annual event • Developing the Care Workforce Pathway (CWP), which provides a clearer structure for roles and career progression • Piloting the Care Technologist role, which bridges care delivery with digital innovation • Running People Promise pilots in several ICSs to improve workforce experience • Continuing to develop delegated healthcare activities and digital skills training across the sector In response to feedback from the sector, we created a suite of practical resources to support implementation These include • A summary of the Strategy • Practical implementation guidance • Tools to help adult social care employers embed the strategy locally We also introduced regular engagement events and progress tracking to make sure the Strategy delivers meaningful, long-term improvements for the workforce and people who draw on care and support While the Strategy has been embraced as a much-needed source of hope, there's also a shared understanding of the scale of the challenge We know that sustained support, investment and collaboration are essential to drive meaningful change The Strategy is our guiding light for how the care workforce needs to be developed and supported It heavily informs our External Affairs and Policy work - including our submission to the Government's Spending Review in February 2025, our work to support the Casey Commission and the Fair Pay Agreement - where we sit on multiple working groups - and our many wider conversations with stakeholders in government and the sector We are part of the Skills for Care and Development (SCD) Alliance and hold a close strategic relationship with the other partner organisations across the UK and Ireland In July 2024, we published a major report on the economic and social value of the UK adult social care sector The report, based on research by Alma Economics and commissioned by Skills for Care and Development, used 2022/23 data to assess the sector's value The findings are helping to inform the economic case for investment in adult social care and its workforce, as well as shaping policy decisions and national spending reviews In England alone, the sector's total direct, indirect, and induced economic value was £60 2 billion Socioeconomic benefits were estimated at £265 billion, against costs of £110 billion - demonstrating that every £1 invested in the sector delivers £2 40 in wider benefits 2 Data & Insights In 24/25 we continued to build on our work to develop high-quality workforce data and evidence that supports effective workforce planning and collaboration across the adult social care sector We were made a producer of official statistics (added to the Official Statistics Order 2023), a significant achievement and which highlights the credibility of the comprehensive data insights we provide We continued to raise awareness of the ASC-WDS through our established engagement channels We promoted the value of ASC-WDS data and insight to help employers and system leaders make informed decisions ASC-WDS remains the most comprehensive workforce dataset for adult social care in England In 24/25, coverage of Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated providers rose to 544%, up from 53 7%, despite continued growth in the number of providers The dataset now holds records for more than 725,000 staff employed at over 16,000 CQC locations, giving an increasingly accurate picture of the workforce 6

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 We made several improvements to ASC-WDS based on user feedback This includes • Easier ways to update workplace information • Better capture of reasons for leaving • Technical upgrades to improve bulk uploads and system reliabılity Feedback from users shows these changes are making a difference One registered manager "I'm not tech savvy, but if I can do it, anyone can do it It is honestly that easy to update all your staff files " ASC-WDS continues to be a vital resource for policymakers and sector leaders This year, our workforce intelligence team responded to high-priority requests for data on • international recruitment • social worker turnover • full-time equivalent data for NHS dashboards • workforce trends in the unregulated sector We also supported national programmes with insights into workforce structures, recruitment sources and management pay ASC-WDS data was critical to the success of the Adult Social Care Workforce Strategy In our 2024 report on 'The state of the adult social care and workforce in England', we developed an improved methodology for modelling workforce turnover using longitudinal analysıs and machine learning techniques While this approach does not establish direct causes, it identifies the workforce characteristics most strongly associated with staff leaving their roles We examined the combined impact of five key employment factors known to positively influence turnover earning above £10 42 per hour (during the £9 50 National Living Wage period), not being on a zero-hours contract, receiving training, holding a relevant social care qualification, and working full-time We created an overall job quality score based on these factors, providing further insight into how improvements across multiple aspects of job quality can help reduce turnover New functionality now allows employers to assign staff to recognised CWP role categories, helping to build clearer career structures and support workforce planning We continued to publish key workforce reports and share analysis with national stakeholders This includes • the Local Authority Workforce Report (confirmed as 'accredited official statistics' following a successful assessment from the OSR) • Social Worker Headlines • insights into the occupational therapy workforce • regular updates on apprenticeships Our data continues to shape national conversations about the workforce and support decision. naking at the highest levels, with ASC-WDS data regularly quoted in the media and in parliamentary debates and reports We're committed to making sure ASC-WDS evolves to meet the needs of the sector and helps build a sustainable, skilled adult social care workforce 3. Sector Reach & Engagement With a large and fragmented sector, hybrid market and a large proportion of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and micro-providers, our comprehensive infrastructure and engagement channels play a vital role in enabling workforce planning and development In 7

Skills for Care Li /ear ended 31 March 202 2024/25, we expanded both our national and local reach, and support for adult social care leaders, employers and system partners We worked with all 42 ICS People Functions in England, helping them understand adult social care and plan more effectively for the future We were active members of 78% of ICS People Boards and contributed to more than 150 workforce-related subgroups We delivered over 95 workshops and planning sessions to support integrated workforce planning and strengthen collaboration between health and social care partners One senior ICS colleague reflected "Thank you for bringing together key stakeholders to discuss and move forward workforce transformation across our system The meeting was very productive and you chaired it very well We look forward to the next stage " Our networks continued to grow in reach and impact • Our registered manager networks now have more than 6,100 members Over 3,930 individual managers attended a network meeting - exceeding last year's baseline by more than 9% • Our deputy manager networks connected with 1,620 individuals, a 13% increase from the previous year • Our CEO and nominated individual networks grew by 30%, reaching 1,561 leaders Our networks and events brought together thousands of registered managers, deputies, nominated individuals and CEOs These spaces gave people the chance to share ideas, learn from each other and influence local and national priorities They helped people feel more confident, supported and informed For example, 89% of registered managers said they felt more confident in their role after attending a network meeting One registered manager (RM) described the value of these spaces "Personally, the RM meetings for me are invaluable Being a new manager, learning from others, sharing ideas, and being kept up to date provides me with peace of mind and clarity for anything I'm unsure about " We also extended our reach through stakeholder engagement We engaged with more than 1,000 new stakeholders each quarter and reached over 5,300 new contacts across the year We maintained regular engagement with more than 12,000 existing stakeholders Our national campaigns and engagement activity included targeted messaging to support the recruitment and retention of men, younger people and international recruits - groups that are often under-represented in the workforce We promoted best practice tools to help employers reduce turnover and improve vacancy rates This included • Guidance on staff induction and leadership development • Support to use the Care Workforce Pathway • Campaigns and webinars on learning and development, statutory training and retention Employers and managers told us that our resources helped them improve workforce planning and service quality Our 'Guide to improvement' was downloaded more than 1,100 times anc our CQC eLearning module received a 100% usefulness rating One registered manager from a dementia care home shared that "The Good and Outstanding (GO) Guide Is invaluable to so many leaders in social care " We helped thousands of leaders and managers feel more informed and connected After attending a webinar, 97% of participants said they felt better informed about adult social care reform 8

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 These achievements show a clear and sustained increase in our national reach, influence and ability to support the adult social care workforce By strengthening leadership, supporting integrated care and promoting best practice, we're helping to build a more confident, capable and resilient workforce 4. Skills, Learning and Development In 2024/25, we continued to champion the development of a confident, skilled, and values- progression and support the delivery of outstanding care A) Care Workforce Pathway (CWP) We made strong progress in developing and embedding the CWP The pathway supports adult social care employers to plan and develop their workforce and gives people working ir care clearer, more consistent career structures We finalised and published four nationally recognised role categories • Registered manager • Deputy manager • Personal assistant • Enhanced care worker These role categories were shaped by feedback from more than 650 stakeholders across England, including registered managers, care workers, learning and development leads, CEOs and nominated individuals This engagement made sure the pathway reflects the real experiences and aspirations of the workforce Practical tools and resources to help employers use the pathway are now available on the Skills for Care website and support employers to embed the pathway into their workforce planning and development We also made immediate improvements to the pathway based on sector feedback • Simplified the knowledge, skills and behaviours for each role • Updated personas to reflect real-life experiences • Developed a governance framework to keep the pathway relevant and up to date The CWP Is already helping employers plan, develop and retain their teams by providing clearer career progression for people working in care By supporting consistent, recognised career structures, the pathway contributes to improving retention, raising standards and professionalising the adult social care workforce One Early Adopter shared the positive impact "It's been 12 months since we adopted the Pathway, still more work to do, but we estimate it's improved our retention by 40% Staff are seeing a future in care " Another care provider highlighted how the pathway supports culture and recruitment "I have found piloting the pathway a really useful and thought-provoking exercise, it has brought about how we can ensure a more values-based approach to our recruitment strategy in the future " B) Quality Assured Care Learning Service We made significant progress in transforming the learning and development landscape for adult social care through the continued rollout of the Quality Assured Care Learning Service 9

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 (QACLS) Delivered in partnership with DHSC, the QACLS represents a major step forward in ensuring that the adult social care workforce across England have access to consistently high-quality, relevant, and career-enhancing training We launched a national quality assurance framework for training providers, setting a new benchmark for excellence in adult social care learning More than 100 training providers began the quality assurance process, helping to embed a culture of continuous improvement and accountability across the sector One Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training (OMMT) Provider said "The QACLS application process was made significantly smoother by the exceptional communication and support from the Quality Assurance team From our first enquiry through to the final stages, the team are responsive, clear, and genuinely committed to helping us meet the standards Their willingness to clarify expectations and provide constructive feedback not only boosted our confidence but also ensured that we were continuously aligned with quality benchmarks It felt like a collaborative partnership rather than a compliance As part of this work, the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate was introduced, laying the foundation for a nationally recognised career pathway that supports progression and professionalisation To prepare the sector for future changes, we introduced a phased approach to funding alignment, which will ultimately link training funding eligibility to quality assurance status This ensures that public investment supports training that meets the highest standards These developments are already reshaping the sector by • Enhancing the credibility and consistency of care training • Empowering care workers with clearer progression routes and recognised qualifications • Supporting employers to retain skilled staff through better development opportunities • Building a more resilient and professional workforce, ready to meet the evolving needs of those who draw on care and support C) Workforce Development Fund 2024/25 marked the final year of the Workforce Development Fund (WDF), which Skills for Care has proudly administered on behalf of DHSC for over 13 years Since its inception in 2011, the fund has supported the completion of more than 128,000 qualifications, apprenticeships, learning programmes and digital modules, with a further 1 3 million individual qualification units funded prior to 2018 Over its lifetime, the fund has evolved to meet the changing needs of the sector - from an early focus on dementia care to a strong emphasis on leadership and management development since 2019 More than 39,000 adult social care employers accessed the funa with large employers accounting for nearly half of all claims in the final two year Its partnership delivery model helped maximise reach and impact WDF also played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling rapid access to funding for over 171,000 essential training programmes for new staff and volunteers The fund leaves a lasting legacy • 91% of employers reported improvements in the quality of care • 93% reported a more skilled and qualified workforce • Independent analysis estimated that every £1 invested through WDF over the life of the fund generated £7 20 in wider economic benefits for the sector 10

Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 In its final year, we ensured that employers could continue to invest in workforce development during the transition to the new Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS), now delivered by NHS Business Services Authority We disbursed the full E3 million allocation, with an additional £300,000 made available to meet high demand D) Individual Employer and User-Led Organisation Workforce Development Fund In 2024/25, we were able to provide an unprecedented level of support to individual employers (IEs) and user-led organisations (ULOs), with £1 million in funding available to invest in learning and development This funding helped more personal assistants (PAs) and lEs build their skills and confidence, ultimately leading to better outcomes for the people they support We received 157 applications to the IE Fund, of which 127 were approved, resulting in the disbursement of £243,448 This funding enabled • 625 personal assistants and 14 individual employers to access training • Training to be funded through a mix of personal health budgets, adult social care direct payments, and self-funding All funding for the ULO Fund was successfully disbursed, totalling £756,513 across 25 organisations Through this investment • 4,690 learning outcomes were delivered • 1,349 individual employers and personal assistants accessed training via ULOs • 2,649 personal assistants, including 108 self-employed PAs, received training • Additional funding was awarded to six ULOs to meet high demand Feedback from participants consistently highlighted the value of peer-led learning and the confidence gained from training delivered by people with lived experience This approach not only helped develop skills but also fostered a sense of community and empowerment among those who give and receive care E) Digital Skills We launched a suite of free, bitesize digital skills Learning modules to support the adult social care workforce to build confidence and capability in using digital technology Commissioned by the NHS Transformation Directorate (NHSTD) and aligned to the Digital Skills Framework, the seven modules were co-developed with care providers, people who draw on care and support, local authorities, and subject matter experts The modules cover key areas including person-centred care, communication, technical skills, data management, online safety, ethical use of technology, and digital learning and wellbeing Together, they support staff to use digital tools safely and effectively in everyday practice - enhancing the quality of care and improving outcomes for the people they support Users reported an average increase of 31% in their digital knowledge and 30% in their confidence using digital tools and concepts after completing the e-learning modules F) Leadership Development Programmes Inclusive and collaborative leadership is vital to the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care and creating workplaces where everyone can thrive Our leadership development programmes help current and future leaders grow their confidence, drive improvement, and champion inclusion across the sector Our Allyship programme equips colleagues to take meaningful action in supporting and championing people from marginalised groups, fostering a more inclusive, equitable, and respectful workplace culture In 2024/25, we successfully piloted the programme with internal Skills for Care staff, receiving positive feedback and strong engagement A full evaluation is 11

Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 now underway, with the intention to expand the programme externally and increase its impact across the sector In 2024/25, we delivered six cohorts of the Moving Up programme, supporting Black and Asian managers and aspiring managers across health and social care to overcome barners and inclusion and career progression development programme designed specifically for registered managers, aspiring managers, and deputies in adult social care It offers structured, expert-led sessions focused on real- connections Participants consistently reported that RM12 builds their confidence and leads to tangible improvements in how they lead One manager said "The last session helped me transform the business - I received great feedback from our Provider Assessment and Market Management Solution (PAMMS) inspector about my supervision process " RM12 is designed to strengthen leadership while also supporting wellbeing As one participant reflected "This is not just helping me in my work life but helping me to think about my personal life and get a better balance " The principles of collaborative and inclusive leadership have been embedded across our existing leadership development offers This aligns with our broader approach, as outlined in the 2023/24 report, where we committed to reviewing and updating all leadership programmes to ensure they incorporate principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) These values continue to underpin our leadership development strategy and are reflected in the design and delivery of our current offers 5. Other support for the Adult Social Care Workforce In 2024/25, we continued to support a fairer, more inclusive adult social care workforce by embedding equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion across everything we do Our work included ongoing implementation of the Messenger Review recommendations and increased participation with the SC-WRES We also provided targeted support for the regulated professional workforce, helping to strengthen leadership, accountability, and professional development across the sector A) Messenger Recommendations In 2024/25, we made strong progress in delivering the Messenger programme, supporting leadership development, high-quality induction and inclusive workplace cultures across adult social care We launched the Managers' Induction Toolkit in April 2024 to support a consistent, high-quality induction for people working in adult social care The toolkit helps employers retain staff by supporting them to settle into their roles The toolkit webpage received over 63,000 views in 10 months and the toolkit was downloaded 58,000 times Our induction webinar was viewed over 1,000 times and received a satisfaction score of 9 1 out of 10 We also released a co-designed ICS induction session to help new managers build connections across health and social care to support integrated working and collaboration We worked closely with NHS England to support the development of a Management and Leadership Code of Practice for Health and Social Care We provided expert input from across 12

'' Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 adult social care, engaging with registered managers, CEOs, directors and social workers to shape the code B) Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standards (SC-WRES) In 2024/25, the SC-WRES programme continued to grow and strengthen its role in supporting local authorities to improve race equity across the adult and children's social care workforce The programme is built on a continuous improvement model, combining data, peer support and action planning to drive meaningful change 76 local authorities took part in the SC-WRES programme in 2024/25, up from 23 in 2023-24 representation Key findings include • Staff from Black, Asıan or minority ethnic backgrounds were 48% less likely to be appointed from shortlist and 45% less likely to be in senior management roles • They were 37% more likely to enter formal disciplinary processes and 8% more likely to enter fitness to practise procedures • Access to CPD was slightly higher for minority ethnic staff, but dispanties remain in progression and leadership These insights are helping local authorties identify where change is needed in order to take targeted action Monthly Community of Practice sessions provided a safe space for over 120 participants to share learning, problem-solve and build confidence Confidence in using the SC-WRES framework increased across all sessions, with partıcıpants reporting greater understanding of data, action planning and implementation Regional meetings and a buddy system were Local authorities developed action plans based on their data, supported by Skills for Care's structured templates and guidance Common themes included • Inclusive recruitment and leadership development • Anti-racısm training and mentoring • Improved data literacy and staff engagement Case studies from Leeds, Lancashire, Lincolnshire and others show how SC-WRES is helping to embed equity into everyday practice Skills for Care established a cross-sector WRES network with NHS England, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), CQC and the Equality and Human Rights Commission to align approaches and share learning The programme is increasingly being used to inform CQC assessments and wider workforce strategies C) Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) The Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) programme helps newly qualified social workers (NQSWs) build their skills and confidence during their first year in practice providing a clear framework for assessment, supervision and developmen n 2024/25, the programme supported 2,599 NOSWs in child and family services (funded b he Department for Education (DfE)) and disbursed almost £2m to 172 organisations in adul services (funded by DHSC) 13 -

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 Survey feedback from ASYE leads, assessors and NQSWs shows high levels of confidence and understanding in the programme Over 94% of respondents understood the assessment arrangements well, and more than 96% were confident in the capability of assessors and supervisors NQSWs also reported high satisfaction with supervision and assessment One NQSW said "Being part of the ASYE has supported me to build my confidence, develop my knowledge and skills The ASYE leads are very supportive, caring and approachable " The programme continues to make a positive difference In adult services, 96% of ASYE leads said it improved NQSWs' practice confidence, and 90% said it helped with retention In child and family services, 98% of leads said it improved practice confidence, 83% said it supported retention, and 90% said it helped with recruitment Support from Skills for Care continues to be valued Over 90% of ASYE leads and assessors said our resources are useful One ASYE assessor said "Accessing the ASYE programme helps NQSWs reflect on their progress during their first year, with the support of their assessor " D) Commissioners Commissioning underpins effective market shaping and workforce planning, creating the conditions needed to improve outcomes for people who draw on care and support In 24/25, we continued to promote the Level 5 Commissioning for Wellbeing qualification, supporting the development of commissioning skills across the sector Through national information sessions, we engaged over 250 people, helping them to build their skills, knowledge and confidence During the year, 93 learners began the qualification with two of our endorsed Learning Providers - 59 started the mainstream version and 34 started the learning disability and autism version One Commissioning Officer who completed the qualification used her learning to embed co-production in her role, resulting in new outcome- focused, accessible funding for local groups supporting people with dementia and sensory impairments She shared "Without this course, I didn't have the knowledge to embed co-production like | do now I now try to approach everything I do with that in mind" Our Commissioner Peer Network now has more than 800 members It provides a space for peer learning and development, helping commissioners share ideas and improve practice Over the year, we delivered six peer learning events and eight masterclasses on topics including prevention, co-production and human rights Feedback shows strong engagement Commissioners told us the sessions helped them build skills, improve commissioning practice and drive better outcomes 6. Our Enabling Group The above would not have been possible without the continued hard work and support of colleagues across our internal Enabling Group, which includes our People, Finance, Technology and Governance & Compliance teams Last year we launched our Building our Future internal transformation programme, which is optimising how we are organised and the way we work together to best achieve our strategic priorties The programme helped us to Identify £2 5m in efficiency savings and, drawing on extensive engagement with colleagues across the organisation, it has set out the steps we will take over the coming months and years our "one team" culture Our new technology strategy, and accompanying planned investment in our IT and how we use our data, will be a critical part of this journey As part of our ongoing colleague engagement plan and in response to insights from our last Best Companies survey, we have implemented a series of targeted actions informed by the survey results and the valuable reflections shared by our teams To track our progress and 14

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 better understand how colleagues were feeling at the start of the Building our Future programme, we conducted a series of follow-up pulse surveys These focused on colleagues' sentiments around change and their overall engagement The results revealed encouraging shifts in perception as colleagues reported feeling more involved and engaged as the programme progressed 79% of respondents to an October 2024 survey said they understood the need for making changes and 84% of respondents said they felt involved in them Forward look 25/26 Looking ahead to 2025/26, Skills for Care will continue to lead and support the sector in delivering the commitments set out in the Adult Social Care Workforce Strategy Building on the progress of 2024/25, our focus is on working in partnership across the sector to attract, retain and develop the workforce, ensuring people working in care feel recognised, valued, and supported A) National Adult Social Care Workforce Strategy The Workforce Strategy represents the foundation for long-term workforce transformation, and we remain committed to working with the sector, partners and government to turn the recommendations and commitments into action Our priorities for 2025/26 include launching the Workforce Strategy Impact Fund to support innovative, tech-driven workforce projects, further embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion across the sector, and targeted support for the "small but mighty" workforce - the regulated and registered professionals who represent just 6% of the workforce but whose role is critical to the delivery of high-quality care. B) Skills for Care Corporate Strategy 2025-2030 Our new corporate strategy sets a clear direction for Skills for Care over the next five years, guiding our decisions and aligning our work with our 2030 goals At its heart is a continued commitment to the people who draw on care and support, and to those who deliver it, ensuring our efforts are focused where they can have the greatest impact This refreshed strategy reflects both the significant changes in the world since our last strategy, developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and our growth as an organisation In that time, we've delivered on key priorities and launched ambitious programmes, including the adult social care Workforce Strategy, which now serves as our 'North Star' Our corporate strategy and the Workforce Strategy are closely aligned Together, they shape the work we lead and the work we support across the sector, providing clarity, consistency and a shared sense of purpose Developed in collaboration with colleagues and informed by engagement across the sector, our corporate strategy responds to new challenges and opportunities It provides long-term direction while remaining flexible to adapt as policy and context evolve Now is the right time for a renewed strategy - one that builds on progress and positions us to lead and support the sector with confidence Our three strategic priorities for 2025-2030 are 1 Continue to shape and deliver workforce reform and secure a mandate for our system leadership role Our goal is to influence, shape and deliver workforce reform, with a focus on delivering the short-term Workforce Strategy recommendations and to begin fulfilling our system leadership role with an official mandate 2 Accelerate workforce development and improvement across all parts of the workforce Our goal is to have a holistic career framework in place for the adult social care workforce, supported by clear standards, funding and a sustainable supply of the right development opportunities 15

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 3 Transform Skills for Care to achieve greater impact Our goal is to transform the organisation to increase our impact and build a sustainable, high performing organisation that can better support the adult social care workforce now and in the future We intend to use our non-ringfenced reserves to bolster our sector impact in key areas aligned to our corporate strategy and Workforce Strategy C) Planned progress for 2025/26 Priority 1. Continue to shape and deliver workforce reform In 25/26 we will • Focus on securing the DHSC tender for a 3-year contract to continue our work supporting the adult social care workforce • Strengthen our role in strategic workforce planning by setting up the right functions, relationships, and methods and defining good practice • Ensure all members of the Workforce Strategy Oversight Executive Group (OEG) have made commitments against the short-term priorities of the adult social care Workforce Strategy •Strengthen how the Workforce Strategy reflects the importance of equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion in workforce and system outcomes • Strengthen our engagement with local skills systems by building relationships with all Local Skılls Improvement Plan (LSIP) custodians Priority 2. Accelerate workforce development and improvement across all parts of the workforce In 25/26 we will • Position the CWP as the central standard and framework for the adult social care workforce • Act as the sector's qualification custodian by leading the development, review, and approval of core and subject-specific qualifications that reflect the evolving needs of the adult social care workforce • Increase the number of training providers applying to our quality assurance service to give DHSC confidence in the supply of approved training, enabling the transition to only approved training being eligible for LDSS funding Priority 3. Transform Skills for Care to achieve greater impact In 25/26 we will • Strengthen partnerships and collaboration to maximise collective impact in supporting the adult social care workforce • Increase investment in initiatives that strengthen workforce support and sector sustainability • Develop a People Plan that ensures our workforce has the skills, support, and clarity needed to advance our mission • Publish transparent data on workforce equality (WRES) and demonstrate measurable progress, reinforcing our commitment to an inclusive and equitable workplace Financial review The effective management of our finances is critical to realising our strategic priorities Most of our income comes from government departments and totals £23 4m We also have a small business development function generating £2 Om 16 -

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 2024/25 was a challenging year because our DHSC income decreased significantly, from £30 2m in 2023/24 to £13 5m plus £3 4m charitable income this year This contributed to our structural deficit (the difference between our income and cost, before investment income, dilapidations and positive decisions to fund certain activity from our strategic reserves) We took extensive action over the course of 2024/25 to reduce the size of our structural deficit, including making headcount reductions, reducing our third-party spend and awarding a non- consolidated pay rise for most colleagues We do not want to rely on investment income or our charitable reserves to deliver our core activity We therefore intend to take further action to remove our structural deficit entirely, through a combination of further cost reductions and by significantly growing our business development income Balancing the pace and nature of these changes with the ongoing stability and positive impact of the organisation will be a critical consideration We will continue to seek to secure DHSC funding for its adult social care workforce improvement programme, whether that is commissioned in the future through grant or competitive tendering To enable the realisation of the above we have further strengthened our financial reporting, oversight and controls in 2024/25 in 2024/25 we exited the West Yorkshire Pension Fund (WYPF), which has released us from significant and long-standing pension liabilities We are now in the position to use the released charitable reserves to further enhance our impact An oversight group of trustees and leadership team colleagues has been established to inform, review and assure business cases and to monitor the impact of our reserve spend Financial internal control environment Each year trustees approve the Standing Financial Instructions (SFls) which set out the operational procedures and internal controls for financial management, in support of the delegations of responsibility and accountability for funds set out in the Scheme of Delegation To enable colleagues to comply with these instructions we have a number of policies, processes and standard operating procedures in place underpinned by guidance including roles and responsibilties provided to our budget holders and budget keepers Trustees seek assurance on the management of risks and where greater assurance is needed, we seek independent assurance from specialist consultants, including legal advice from lawyers, treasury management from CCLA our investment manager, and our internal and Internal audit assurance: RSM continued as our internal auditor during 2024/25 to provide independent assurance and advice on the operation of the internal controls The annual audit programme is agreed and overseen by the Finance & Audit (F&A) Committee throughout the year, and no concerns were noted Following an exploration of different options, in March 2025 the board agreed to take a hybrid approach to internal audit going forward where we will undertake some audits in-house and appoint third-party specialists when we require subject experts or where we need a greater level of independence The F&A Committee will continue to regularly review the audit plan, and we will flex the audit plan to respond to emerging risks External audit assurance: We reappointed Brown Butler as external auditors Their report following last years audit states that they have not identified any significant deficiencies in internal controls during their audit work and believe that the controls evidenced during their work are adequate for the group and that we appear to be working proactively, with the use of external advice to seek continuous improvement External audit assurance is also required by our funding contracts and grant agreements including the DE ASYE disbursement funding contract The detail within notes 4 and 14 of the financial statements includes detail on the DHSC grant and contract funding in line with the DHSC funding agreements 17

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 Group financials -or 2024/25, we planned and agreed an annual budget to manage our charitable resources within indicative funding available, and the board agreed to fund up to £6 8m from chantable reserves to resource activities to support our strategic priorities In addition, we set aside £5 6m pending valuations from WYPF following our withdrawal The final valuation was in our favour resuiting in a credit of £2 6m Actual group financial performance for 2024/25 compared to budget is an improved position, as set out on the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA), resulting in £3 6m reserves utilised (before pension and investment gains), which is below budget as we paused some reserve funded activities during the year to focus on updating our corporate strategy Incoming resources Before FRS 102 pension interest, our group income decreased by 38% and costs reduced by 30% compared to last year This was not unexpected and formed the basis of our financial planning The detail of income is set out in note 4 Net incoming resources after FRS102 pension interest income and before 'other comprehensive income' is a net £3 3m loss on unrestricted funded activities and £0 3m loss on restricted funded activities, resulting in an overall £3 6m loss (2024 E0 4m loss) Other comprehensive income was £3 1m (2024 £3 3m) made up of an unrealised investment gain of £O 5m (2024 £3 3m) as set out in notes 9 and 14 and a £2 6m WYPF exit rebate Both are outside of the trustees' control The overall group financial result is a £O 4m loss (2024 £2 9m surplus) net movement in funds Charitable activities DHSC funded activities: As our main funder, DHSC provided restricted grants and two significant commercially funded contracts for the delivery of their adult social care workforce improvement programme The total funds received from DHSC for the year was £17 4m (2024 £27 9m), a 38% decrease on last year Other charitable activities. We were successful in securing £6 2m charitable restricted funding (2024 £6 9m) This includes £5 8m (2024 £6 1m) for a Department for Education (DE) contract to disburse the Child and Family Assisted Year in Employment (ASYE) funding Trading activities Trading activity accounted for in the subsidiaries is set out in notes 3, 10 and 14 We generated £1 6m income (2024 £2 2m) which is a 27% decrease on the prior year In addition, £0 6m income (2024 £0 9m) was secured relating to future delivery, so deferred in group creditors as detailed in note 12 Pension: During the year there was £0 6m FRS102 pension interest (2024 £2 2m) We withdrew from the defined benefit pension scheme on 30 June 2024 so there is no further liability connected to this scheme Resources expended As a charitable group, we expended £29 7m resources on our strategic priorties, compared to £42 4m last year This was expected and within the parameters of our agreed budget There were no significant extraordinary costs incurred during the year In line with our strategy, we make sure that we assess and plan financial resources People, third party and corporate costs were managed within our standing financial instructions, budget holder and budget keeper responsibilities and within our procurement and competitive tendering guidelines, as appropriate We allocate our resources where appropriate to ensure 18 •

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 we deliver priorities within budget, provide value for money and ensure spend is eligible, within funder's terms Total funds carried forward The SOFA shows all funds received during the year and expenditure incurred, and movement in specific restricted and unrestricted funds is detailed in note 14 Reserves policy We have a charitable reserves policy of maintaining unrestricted charitable reserves The F&A Committee monitor the reserves policy and underlying assumptions and make recommendations on the designation of charitable reserves to the board, on at least an annual basis Charitable reserves As of 31 March 2025, we have charitable reserves of £40 9m (2024 £38 7m), excluding £2 Om (2024 £4 3m) fixed asset reserve £8 7m are accumulated to fund the cost of minimum potential liabilities and not to exceed the estimated maximum costs including statutory redundancy, six month's operational staff an third-party costs, where applicable, including a period of consultation for all staff, and to cove necessary costs and commitments during an unforeseen period of financial difficulty We have restricted reserves of ENIl (2024 £0 32m) which was funding carried forward to support DHSC activities planned for the following year Unrestricted chantable reserves are designated by the trustees for specific purposes, and this Is set out in note 14c Investment powers and policy We have appointed CCLA Investment Management Limited to manage our investment portollo, within parameters agreed by the board, and it is invested in a blend of CCLA 's specialist Charities Official Investment Fund (COIF) charty funds We have an unrealised gain of £0 5m and the total return on our investments during the year was 14% The primary investment objective is to achieve long term growth while also maintaining the real spending power of our reserves, though we recognise that the rate of return depends on market conditions The F&A Committee receives briefings from CCLA and monitor the performance of the portfolio and the return on the invested funds, comparing against relevant market indices We receive regular valuation updates from CCLA Funds that are not invested with the investment manager and not immediately required for cash flow purposes, are placed in deposit accounts Structure, governance and management Skills for Care is a company limited by guarantee and is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association No trustee has any beneficial interest in the charitable company All trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up The number of trustees on 31 March 2025 was 9(2024 8) The Board of Trustees lead the organisation and oversee the work of Skills for Care They meet at least four times a year to make strategic decisions for the organisation, and we have a governance structure in place to enable effective decision making We have standing committees which cover Finance & Audit (until 1 May 2024 these were separate Finance & People (F&A) and Audit & Risk (A&R) Committees) and Remuneration and Nominations (R&N) 19 -

Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 The CEO is appointed by trustees to manage day-to-day operations and has delegated authority, within the terms of the scheme of delegation approved by the trustees, for operational matters The CEO is supported by the Deputy CEO and the Leadership Team (LT) Trustees are appointed through a recruitment process and a role specification is used in the selection process The Chair leads the recruitment process, and within its remit, the R&N Committee considers succession planning and the skills and knowledge of trustees to identify any gaps and feed into recruitment Trustees can serve up to two three-year terms (with an additional term in exceptional cases agreed by the board), this includes the Chair The membership of the board is kept under review and re-aligned as appropriate New trustees receive an induction, so they have a clear understanding of our work and their dutres as a trustee During the induction they will be introduced to all levels of the organisation and meet with the Chair, CEO, Leadership Team colleagues and other trustees, and are provided with the trustee handbook Trustees are encouraged to attend meetings and events across Skills for Care to increase their knowledge and understanding of us and the sector, and we're developing a learning and development plan to offer training to aid the continuous development of their role We have adopted the principles of the Charity Governance Code and assess our governance against the principles each year and have a three-year evaluation cycle in place with differing levels of depth In 2024/25 we undertook a full review of our governance arrangements with a view to identify and plan for continuous improvement, ensure that we continue to comply with the law and relevant regulations and promote a culture where the organisation functions in a way that works towards meeting our organisation vision and mission The key findings and The board continues to regularly evaluate its ongoing performance by reviewing effectiveness of every board and committee meeting to ensure they meet objectives Trustees are also encouraged to feedback on the performance of the board and to suggest any improvements through one-to-one discussions with the Chair The key management personnel are the trustees together with the CEO, Deputy CEO and LT Trustees do not receive any remuneration for their role as trustees, with the exception of the Chair who receives an honorarium (see Note 7 for details) Any payments to trustees for services provided outside their trustee role, and all related party transactions, are disclosed separately in the financial statements Salaries are reviewed and benchmarked against sımılar roles to ensure they are fair, competitive, and appropriate for the size and complexity of our organisation The remuneration of the CEO Is reviewed annually by the R&N Committee and approved by the board The Committee also receives proposals from the CEO for changes to the LT structure or salaries Section 172 (1) Statement and Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting The Trustees have considered the disclosure requirements of The Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018 and The Companies (Directors' Report) and Limited Liability Partnerships (Energy and Carbon Report) and Regulations 2018 and how they apply to the Skills for Care Group While we are not mandated to make such disclosure, we believe it is best practise to report what actions we are currently taking to comply with them Section 172(1) statement which hereby describes how the Board of Trustees have acted in regard to the matters set out in Section 172(1)(a) to (f) when performing their duties under this These duties have included, but are also not necessarily limited to, their responsibility to earnestly promote the success of the Group and its companies, to act in the way that he or she considers to be in good faith and would be most likely to promote the success of the Group and its companies for the benefits of its stakeholders as a whole and, in doing so, have taken 20

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 into consideration due regard (amongst other matters) to the factors (a) to (f) which are as follows (a) the likely consequences of any decision in the long term, (b) the interests of the Group's and its companies' employees, (c) the need to foster the Group's and its companies' business relationships with suppliers, customers and others, (d) the impact of the Group and its companies' operations on the community and the environment, (e) the desirability of the Group and its companies maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct, and (D) the need to act fairly as between management members of the Group and its companies In adhering to the above, the Board of Trustees have duly discussed and considered the following during the ordinary course of business * the issues, factors and stakeholders that the Trustees consider relevant in complying with section 172 (1) (a) to (f) and how they have formed that opinion, * the main methods that the Trustees have used to engage with its stakeholders in order to understand the issues to which they must have regard, and * information on the effect of that regard on the Group's and its companies' decisions and strategies during the financial year The Trustees have duly adjudged as to what they consider to be collectively appropriate to disclose and believe that their statements and information in the Trustees' report in this respect are meaningful and informative for the Group's stakeholders, have shed light on matters that are of strategic importance to the group at the time and are consistent with the size and complexity of its current business As our main funders move to a competitive tender model we need to comply with Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 06/21 which requires suppliers bidding for major government contracts to commit to achieving Net Zero by 2050 We have calculated our carbon footprint across scope 1, 2 and partial 2 carbon emissions and have achieved public procurement PPN 06/21 compliance using the Government approved Green House Gases (GHG) Protocol and have been able to pinpoint the carbon hotspots within our organisation to develop a PPN 06/21 compliant carbon reduction plan which is available on our website for external stakeholders Internally we have developed an implementation plan with steps to reduce our emissions year on year, overseen by our Enabling Leadership Team (ELT) taking forward the actions and championing our approach Reference and administrative information On 31 March 2025, we had nine trustees on the hoard Trustees Date of appointment or resignation John Coughlan (Chair) Suzie Bailey James Bullion Peter Chambers Appointed 1 April 2024 Gillian Day Penelope Machin William Mumford Beverley Tarka Resigned 30 November 2024 Appointed 1 September 2024 Naser Turabi Mark Ward 21 - - :

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Oonagh Smyth Deputy CEO Tristram Gardner Audit & Risk Committee (untıl 1 May 2024) Suzie Bailey (Chair) William Mumford (resigned 30 November 2024) Peter Chambers (from 1 April 2024) The A&R Committee was responsible for reviewing the annual trustees' report and financial statements, ensuring there was an effective system of internal control and risk management, ensuring compliance policies and procedures are followed and relevant legislation and statutory requirements are adhered to Finance & People Committee (until 1 May 2024) Gillian Day (Chair) James Bullion Naser Turabi Mark Ward The F&P Committee had oversight of our finances to ensure sustainability in line with the organisational strategy It monitored the quarterly management accounts and charitable reserves and liabilities, escalating issues to the board It made recommendations to the board for agreement on the annual budget and the year-end financials included in the trustees' repor and financial statements and accounting policies It maintained an overview of investments and treasury management The Committee also oversaw people and culture activity associated with the strategy including workforce planning and key organisation developments, employee engagement, learning and development It reviewed the financials associated with people activity including headcount and benefits Finance & Audit Committee (from 1 May 2024) Gillian Day (Chair) Suzie Bailey Peter Chambers Naser Turabi Mark Ward On 27 March 2024, the board agreed to establish a new F&A Committee in the place of the F&P and A&R Committees, from 1 May 2024 The purpose of the Committee is to review, scrutinise and monitor all issues relating to the financial position of the organisation, and to ensure the board meets their responsibilities in gaining the assurance needed on compliance, risk management, internal controls, and on the integrity of the annual report and accounts, and through the supervision of the quality, independence and effectiveness of both the internal and external auditors Remuneration & Nominations Committee John Coughlan (Chair) Suzie Bailey James Bullion The R&N Committee makes recommendations to the board on the remuneration of the Chair and CEO and looks at any changes to the LT pay and structure based on proposals from the CEO It leads the process of recruiting new trustees to the board, including choosing a new Chair, bringing in other trustees to sit on the interview panel as needed, and makes recommendations to the board on appointments The committee also looks at succession 22

Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 planning and the makeup of the board to ensure it has the skills and knowledge to continue to operate effectively Company references • Skills for Care Ltd, Company number 03866683, Charity number 1079836 • Skills for Care Solutions Limited, Company number 07938138 • Affina Organisation Development Limited, Company number 04644495 • The National Skills Academy for Social Care Limited, Company number 09698766 (Dormant) • Skills for Care Services Ltd, Company number 13778192 (Dormant) All accounts are drawn up to 31 March Principal and registered office Westgate 6 Grace Street Leeds LS1 2RP Advisors External auditor Brown Butler Leigh House 28-32 St Paul's Street Leeds LS1 2JT Bankers The Royal Bank of Scotland South Yorkshire & North Derbyshire Commercial Support Team Solicitors Clarion Elizabeth House 13-19 Queen Street Leeds LS1 2TW Investment manager CCLA Investment Management Senator House 85 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4ET Sheffield S2 9EQ Auditors The trustees extended the appointment of Brown Butler as external auditor for the group for the audit of the financial year ended 31 March 2025 A tender process is planned to take place during 2025/26 Approval The trustee's report, which includes the Strategic report, is approved by the Board of Trustees on 7 October 2025 and is signed on its behalf By order of the board John Coughlan CBE Chair of the Board West Gate 6 Grace Street Leeds LS1 2RP 23

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 statement of responsibilities of the trustees of Skills for Care Ltd (a company limite ›y guarantee) in respect of the trustees' report and the financial statement The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year nder that law they are required to prepare the group and parent company financi tatements in accordance with UK accounting standards and applicable law (UK General Accepted Accounting Practice), including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland Under company law the trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the group and chantable company and of the group's excess of income over expenditure for that period In preparing each of the group and charitable company financial statements, the trustees are required to • select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently, • make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent, • state whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements, • assess the groups and the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern, and • use the going concern basis of accounting unless they either intend to liquidate the group or the charitable company or to cease operations or have no realistic alternative but to do SO The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the chartable company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the chartable company and enable them to ensure that its financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006 They are responsible for such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and have general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the group and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregulanties 24

Independent Auditor's report to the members of Skills for Care Ltd Opinion We have audited the financial statements of Skills for Care Ltd (the "charitable parent company") and its subsidiaries (the 'group') for the year ended 31 March 2025, which comprise the Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities, the Consolidated and Company Balance Sheets, the Consolidated Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) In our opinion the financial statements •give a true and fair view of the state of the group's and charitable parent company's affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of the group's incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended; • have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, and • have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011 Basis of opinion We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report We are independent of the group and charitable parent company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC's Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion Conclusions relating to going concern in auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or colfectively, may cast significant doubt on the group's or chartable parent company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorsed for issue Our responsibilities and the responsibilties of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report Other information The other information comprises the information included in the trustees' annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themseives If based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact We have nothing to report in this regard 25

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006 In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit • the information given in the Trustees' Report (incorporating the Strategic Report) for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements, and • the Trustees' Report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements Matters on which we are required to report by exception In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the chartable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees' Report We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 and Charities Act 2011 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion •adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us, or • the charitable parent company's financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns, or • certain disclosures of trustees' remuneration specified by law are not made, or • we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit, Responsibilities of trustees As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities set out on page 24, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purpose of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine Is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the group's and charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the company or cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists Misstatements can arse from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements Capability of the audit in detecting irregularities, including fraud Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including traud The key laws and regulations we have considered in this context included the Companies Act, the Charities Act 2011, pension and tax legislation In addition, we have considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which may be fundamental to the group's and chantable company's ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty including the Accounting and Reporting by Charities Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial 26

Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland (second addition - Octobre 2019) The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below • Using our general commercial and sector experience and through discussions with the trustees and other management, we identified areas of laws and regulations that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the financial statements as well as those arising from management's own assessment of the risks that irregulanties may occur either as a result of fraud or error • We examined the group's and charitable parent company's regulatory and legal correspondence and discussed with the trustees and other management any known or suspected instances of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations • We communicated and discussed identified laws and regulations and potential fraud risks with all engagement team members and remained alert to any indications of fraud or non- compliance with laws and regulations throughout the audit • In addressing the risk of management override of controls, we tested the appropriateness of journal entries We also challenged assumptions and judgements made by management in their significant accounting estimates and judgements We also discussed related party relationships and transactions involving them There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it Also, the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional misrepresentation, or through collusion A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council's website at www frc org uk/auditorsresponsibilities This description forms part of our auditor's report Use of our report This report is made solely to the company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the chartable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company's members, as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed Paylor Nicola Taylor FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Brown Butler, Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor Leigh House 28-32 St Paul's Street Leeds LS1 2JT Date 08/10/25 27 !

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 Consolidated statement of financial activities (incorporating income and expenditure account and other comprehensive income) 2025 Note Unrestricted 2025 Restricted 2025 Total Income Charitable activities Trading activities Investments Pension Total income Raising funds Investments Charitable activities Pension Total resources expended 1,17 4,14 5 5 5,17 5 Net (outgoing) resources before transfers Transfers and designations 14e Net incoming resources Other comprehensive income Pension exit credit 14,17 Net unrealised investment gain 9, 14 Net movement in funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward 14 14 4,082,988 1,644,558 115,067 585,000 6,427,613 1,133,213 4,306 8,032,318 616,000 9,785,837 (3,358,224) 84,321 (3,273,903) 2,636,000 502,195 (135,708) 42,994,186 42,858,478 19,690,629 : 19,690,629 1926010 19,926,010 (235,381) (84,321) (319,702) (319,702) 319,702 The notes on pages 32 to 51 form part of the financial statements 23,773,617 1,644,558 115,067 - 585,000 26,118,242 1,133,213 4,306 27,958,328 616,000 29,711,847 (3,593,605) (3,593,605) 2,636,000 502,195 (455,410) 43,313,888 42,858,478 2024 Total 37,425,455 2,247,217 43,691 2,224,000 41,940,367 1,307,700 4,101 39,029,380 2,011,000 42,352,181 (411,814) (411,814) 3,282,932 2,871,118 40,442,770 43,313,888 28

- Consolidated group balance sheet At 31 March 2025 Note Fixed assets Intangible assets Tangible assets Investments 8 8 9 • Current assets Stock Debtors due within one year Cash at bank and in hand Creditors amounts falling due within one year Net current assets Total assets less current labilities Prangen for labilites and Net assets Funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total group funds 11 12 14 14 2025 1,831,820 200,040 37,316,752 3,165 3,322,329 4,946,456 8,271,950 (4,662,084) Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 2025 € 2024 2024 4,191,003 173,199 36,814,557 39,348,612 41,178,759 7,945 1,799,524 13,954,662 15,762,131 (13,527,002) 3,609,866 2,235,129 42,958,478 (100,000) 42,858,478 43,413,888 (100,000) 43,313,888 42,858,478 42,858,478 42,994,186 319,702 43,313,888 The notes on pages 32 to 51 form part of the financial statements These financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 7 October 2025 and were signed on its behalf by John Coughlan CBE Trustee and Chair of the Board Company registered number. 03866683 29

Company balance sheet At 31 March 2025 Note Fixed assets Intangible assets Tangible assets Investments Investment in subsidiaries 8 8 9 10 Current assets Debtors due within one year Cash at bank and in hand Creditors. amounts falling due within one year Net current assets Total assets less current liabilities Provision for liabilties and charges Net assets Funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total chantable company funds 12 13 14 14 2025 € 1,831,820 200,040 37,316,752 20,000 4,359,577 3,982,067 8,341,644 (4,758,179) Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 2025 2024 2024 4,183,100 173,199 36,814,557 20,000 39,368,612 41,190,856 3,371,331 12,492,594 15,863,925 (13,647,294) 3,583,465 2,216,631 42,952,077 (100,000) 42,852,077 43,407,487 (100,000) 433307,487 42,852,077 - 42,987,785 319,702 42,852,077 43,307,487 The notes on pages 32 to 51 form part of the financial statements These financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 7 October 2025 and were signed on its behalf by tom Canin John Coughlan CBE Trustee and Chair of the Board Company registered number 03866683 30 •

Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 Consolidated cash flow statement Reconciliation of changes in resources to net cash inflow / (outflow) from operating activities Note Net (Outgoing) resources before transfers Adjustment for Depreciation and amortisation Interest income (Increase)/decrease in debtors Decrease/(increase) in stock (Decrease) / increase in creditors Increase in dilapidations provision Net cash from operating activities Cash flows from investing activities Interest received Pension exit Acquisition of intangible fixed assets Acquisition of tangible fixed assets Net cash from investing activities Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at 1 April Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March 5, 6, 8 4,6 11 4,6 14,17 8 2025 (3,593,605) 3,225,401 (115,067) (483,271) (1,522,805) 4,780 (8,864,918 (10,866,214) 115,067 2,636,000 (780,541) (112,518) 1,858,008 (9,008,206) 13,954,662 4,946,456 2024 € (411,814) 2,557,562 (43,691) 2,102,057 3,745,188 (641) 1,500,422 (139,345) 7,207,681 43,691 12,324,581) (30,482) (2,311,372) 4,896,309 9,058,353 13,954,662 Analysis of changes in net debt Cash and cash equivalents 1 April 2024 13,954,662 Cash flow 31 March 2025 (9,008,206) 4,946,456 31

Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 Notes (forming part of the financial statements) 1 Accounting policies The company is limited by guarantee and registered as a charity under the Charities Act 2011 (registered charity number 1079836) and incorporated in England and Wales The presentational currency is £ sterling and except for note 17, all figures are stated to the nearest pound sterling (f) The accounting policies have been consistently applied in dealing with items which are considered material in relation to the financial statements Judgements and uncertainties The following are the significant management judgements made in applying the accounting policies of Skills for Care that have the most significant effect on the financial statements (i) Income recognition Where income received in the year is related to activity yet to take place, unspent income is deferred to the following year to fund delivery of the activity (Note 12) (ii) Amortisation of intangibles and useful life of depreciable assets Management regularly reviews the development of its major depreciable asset, ASC-WDS to estimate its useful life and the amortisation of the asset is calculated as costs are incurred (Note 8) 1.1 Basis of preparation The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2022) - (Charities SORP (FRS102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) and the Companies Act 2006 Skills for Care meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS102 Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s) 1.2 Going concern The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis Our DHSC sponsor has agreed the funding arrangements for 2025/26 along with two other commercial contracts and we have a significant contract with another government department in place for 2025/26 The charity also has unrestricted charitable reserves as at 31 March 2025 which the trustees believe, together with the above, are sufficient to allow the chanty to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from the date of signing these accounts As a result, the trustees believe it is appropriate to prepare the accounts on a going concern basis 1.3 Basis of consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of the company and its wholly owned subsidiary undertakings, Skills for Care Solutions Limited (SCSL) and Affina Organisation Development Ltd (AOD) which are made up to 31 March Subsidiary results are set out in note 10 The consolidated statement of financial activities consolidates the results of the charitable activities of the group on a line-by-line basis In accordance with FRS102, no separate SOFA has been presented for the company alone The net movement in funds for the company only for the year is a loss of £0 45m (2024 £271m) The group owns a minority interest in the ordinary share capital of Care Friends Limited and due to the size of the shareholding this is not accounted for as a subsidiary or associate 32

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 1.4 Income Grants and other income are recognised in the year in which entitlement exists, and the amount can be measured with reasonable certainty and measurability Income is deferred only when the company has to fulfil conditions before becoming entitled to it or where it relates to the following accounting period All grant funds receivable from the DHSC are treated as restricted in accordance with grant letters 15 Resources expended Resources are allocated at a strategic level based on the costed Delivery Plan with the DHSC, other funding agreements and the business plan as agreed by the Board Business leads are allocated specific resources in order to deliver the required outcomes Activities requiring commissioned work with outstanding milestones as at 31 March 2025 or relating to the outcomes of the 2024/25 work programme are accounted for on an accruals basıs and the costs relating to these milestones are included in the accounts Governance costs are those incurred in connection with the strategic management of Skills for Care resources, compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements, including legal and audit costs These have been accounted for within the appropriate cost activity as required by FRS102 16 Fixed assets: tangible Individual fixed assets costing £5,000 or more are capitalised at cost Depreciation is calculated to write off the cost of fixed assets by equal annual instalments over their estimated useful lives as follows Office furniture and equipment and IT hardware - 3 years 1.7 Leases and hire purchase agreements Rentals arsing under operating leases are charged to the statement of financial activities over the terms of the agreements A three-year lease exists for office space in Leeds which was signed in March 2022 A one-year extension to this lease was signed with plans in place to move out of this office by March 2026 18 Pensions Up to the exit on 30 June 2024 the company made contributions to WYPF, a multi-employer. defined benefit scheme The company's share of the underlying assets and liabilities of this defined benefits scheme is accounted for in accordance with FRS102 'Retirements Benefits' The service cost of pension provision relating to the period to exit, together with the cost of any benefits relating to the past service, if the benefits have vested, is charged to the SOFA A exit credit equal to the increase in the present value of the scheme liabilities and a credit equivalent to the chanty's long term expected return on assets (based on the market value of the scheme assets at the start of the year), are also included in the SOFA The company also had a stakeholder scheme with Standard Life The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund The amount charged to the SOFA represents the contributions payable to the scheme in respect of the accounting period A new provider 'Smart Pensions' for the stakeholder scheme was agreed from 1 April 2025 This scheme allows for salary sacrifice contributions thereby benefitting both the company and the employee A full consultation process was undertaken before the move was agreed 33

• Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 1.9 Investments All listed investments are revalued at bid value at the end of the year as shown in note 9 Changes made to the balance sheet values are reflected in the SOFA No sales of the investments were made during the year so there is no realised loss or gain to report The investment manager costs are deducted from any investment gains In the company's financial statements, investments in subsidiary and other undertakings are stated at cost less provision for permanent diminution in value as set out in note 9 1.10 Restricted, unrestricted and designated funds The various funds of the charity are accounted for as follows Restricted funds are funds subject to specific instructions or restrictions, which have been imposed by the funders, but still within the objects of the charty The purpose and use of the restricted funds are set out in note 14 to the financial statements Unrestricted funds are expendable at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charty Funds earmarked for particular purposes by the trustees are designated as separate funds The designation has an administrative purpose only and does not legally restrict the trustees' discretion to apply the fund These funds are used to fund potential commitments and projects as agreed by the Board and for the purpose of funding transitional changes, strategy developments, potential closure costs and periods of financial uncertainty, in accordance with the chantable reserves policy At 31 March 2025, the unrestricted funds are sufficient to fund the estimated potential closure liabilities as detailed in note 14 111 VAT A significant proportion of input Value Added Tax (VAT) Is not recoverable by the charity as this is classified as non-VAT business, and as such is included in the relevant gross costs in the SOFA Activities which are classified as vat business, fully recover input vat where relevant 1.12 Taxation Skills for Care is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 Finance Act purposes Accordingly, the charity is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received with categories covered by Chapter 3 Part Il Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to chantable purposes The charge for taxation for the trading subsidiaries are based on the profit for the period and takes into account taxation deferred because of timing differences between the treatment of certain items for taxation and accounting purposes 1.13 Intangible assets and goodwill 1.131 Goodwill Goodwill is stated at cost less any accumulated amortisation 1.132 Other intangible assets Expenditure on internally generated goodwill and brands is recognised in the SOFA as an expense as incurred Other intangible assets including software and ASC-WDS that are acquired by the Company are stated at cost less accumulated amortisation 34

• Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 1.13.3 Amortisation Amortisation is charged to the SOFA on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of intangible assets Intangible assets are amortised from the date they are available for use The estimated useful life of ASC-WDS has been reduced from three years to two years with the rest of intangible assets remaining at three years Goodwill is amortised on a straight-line basis over its useful life Goodwill has no residual value The finite useful life of goodwill is estimated to be 5 years Goodwill and other intangible assets are tested for impairment in accordance with Section 27 of FRS102 - Impairment of assets when there is an indication that goodwill or an intangible asset maybe impaired 2. Stock Stock relates to the estimate of the cost and quantity of publications and other marketing materials held for resale at the year-end 3. Subsidiary undertakings The company has two trading subsidiaries, Skills for Care Solutions Limited and Affina Organisation Development Limited The aim of trading is to generate surplus funds which would be paid to the chantable company under gift aid, for strategic investment into the sector and to pursue future chantable activities The group trading income and expenditure is showr 4 Income Restricted DHSC Other funders Total restricted income Unrestricted Chantable income Group 2025 € 13,527,827 6,162,802 19,690,629 Group 2024 30,239,228 6,891,444 37,130,672 Total unrestricted income Total income 4,082,988 1,644,558 115,067 585,000 6,427,613 26,118,242 294,787 2,247,217 43,691 2,224,000 4,809,695 41,940,367 • 35

• Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 Total resources expended Staff costs Other costs Group Staff costs Total 2025 Other costs Group Total Note 2024 Trading activity cost 14 of raising funds 585,333 547,880 1,133,213 889,652 418,048 1,307,700 Investments Chantable activities Pension 10500 28 900 7 678. 00 10.41400 24 37.00 2.01000 1,597,000 2.011,000 Charitable activities 5b 10,755,731 17,822,903 28,578,634 11,227,589 29,816,892 41,044,481 Total resources expended 5a/14 11,341,064 18,370,783 29,711,847 12,117,241 30,234,940 42,352,181 Unrestricted Restricted Total resources expended 2,876,972 6,908,865 9,785,837 425,234 7,117,945 7,543,179 8,464,092 11,461,918 19,926,010 11,692,007 23,116,995 34,809,002 11,341,064 18,370,783 29,711,847 12,117,241 30,234,940 42,352,181 5a) Total resources expended Notes 7,17 Payroll (inc pension) Other staff costs Disbursements Depreciation and amortisation Commissioned work IT Software, telecoms and leases Travel and events Other operating costs Pension interest Total resources expended 8 2025 11,341,064 765,804 10,883,095 3,225,401 1,348,955 731,937 481,265 508,326 426,000 29,711,847 2024 12,117,241 615,996 21,447,261 2,585,051 1,938,071 960,315 635,553 455,693 1,597,000 42,352,181 5b) The costs of charitable activities represent the costs of the delivery of the strategic objectives as indicated in the Trustees' report Direct costs which can be attributed to specific activities are allocated directly Support costs which cannot be attributed directly have been allocated as below A different approach to identifying our indirect costs was taken in 24/25 meaning more costs appear as indirect than in previous years Charitable activities Trading activities Investment activities 1,871,761 150,510 4,306 2,026,577 2024 € 680,421 70,367 4,101 754,889 36

6 Net incoming resources before transfers as shown in the consolidated statement of financial activities is stated after charging and crediting as follows: After charging Legal fees Operating lease rentals - buildings and equipment Amortisation of goodwill and intangible assets and depreciation of tangible fixed assets (note 5, 8) Other pension interest (note 17, 5) And after crediting Bank interest receivable (note 4) Other income - FRS 102 interest adjustment (note 4, 17) Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 Group 2025 € 41,650 14,750 12,150 7,258 28,430 160,355 3,225,400 395,000 2024 41,650 14,750 4,800 51,344 72,059 95,033 2,585,051 1,597,000 115,067 585,000 43,691 2,224,000 7. Staff numbers and costs Average staff numbers Equates to full time equivalents 2025 204 198 2024 213 205 The aggregate payroll cost of these persons during the period, analysed by category, was as follows Gross salaries Employer's social secunty costs Employer's pension costs (before FRS102 adjustments) Employer's pension contributions including one off lump sum payments Current service cost Past service cost Unrecognised loss on assumption changes 2025 9,260,703 1,139,103 1,011,258 11,411,064 (291,000) 72,000 149,000 - 11,341,064 2024 9,360,190 1,137,047 993,004 11,490,241 1,418,000 354,00 60,000 1,631,000 12,117,241 The average number of employees in the group whose emoluments (excluding employer pension and National Insurance Contribution (NIC)) fell within each of the following bands 2025 20 € 60,001 - £70,000 £ 70,001 - £80,000 £ 80,001 - £90,000 £90,000 - £100,000 £100,000 - £110,000 €110,001 - £120,000 £130,001- £140,000 2 i 2024 22 1 -os. i 37 •

Skills for Care Lio Year ended 31 March 2025 The key management personnel compensation, for the leadership team and the trustees, for the year is £1, 180,967 (2024 £1, 251,970) Total pension contributions for the above employees totalled £181,309 (2024 £312, 868) he charty operates a stakeholder pension scheme see note 17 for more information abol le pension scheme rustee indemnity insurance was covered under the Directors and Officers policy with Al surance Limited The trustees consider that the officers and members liability insurance adequate Trustee directors' emoluments 2025 € Aggregate emoluments (including employer's NIC) (pension Enil) 2024 38.576 38

Fixed assets Intangible and tangible assets ICT software and licenses ASC-WDS Cost At beginning of year Additions At end of year Depreciation and amortisation At beginning of year Charge for the year At end of year Net book value At 31 March 2025 At 31 March 2024 1,510,062 1,510,062 903,739 277,209 1,180,948 329,114 606,323 11,406,962 780,541 12,187,503 7,830,185 2,854,612 10,684,797 1,502,706 3,576,777 Company intangible assets 12,917,024 780,541 13,697,565 8,733,924 3,131,821 11,865,745 1,831,820 4,183,100 Goodwill & other 109,116 109,116 109,116 109,116 AOD Intangible Assets 8,621 8,621 718 7,903 8,621 • 7,903 39 Group intangible assets 13,034,761 780,541 13,815,302 8,843,758 3,139,724 11,983,482 1,831,820 4, 191,003 Office furniture & equipment ICT hardware & prolect development 127,158 127,158 202,860 112,518 315,378 89,360 17,361 106,721 20,437 37,798 67,459 68,316 135,775 179,603 135,401 Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 AOD Assets 4,680 4,680 Group & Company tangible assets 334,698 112,518 447,216 Group intangibles & tangible assets 13,369,459 893,059 14,262,518 4,680 4,680 161,499 85,677 247,176 200,040 173,199 9,005,257 3,225,401 12,230,658 2,031,860 4,364,202

• Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 9. Investments Group and Company 2025 Cost € 21,471,432 At beginning of year Unrealised gain in year At end of year 21,471,432 Bid value € 36,814,557 502,195 37,316,752 2024 Cost 21,471,432 21,471,432 Bid value 33,531,625 3,282,932 36,814,557 10. Fixed asset investments - Company Note Shares in group undertakings Costs At beginning and end of year Provisions At beginning and end of year Net book value At 31 March 2025 and 2024 3 309,185 289,185 20,000 The companies in which Skills for Care's beneficial interest is more than 20% are as follows Subsıdiary undertakings Registered office Company Principal Country of Percentage registered activity number registration oares herd Skills for Care Solutions West Gate, 6 Grace Limited Street, Leeds LS2 2RP 07938138 Trading England and 100 Wales Affina Organisation West Gate, 6 Grace Development Limited Street, Leeds LS2 2RP 04644495 Trading England and Wales 100 In the opinion of the trustees, the investments in and amounts due from the company's subsıdiary undertakings are worth at least the amounts at which they are stated in the company balance sheet Summary profit and loss accounts of the subsidiaries Turnover Cost of sales Gross profit Administrative expenses perating prof terest receivab Profit before taxation Tax on profit on ordinary activities Profit for the year Distribution SICSL € 920,352 (394,198) 526,154 (69,516) 456,638 17,668 474,306 474,306 (474,306) AOD € 724,206 (305,572) 418,634 (363,791) 54,843 1,925 56,768 (136) 56,632 (56,632) 2025 Total € 1,644,558 (699,770) 944,788 (433,307) 511,481 19,593 531,074 (136) 530,938 (530,938) 2024 Total 2,323,840 (819,237) 1,504,603 (486,961) 1,017,642 10,495 1,028,137 (1,502) 1,026,63: (1,020,234 6,401 40

Assets and liabilities Fixed assets Current assets Current liabilities Total net assets Called up share capital Profit and loss account Shareholders' funds SCSL € 749,519 (739,519) 10,000 10,000 10000 AOD 625,072 (608,671) 16,401 10,000 6,401 16,401 11. Debtors Trade debtors Group undertakings Prepayments Accrued income 2025 € 2,463,226 25,671 833,432 3,322,329 Group 2024 718,475 45,714 1,035,335 1,799,524 12. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Group 2025 € 2024 € Trade creditors Other creditors Group undertakings Accruals Deferred income 292,782 653,310 99,390 1,837,285 3,139,972 10,750,448 576,020 839,879 4,662,084 13,527,002 13 Provision for liabilities and charges At beginning of year Decrease in provision for Leeds office At end of year 41 Skills for Care Li 'ear ended 31 March 202 2025 Total € 1,374,591 (1,348,190) 26,401 20,000 6,401 26,401 2024 Total 7,903 1,865,411 (1,846,913) 26,401 20,000 6,401 26,401 2025 € 2,080,798 1,444,273 21,19 813,310 4,359,577 Company 2024 366,992 1,962,116 40,734 1,001,489 3,371,331 202Company 239,704 541,072 886,299 3,062,281 28,823 4,758,179 2024 55,812 1,690,240 1,021,881 10,640,007 239,354 13,647,294 2025 € 100,000 100,000 2024 239,345 (139,345) 100,000

14. Reserves Restricted DHSC Revenue grant Capital grant Others (prev ASC-WDS cor tract) Transition grant NHS-TD arant Restricted Grants Dept for Education Chantable trading Other restricted funding Total restricted funding Bif April 2024 89,595 35,843 194,264 319,702 - 319,702 Incoming resources Resources expended 5,202,631 (4,755,710) (35,843) (187,297) 8,134,786 (8,134,786) 190,410 (58,984) 13,527,827 (13,172,620) 5,811,035 (5,650,286) 351,767 (1,103,104) 6,162,802 (6,753,390) 19,690,629 (19,926,010) Gift aid payment Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 Unrealised Transfers and gain Cif March designations 2025 (536,516) (6,967) (131,426) (674,909) (160,749) 751,337 590,588 (84,321) • - - - 42

14. Reserves (continued) Unrestricted reserves Unrealised investment reserve Fixed asset reserve Ciosure reserve Strategy & business continuity Other charitable reserves Chantable trading Unrestricted reserves before pension Pension Unrestricted reserves Carried forward funds SCSL AOD Total aggregate funds Consolidating adjustments Total group funds Bif April 2024 15,479,706 4,337,424 9,444.533 12,647,417 1,078,705 42,987,785 42,987,785 43,307,487 6,401 43,313,888 43,313,888 Incoming resources 231,568 82,636 3,864,258 4,178,462 3,221,000 7,399,462 27,090,091 938,020 726,131 28,754,242 28,754,242 43 Resources expended (2,654,420) (3,217,498) (59,605) (2,105,101) (8,036,624) (616,000) (8,652,624) (28,578,634) (463,714) (669,499) (29,711,847) (29,711,847) Gift aid payment 530,938 530,938 Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 Unrealised Transfers and C/f March 2025 gain designations 502,195 502,195 893,059 (748,698) 4,978,423 (674,306) (1,759,157) 2,689,321 (2,605,000) 84,321 15,981,901 2,576,063 8,695,835 14,639,910 958,368 42,852,077 530,938 530,938 (474,306) (56,632) 502,195 502,195 - 502,195 502,195 42,852,077 42,852,077 6,401 42,858,478 42,858,478

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 14 a) Unrestricted charitable reserves The charity has a policy of maintaining free unrestricted reserves in order to meet any potential unding gap in accordance with the Skills for Care reserves policy The F&A Committe nonitor the reserves policy and underlying assumptions each quarte Chantable reserves are accumulated to fund the potential liabilities of Skills for Care Potential liabilities include estimated redundancy, up to 6 months' operational costs, lease liabilities and necessary costs and commitments that Skills for Care may face during a period of funding difficulty The F&A committee, SIC Solutions board, AOD board and the Skills for Care board oversee the resource requirements of the strategy and ensure the chantable reserves policy aligns to fund any potential funding gap in the future reserves 0 8 3m 2024 4232) were suite turn the 3 mam 20e. chabies and designated requirements agreed by Trustees The free reserves of the group and company are as follows. Unrestricted reserves Investment reserve Fixed asset reserve Designated reserves 2025 42,858,478 (15,981,901) (2,576,063) 24,300,514 2024 42,987,785 (15,479,706) (4,337,424) 23,170,655 14 b) Specific reserves Investment reserve: The unrealised gains on investments are not free reserves If the investments were sold and this gain was crystallised, the actual realised gain generated would contribute to charitable reserves Fixed asset reserve: The value of our fixed assets less accumulated depreciation charged to date This is an accounting reserve only It will reduce to nil when the capitalised assets have been fully depreciated 14 c) Charitable reserves designations to fund: 2025 Strategy & business continuity Closure Other charitable reserves 14,639,910 8,695,835 964,769 24,300,514 2024 12,647,417 9,444,533 1,078,705 23,170,655 14 d) Reserves designations General Funds: Funds designated by the Trustees to fulfil any potential future funding gap or investment requirements where business cases meet the criteria agreed by members The board receive business cases requiring funding from this reserve for investment or business critical developments, not funded elsewhere Closure reserve: Funds designated by the Trustees to fund potential closure costs which may be incurred if the company ceased activities in the future Other Charitable reserves: include funds accumulated from AOD trading subsidiary and reserves to cover core planned activity delivered as part of STCD 44 -

• • Skills for Care Lta Year ended 31 March 2025 14 e) Transfers The following transfers were made during the year Restricted Funds £0.08m (2024 £2 3m) transferred from unrestricted funds are: ED 67m represents a charge to DHSC grants for our indirect costs less £0 59m whic represents the cost of our unfunded charitable activities 15 Commitments and contingent liabilities 15 a) Commitments under non-cancellable operating leases are as follows: 2025 Land and buildings Operating leases where payments are due Within one year Within second to fifth years 79,052 - 79,052 Other € 39,884 15,666 55,550 2024 Land and buildings Other 79,052 79,052 38,321 46,847 85,168 16. Analysis of group net assets between funds Restricted Total E Tangible fixed assets Intangible assets Investments Current assets Creditors falling due within one year Creditors falling due after more than one year Net assets as at 31 March 2025 Net assets as at 31 March 2024 4,017,409 (4,017,409) 319,702 Unrestricted funds 200.040 1,831,820 37,316,752 4,254,541 (644,675) (100,000) 42,858,478 42,994,186 200,040 1,831,82( 37,316,75% 8,271,950 (4,662,084) (100,000) 42,858,478 43313,888 17. Pension schemes 17 a) Standard Life stakeholder pension scheme The group operates a defined contribution pension scheme The pension cost charge for the period represents employer's contributions payable by the Group to the scheme and amounted to £0 3m (2024 £0 3m) 17 b) West Yorkshire Pension Fund (WYPF) Some of the Group's employees participate in the West Yorkshire Pension Fund (the 'Fund'), which is part of the Local Government Pension Scheme (the 'LGPS') On 20 December 2008, the scheme was closed to new members In accordance with FRS102, disclosures of certain information concerning assets, liabilities, Income and expenditure relating to pension schemes are required The results below relate to the funded liabilities within the fund which is part of the LGPS The funded nature of the GPS requires the employer and its employees to pay contributions into the Fund, calculated at a level intended to balance pension liabilities and investment assets 45

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 At the end of the prior year, the trustees had made the decision to exit the scheme The exit from the pension scheme occurred on the 30 June 2024 and a pension exit credit of £2 636m was received in the year At the prior year-end date, under FRS 102 basis of calculation, the Fund Actuary has calculated the FRS102 valuation of the pension fund position to be a surplus of £17 3m The recognition of the prior year asset is governed by FR$102 by the amount of economic benefit the Trustees believe will be received by the charty either through a direct refund or through a reduction in future contributions The Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations do not permit the re-payment of contributions or surplus assets to employers whilst they are an ongoing employer in the func as was the position at the year-end date However, the Regulations do permit a payment ol an "exit credit" to an employer who exits the Fund Therefore, the Trustees considered this position in the prior year in order to obtain this economic benefit for the charity whilst market conditions are favourable The basis on which an exit position was calculated in the prior year is very different from the basis used for FRS102 calculations The Trustees have therefore previously asked for the value of the exit position to assist in their decision making Based on the information provided at the triennial valuation at 31 March 2022 and information submitted to enable the FRS102 calculation to be made, the Actuary has calculated the exit position would be a deficit position in the region of c£0 2m in the prior year This is considerably lower than the indicative figure in the triennial valuation due to a change in the Orphan exit This estimation in the prior year led to the conclusion that no refund from the Fund could be made to support the FRS102 calculated asset being recognised in the balance sheet under the direct refund basıs Under FRS102, for recognition of the asset, we also need to consider the second basis for recognition being whether economic benefit could be gained from a reduction in future contributions The Actuary had not calculated this position This did not reflect any minimum funding requirement in place therefore any "prospective payments under an existing Rates and Adjustments Certificate could have led to a loss of economic value", , giving rise to an uncertainty about the asset value This calculation was also based on the assumptions that the charity would remain in the scheme until the final active member leaves the Fund, which is estimated at 83 years, and that the charity would be able to reduce contributions to the Fund, neither assumption being able to be supported with certainty particularly as current contribution rates include past service deficit funding and are set by the Fund Trustees every three years The decision to exit the scheme in June 2024 meant such economic benefit will not be achieved Therefore, as the assumptions could not be supported with certainty the Trustees did not believe it is appropriate to recognise the FRS 102 calculated asset in the prior period as realisation of such an asset is uncertain The Trustees have therefore concluded in the prior year, due to the uncertainty detailed above, to report neither an asset nor a liability at the comparative year-end date The FRS102 calculation for the exit in the year has been reflected for the current year, as detailed in 17c 17c) WYPF actuarial assumptions The latest formal triennial actuarial valuation of Skills for Care's liabilities took place as at 31 March 2022 In the prior period, liabilities have been estimated by the independent qualified actuary on an actuarial basis using the projected unit credit method 46

"""' Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 The orphan exit basis deficit valuation as at 31 March 2022 included on the triennial valuation received in December 2022 was £8 48m (2019 valuation £13 114m) The ongoing orphan funding target was £6 591m (2019 valuation £8 836m) The principal assumptions used by the actuary in updating the latest valuation of the Fund for FR$102 purposes were Key assumptions (% per annum) Discount rate for liabilities Customer Price Index (CPI) inflation Pension increases Pension accounts revaluation rate Salary increases At last full actuarial valuation Duration of liabilities Contributions next year 30 June 2024 51 2.6 26 26 385 1645 years £1 407m 2024 48 26 26 26 3 85 2023 47 27 27 27 395 Mortality assumptions he mortality assumptions are based on the recent actual mortality experience of member ithin the Fund and allow for expected future mortality improvements Sample l expectancies resulting from these mortality assumptions are shown below 30 June 2024 Males lember aged 65 at accounting date lember aged 45 at accounting dat Me and a coming lied Asset allocation Equitres Property Government bonds Corporate bonds Cash Other** Total 20.8 217 240 247 30 June 2024 % 795 28 75 41 35 2.6 100 2024 22% 242 252 2024 % 794 28 85 42 18 33 100 ! : i Reconciliation of funded status to balance sheet Fair value of assets resent value of defined benefit obligatio nrecognised (asset) see note 17 Asset / (liabılity) recognised on the balance sheet 2025 €'000 : 2024 €'000 51,010 (33,680) (17,330) • 47

"'i' Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 The split of the liabiltres at the last valuation date between the various categories of members was as follows 30 June 2024 2024 Active members % 25 % 25 Deferred pensioners Pensioners 22 22 53 Amount recognised in the income statement Operating cost Current service cost Past service cost 2025 £'000 72 149 2024 €'000 354 60 inancing cost interest on net defined benefit liability Pension expense recognised in profit and loss Allowance for administration expenses in current service cost £'000 (190) 31 3 5 Amounts recognised in other comprehensive income Asset gains / (losses) arsing during period Actuarial (gains) / losses due to changes in financial assumptions Actuarial (gains) / losses due to changes in demographic assumptions Actuarial (gains) / losses due to changes in liability experience Total not recognised in SOFA/profit and loss account Pension exit credit Total amount recognised in other comprehensive income and (charged) / credited to SOFA 2025 €'000 406 1,604 263 (51) (2,222) 2,636 2,636 2024 £'000 2,198 1,164 534 (351) (3,545) - Changes to the present value of defined benefit obligation Opening defined benefit obligation Prior year adjustment Current service cost Interest expense on defined benefit obligation contributions by participants Actuarial (gains) / losses due to changes in financial assumption: Actuarial (gains) / losses due to changes in demographic assumptions Actuarial (gains) / losses due to changes in liability experience Net benefits paid out Past service cost Closing defined benefit obligation 2025 €'000 33,682 (2) 72 395 37 (1,604) (263) 51 (273) 149 (32,244) - 2024 £'000 34,898 - - 33,682 48 : - !

"'"' Changes to the fair value of assets Opening fair value of assets Interest income in assets re-measurement gains/(losses) on asset Contributions by employe Pension exit credit Contributions by participants Net benefits pard Settlement Closing fair value of assets Actual return on assets Interest income on assets (Losses) / gains on assets Actual return on assets Amount credited to other income Interest income on assets Interest cost Net expected return on pension assets Current service cost Past service cost Net amount (charged) to statement of financial activities (SOFA) Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 2025 €'000 51,010 585 406 291 (2,636) 37 (273) (49,420) 2024 E'000 47,544 2,224 1,708 1,416 - 142 (2,024) 51,010 585 406 991 190 (72) (149) (31) 49

Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 18. Related party transactions Trustees of the Charity are appointed for their knowledge and connections with organisations in the social care sector The total value of contracts and payments awarded to organisations connected to board members (not necessarily for the personal benefit of the member) in the year are detaled below All declarations of interests are recorded on a register of declarations Board member Organisation Birmingham City Council Relationship of board member 2025 2024 with organisation Independently commissioned to Type of contracts awarded to organisation ASYE Adults (Disbursements) 29.894 17,658 SEND for DfE and part of a commission by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on a corporate best value programme Independently commissioned to SEND and social care for DfE Suzie Balley Bournemouth and Poole Council The Kings Fund Employed as Director of Leadership & Organisational Development James Bullion Norfolk County Council Beverley Tarka Haringey Council Employee (until March 2025) ADASS Trustee ASYE Adults (Disbursements) ASYE Child & Family (Disbursements) Contract for Services Contract for Services Delegate place at the annual leadership and workforce summit 2025 ASYE Adults (Disbursements) ASYE Child & Family (Disbursements) Secondment costs Contract for Services Contract for Services ASYE Adults (Disbursements) Delegate place at the ADASS Spring Seminar 2025 Delegate place at the National Children & Adult Services Conference 2025 9,494 25,000 22,890 7,800 204 31,270 32,000 54.995 68,780 3,864 7,469 675 606 18 000 64,000 50 - -

Comparative consolidated statement of financial activities Note Unrestricted Income Chantable activities Trading activities Investments Pension Total income Raising funds Investments Charitable activities Pension Total resources expended Net (outgoing) / incoming resources before transfers Transfers Net incoming / (outgoing) resources before Net unrealised investment gain Net movement in funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward 4 4 4 4, 17 4 5 5 5 5,17 5 14e 9 294,787 2,247,217 43,691 2,224,000 4,809,695 1,307,700 4,101 4,220,378 2,011,000 7,543,179 (2,733,484) 2,284,692 (448,792) 14 3,282,932 2,834,140 40,160,046 42,994,186 Skills for Care Ltd Year ended 31 March 2025 Restacted 37,130,672 37,130,672 34,809,002 34,809,002 2,321,670 (2,284,692) 36,978 36,978 282,724 319,702 2024 Total 37,425,459 2,247,217 43,691 2,224,000 41,940,367 1,307,700 4,101 39,029,380 2,011,000 42,352,181 (411,814) - (411,814) 3,282,932 2,871,118 40,442,770 43,313,888 51

":?' Glossary of terms A&R ASC-WDS ADASS AMHP AOD ASYE CEO COIF CPD CQC CWP DHSC DWP EDI ELT F&A F&P GHG GO ICS lE LDSS LSIP LT NHS NHSTD NIC NQSW OEG OMMT OSR PA PAMMS PPN QACLS Skills for Care Lio Year ended 31 March 202: Audit and Risk Committee Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set Association of Directors of Adult Social Services Approved Mental Health Professional Affina Organisation Development Ltd Assessed and Supported Year in Employment Chief Executive Officer Charities Official Investment Fund Continuing Professional Development Care Quality Commission Care Workforce Pathway Department of Health and Social Care Department for Work and Pensions Equality Diversity and Inclusion Enabling Leadership Team Finance & Audit Committee Finance and People Committee Green House Gases Good and outstanding care Integrated Care System Individual Employer Learning & Development Support Scheme Local Skills Improvement Plan Leadership Team National Health Service NHS Transformation Directorate National Insurance Contribution Newly Qualified Social Worker Oversight Executive Group Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Office for Statistics Regulation Personal Assistant Provider Assessment and Market Management Solution Procurement Policy Note Quality Assured Care Learning Service 52


"'i•

Skills for Care Lid Year ended 31 March 2025 R&N RM SC-WRES StC STCD SICSL SFIs SME SOFA ULO VAT WDF WYPF Remuneration and Nominations Committee Registered Manager Workforce Race Equality Standard for Social Care Skills for Care Skills for Care and Development Skills for Care Solutions Standing Financial Instructions Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Statement of Financial Activities User-Led Organisation Value Added Tax Workforce Development Fund West Yorkshire Pension Fund • 53