A new care professional website aimed at training, development and benefits for social care professionals in Cambridgeshire has been launched. 

The Care Professional Academy, which is supported by Cambridgeshire’s Academy for Reaching Excellence (CARE), is a training website for adult social care providers and professionals to access training initiatives, receive benefits for taking part in training and access information from the local authority.   

Care providers who have signed up are supporting the new council’s website initiative to improve training and retain staff for over 9,000 care workers. 

This allows employers to track and monitor the professional development of their staff, while providing care professionals with portable training passports for continuous career development with the support of the council.  

Care professionals can gain access to exclusive rewards and discounts at over 800 UK retailers including Sainsbury’s, Argos, Boots, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, John Lewis/Waitrose, Pizza Hut and many more.

This scheme is designed to help care workers and comes at a time when a mix of increased competition and rising prices make it more difficult to recruit to this area. 

Cllr Richard Howitt, chair of the adults and health committee, said: "The launch of the Care Professional Academy is a significant step forward in enhancing the quality of care services in our community and the quality of work for our much-prized care workers. 

“In addition, the benefits scheme will improve overall pay packages, retaining staff in a sector where they often leave for better paid, less stressful jobs such as in hospitality or retail. We want staff to feel even more appreciated for the work they do.

“The portable training passport also provides care professionals with the flexibility to carry their training from one employer to another and will undoubtedly contribute to a more skilled and stable workforce, ultimately benefitting those in our community who rely on quality care."   

The council has invited more than 100 delegates including those from care providers to an event on Thursday January 18.