Guidance

User-led organisation training fund grant determination: 2026 to 2027

Published 16 March 2026

Applies to England

This grant determination letter applies to funding claimed by user-led organisations (ULOs ) for the purpose of providing training for individual employers (IEs) (with respect to adult social care) and their personal assistants (PAs). For the purposes of this grant determination letter, a ULO is defined as a group of individuals representing the interests of:

• a) IEs of adult social care workers
• b) the PAs of said IEs

A full definition is set out in ‘Definition of terms’ below.

This is the 2026 to 2027 edition, which applies to all claims for eligible training that is paid for between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027 (inclusive), irrespective of when the application is submitted between these dates.

Grant determination letter

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (‘the Secretary of State’), in exercise of the powers conferred by section 149(1A) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 makes the following determination.

1. Citation

1.1 This determination may be cited as the user-led organisation (ULO) funding grant determination (2026 to 2027).

1.2 The ULO funding is referred to within this document as ‘the scheme’.

2. Purpose of the grant

2.1 The purpose of the grant is to provide financial assistance to any eligible ULO (‘recipient’) engaged in the provision, in England, of training for IEs (with respect to adult social care) and their PAs.

2.2 Assistance is paid to the recipient towards evidenced recipient costs for eligible training in respect of:

• current and prospective IEs of adult social care workers
• current and prospective PAs of said IEs

3. Determination

3.1 The Secretary of State determines that, subject to there being sufficient funds remaining in the grant scheme, a recipient to which this grant is to be paid is any eligible ULO.

3.2 Pursuant to section 149 (1A) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, the Secretary of State determines that the grant will be paid subject to the recipient complying with the grant conditions below.

3.3 Guidance on how to comply with the conditions is published alongside this grant determination letter (the ‘scheme guidance’). This guidance will be updated from time to time. Any prospective applicant is advised to check the current scheme guidance applicable at the time of committing to the training or qualification for which it intends to claim payment.

3.4 The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) reserves the right to amend the scheme periodically in accordance with its ongoing legal obligations. The scheme administrators will notify the recipient if this grant determination or conditions change, and when updated scheme guidance is published. Notifications will be sent to contact email addresses provided by the recipient within the payment service. It is the responsibility of the recipient ULO to ensure compliance with the updated scheme guidance and conditions.

3.5 The grant paid to the recipient under this determination may be used only for the purposes set out above in section ‘2. Purpose of the grant’. Further detail is set out in the scheme guidance.

4. Grant clawback

4.1 Any breach of the grant conditions for claims made between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027 will trigger clawback as set out in paragraph ‘6. Clawback conditions’ of ‘Grant conditions’ below.

Signed on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care by:

Tom Surrey, Director of Adult Social Care Workforce and Policy

10 March 2026

Definition of terms

1. IEs 

1.1 IEs are people who employ their own care and support staff. This could be paid for by their own money, direct payments, or NHS personal health budgets. This definition also includes individuals who do not currently employ their own care and support staff, but have been pre-approved for a social care direct payment or NHS personal health budget.

2. PAs 

2.1 PAs are people who are employed directly by individuals (or families) who require care and support, rather than care providing organisations. They may also be self-employed and contracted to work for IEs. This definition also includes individuals who have not yet started work as PAs, but have engaged with structured pre-employment programmes for PAs.

3. Scheme administrators

3.1 The scheme will be administered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) on behalf of DHSC.

4. Senior responsible officer

4.1 A senior responsible officer (SRO) is an officer of the recipient (nominated by the recipient) having sufficient authority, direct or delegated, to confirm that the Secretary of State’s grant determination has been read and understood, and that the recipient agrees to comply with the grant conditions.

4.2 If an SRO leaves the recipient organisation and is replaced by a new SRO, the recipient has a duty to notify the scheme administrators of this change. The new SRO will be required to sign this grant determination letter.

5. ‘Start’ or ‘start date’ for training activity

5.1 For training activities, this is the date that participants begin the first day of the eligible training course or qualification for which the recipient is claiming. 

6. ULO (the recipient)

6.1 A ULO is a group of individuals representing the interests of:

• a) IEs of adult social care workers
• b) the PAs of said IEs

An organisation must be run for, and by, deaf or autistic people, or people who have a disability or long-term health condition to be considered a ULO. ULOs must have a minimum membership of 75% of disabled people on their boards and employ disabled staff and volunteers, including disabled people, people who use mental health services, people with learning disabilities, older people, and their families and carers. This organisation can sometimes be referred to as a disabled people’s organisation (DPO), which is also eligible for this fund.

7. ULO funding (the scheme)

7.1 DHSC is making available funding for ULOs who represent the IEs of adult social care workers, as well as the PAs of these IEs. Funding is available for training that will improve the knowledge and skills of PAs and IEs.

Grant conditions

1. Eligibility requirements

1.1 The recipient must be an eligible ULO in accordance with section ‘4. Evidence requirements’ below.

1.2 All claimed training for the ULO funding must be eligible, as set out and defined in the latest scheme guidance that is applicable at the time of the booking of said training.

1.3 Claims made in reliance on scheme guidance that was applicable at the time of booking training will be honoured, if evidence of booking can be provided as at section ‘4. Evidence requirements’ below. However, claims will not be honoured where the grant conditions have not been satisfied.

1.4 Under the ULO funding scheme, the recipient may make claims for payment for:

• a) training activities for IEs of adult social care workers
• b) training activities for PAs, provided the personal assistant (PA) is directly employed by IEs of adult social care workers

1.5 Although there are not restrictions on eligible training activities, claimants must provide at the application stage a justification for the training planned. Where training costs exceed the estimated range outlined in the scheme guidance, additional information may be required for justification.

1.6 Funding is not directly available to IEs and their PAs, and must be claimed through a ULO first.

2. Application requirements

2.1 Applications must be submitted by eligible ULOs within an open application window. To apply for funding, ULOs must complete an application form and have an SRO sign this grant determination letter. 

2.1 Applications must be supported by evidence of costs of training for which payment is being sought. More information on evidence requirements can be found in section ‘4. Evidence requirements’ below.

2.2 Applications must be made through the ULO funding payment service. Employers must follow the steps outlined in the scheme guidance to make a claim through the payment service. Where employers require additional support to access the service, they may be assisted by the scheme administrators.

2.3 Applications cannot be repeated for the same individual employer (IE) or PA for the same eligible training.

2.5 Applications will only be paid out if the claim declaration set out at section ‘7. Declaration requirements’ below has been signed by the nominated SRO of the recipient at the point of application submission.

2.6 Applications can be inclusive of any VAT costs incurred for eligible training except where the recipient intends to recover the VAT from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in their VAT return. If VAT is paid by the scheme, it cannot be reclaimed from HMRC - to knowingly do so may constitute a criminal act.

2.7 Applications for eligible training must be supported by evidence as set out in section ‘4. Evidence requirements’ below, and can only be made on behalf of IEs and PAs who have started and/or completed the eligible training in the timeframes as set out in ‘3. Timeframe requirements’ below.

3. Timeframe requirements

3.1 Only costs for eligible training per the dates set out in accompanying guidance in force at the time of the application can be claimed.

3.2 The fund is expected to have 2 application windows within the financial year 2026 to 2027. Each application window is expected to be open for 4 weeks. Successful applicants will receive notification of success no later than 4 weeks following the closure of this application window. Detailed timelines for claiming funding and for delivering funded training activity will be provided in the scheme guidance.

3.3 Successful applicants should expect to provide the scheme administrator with verification that the training has been completed within a period of 4 weeks after the training has been delivered. Should this not be returned, the scheme administrators will contact claimants to receive this with a grace period of an additional 4 weeks. If verification has not been returned after 8 weeks, the scheme administrators are able to request reimbursement from the successful claimant. It is the responsibility of the claimant to provide NHSBSA with contact information that is up to date. 

4. Evidence requirements

4.1 ULOs will be required to provide evidence that they are eligible for funding. Eligible ULOs must:

• be run for, and by, deaf or autistic people, or people who have a disability or long-term health condition
• have a minimum membership of 75% of disabled people on their boards
• employ disabled staff and volunteers, including disabled people, people who use mental health services, people with learning disabilities, older people, and their families and carers

ULOs will be required to provide evidence of eligibility as follows:

• organisation declaration signed by a named official within the ULO
• if requested, additional evidence of eligibility as outlined above in section 4.1

4.2 Evidence for eligible training for the ULO funding must include the following:

• course start and end date (where possible)
• proof of expected costs:
  • for training provided by a third party: where possible, an invoice, a flyer, or a screenshot of a website advertising the cost per learner
  • in all cases (where training is provided by a third party or otherwise), ULOs must provide a clear breakdown of costs, including venue, materials, travel and staff costs
• expected number of learners
• name of awarding organisation (where applicable - for example, for qualifications)
• name of training provider or learning centre, if training is to be provided by a third party

4.3 Further to the above evidence, claimants can submit supplementary evidence to better support their claims. More information on examples of appropriate evidence is provided in the scheme guidance.

4.4 Evidence of course booking must include either written, visual (such as a screen grab or screenshot) or other documentary evidence of:

• a) the training that was booked
• b) the name of the organisation that made the booking
• c) the name of the organisation that received the booking
• d) the date the booking was confirmed

5. Other requirements

5.1 The recipient must consent to allowing the sharing of non-personal data with DHSC and the scheme administrators. DHSC will receive non-personal data relating to any single or cumulative payments received, which may be required by statute, regulation or otherwise prescribed by lawful authority, to be published within the public domain. Personal data usage will be covered by separate agreements between the recipient and the scheme administrators. DHSC does not intend to request personal data directly from the recipient and will only be receiving non-personal data from the scheme administrators.

5.2 Payments to the recipient will only be made into a business banking account. No payments will be made to personal accounts.

5.3 The recipient must co-operate with the scheme administrators and DHSC in any matter relating to DHSC’s statutory, regulatory or other public duty obligations in relation to the scheme’s financial management and accounting.

5.4 Use by the recipient of the payment service provided by the scheme administrators must be in accordance with its end user agreement and privacy policy.

5.5 The recipient shall update the scheme administrators of any changes to personnel who have met either of the following criteria, in the course of the recipient’s use of the service or in the event of a change in grant conditions:

• a) ‘signed’ this grant determination agreement
• b) been granted delegated authority to use the service on the recipient’s behalf

6. Clawback conditions

6.1 The Secretary of State may reduce, suspend or withhold grant payments, or require the repayment of the whole or any part of the grant monies paid, as may be determined by the Secretary of State, and notified in writing to the recipient. The sum notified will immediately become repayable to the Secretary of State.

6.2 This will occur if the recipient meets one or more of the following criteria:

• a) breaches any of the scheme conditions or acts otherwise than in accordance with the scheme guidance
• b) receives any overpayment under this grant in error or by reason of fraud
• c) ceases to trade, becomes insolvent or declared bankrupt, or is placed in receivership, administration or liquidation

6.3. The Secretary of State may pursue remedies against any recipient that fails to return owed grant monies for any of the reasons above, through civil or criminal proceedings as applicable, according to the facts.

7. Declaration requirements

7.1. An SRO of the recipient will be required to accept that the Secretary of State’s grant determination with the grant conditions has been read and understood, and that the recipient agrees to comply with the grant conditions.

7.2 Where the SRO of the recipient has delegated authority to use the payment service to other named recipient staff, before any claim for payment from the scheme will be processed, the person with delegated authority submitting the claim on behalf of the recipient will read the grant determination letter and grant conditions, and confirm the following declaration:

I declare that the information I have given, and supporting evidence provided, is correct and complete. This application meets the grant conditions set out in the accepted grant determination letter.

I understand that all information provided may be subject to:

• verification checks
• audit review
• counter fraud checks

I understand that if I provide false or misleading information, I may be liable to civil or criminal proceedings and clawback provisions may apply.

7.3 Where an SRO is replaced at the recipient organisation by a new SRO, the new SRO will be required to sign this grant determination letter. The recipient organisation has a duty to notify the scheme administrators whenever there is a change in SRO.