We’re proud to be named a Top 100 Apprenticeship employer!

Our industry-recognised apprenticeships are a vital branch of our learning and development tree. Year after year, our commitment to colleague development continues to be recognised in both the Sunday Times’ Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers and the Department for Education, which is voted for by real apprentices. This year, we’ve proudly achieved 37th position in both polls! This success pays testament to how our expert-designed apprenticeships are supporting colleagues to enter our rewarding sector, learn and grow their skills and interests, and establish an exciting lifelong career.

Commitment and collaboration

The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers is a long-standing, prestigious scheme celebrating the UK’s most outstanding apprenticeship employers. Proudly positioned in the top 40, our rating demonstrates our deep devotion to increasing apprenticeship opportunities for our colleagues and developing a diverse workforce. Together, these two areas of focus ensure our specialist homes are excellent places to learn and work in!

And our ranking at position 37 in the Department for Education’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list was voted for by real apprentices. For our Learning and Development team, our success highlights our collaborative approach to growing a team of colleagues who are inspired to achieve more for themselves and the people we support.

Our Qualification and Development Manager, Mandi Smith, said: “This achievement has been made possible through the collaboration with and support of operational leaders, managers, apprentices, training providers and colleagues across the business who all recognise the value apprenticeships bring.”

“Across our organisation, we’ve celebrated and encouraged individual talents, creating career progression opportunities, and prioritised learning and development. Combined with the dedication of our apprentices and the support they receive from their managers and mentors, this has empowered us to grow and strengthen our apprenticeships programme, which has contributed to our ratings.”

Secrets to success

Our apprenticeships offer different routes for new and existing colleagues to develop exciting careers in the social care sector. In 2026, we currently have just under 1,000 colleagues working towards qualifications on apprenticeship pathways. And we’re investing in widening those opportunities. This commitment to expanding our apprenticeship programme is just one of the secrets to our recent ratings successes.

Over the past year, we’ve made significant investments in apprenticeships across our organisation – including our head office and operational support functions. And we’re seeing colleagues in all areas pursuing our industry-recognised apprenticeship pathways to develop their careers or enter new roles. Mandi said: “Our learners have increased in both service and office-based roles. In the last 12 months, hundreds of colleagues have started apprenticeships with us. For new colleagues, this marks the very start of their career journey with us. For existing team members, it’s a valuable opportunity to progress into new roles and grow their skills and knowledge.”

Successfully expanding our apprenticeships programme has been a collaborative process built on a foundation of informed decision-making. Our Learning and Development Team worked closely with other departments to explore how apprenticeships might support them.

This is something Erin Ballinger, who works within our Learning and Development Team, has first-hand experience of. Joining us as a young apprentice, she kickstarted her career while working towards her Level 3 Diploma in Business Administration. An expert by experience, her apprenticeship journey has delivered first-hand insights into the power of learning while working in our head office roles.

And for Gabriela, who joined us as a Support Worker at one of our incredible support services, embarking on an apprenticeship carved a new career path for her. After completing our Level 3 Lead Adult Care Worker apprenticeship, she achieved a promotion.

Mandi said: “For many colleagues, apprenticeships open up new career opportunities, support progression into leadership roles or other specialised roles and provide a structured pathway for ongoing professional development. They also enable colleagues to apply their learning immediately, benefiting both their own growth and the quality of support they provide.”

Focusing on the future

Our apprentices bring enthusiasm, commitment, and a willingness to learn, while helping us develop individual talents within our organisation. By investing in apprenticeships, we support people to develop fulfilling, life-long careers where they’re equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to meet the evolving needs of the social care sector.

Alongside supporting even more colleagues to access apprenticeship programmes, we’re continuing our work around the Care Workforce Pathway, exploring how apprenticeships can further support career development routes across the sector.

We’ll also be setting out seamless progression pathways for colleagues at every stage of their careers, something Mandi is passionate about driving forward. She told us: “Our priorities are focused on making apprenticeships accessible, relevant and impactful, ensuring they continue to empower colleague development and reinforce our delivery of outstanding care and support!”

It’s incredibly rewarding to see our commitment to apprenticeships recognised in this year’s ratings. It reflects the hard work, dedication, and ambition of our apprentices, as well as the support provided by managers, operational teams and colleagues across the business. It’s also fantastic to see the positive impact apprenticeships have on people’s careers and our organisation. Recognition in these polls reinforces the value of investing in learning and development and highlights us as a devoted employer, helping colleagues reach their full potential.

Mandi, Qualifications & Development Manager