Preceptorships for nurses working in adult social care in England should become more widely available from this autumn, thanks to a new package of support being launched by the organisation Skills for Care.
The package of support, funded by the body’s Small but Mighty programme, was unveiled on 18 July to mark the one year anniversary of the organisation’s Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care.
“Preceptorship is a vital step in building an effective and sustainable social care nursing workforce”
Claire Leenhouwers
The support package is designed to help adult social care providers in England put together structured preceptorship programmes for newly-registered nurses and nursing associates that they have working across adult social care.
The package was developed by Skills for Care to fulfil its commitment to providing preceptorship programme resources for newly registered nurses and nursing associates transitioning into their roles.
This commitment was included in its workforce strategy as part of recommendations relating to training and developing registered nurses working in social care.
Preceptorship programmes have not been widely available for nurses working in adult social care, noted Skills for Care.
As a result, the new package of support is intended to address this gap, and to improve recruitment and retention of the nursing workforce within the adult social care sector.
Skills for Care’s national professional lead for nursing, Claire Leenhouwers, said that establishing preceptorships for social care nurses was a “key step”.
“Preceptorship is a vital step in building an effective and sustainable social care nursing workforce, which is why it’s one of the key recommendations in the national Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care,” she said.
“Social care nurses and nursing associates play an incredible role in supporting people to live their lives well, and so it’s crucial they are provided with all the tools they need to be confident and effective in their roles.”
The support package includes a series of free online webinars and workshops.
These will include a webinar for organisations that want to prepare for preceptorship, a workshop for the person who is looking to lead preceptorship in their organisation and one for people who are new to being a preceptor.
The introductory session will be delivered in partnership with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and will run on 3 September 2025. Other workshops will take place in September, October and November.
Acting executive director of professional practice at the NMC, Donna O’Boyle, said that social care nursing offered a “uniquely rewarding career path” and that preceptorship was “vital”.
“It lays the foundation for confidence, connection, and professional growth from the beginning,” she said.
“Preceptorship offers newly-registered professionals the structured support they need to build confidence, apply the Code in everyday practice, and feel a part of the team from the very start,” said Ms O’Boyle.
She added: “We welcome Skills for Care’s tailored package for social care providers. Helping employers embed consistent, high-quality preceptorship will not only support those new to the register – it will also strengthen retention, grow leadership, and help ensure people receive the safe and effective care they deserve.”
