Modernising the Social Care Workforce is published by TOPPS, based in Leeds, England. This was the first national training strategy for England designed to analyse the skill needs of people working in the social care sector in England and to propose an action plan to improve both the qualification base and the quality of training over the coming five years. It can be seen as a response to Modernising Social Services White Paper (DH, 1998) and to the restructuring of further education (DfEE, 1999) and higher education (Dearing Report).