Opens in a new tab
Welcome to tend, formerly Impact Futures. More about us >

For Employers

Resources & Tools

Free Recruitment Government Incentives Enrolling Your Staff
View All Resources

Save thousands on National Insurance with tend

For Learners

Resources & Tools

Learner Enrichment Calendar Aptem Access Off-the-job Training
View All Resources

Level 3 Lead Adult Care Worker Apprenticeship- Generic Pathway

View course

Careers with heart, skills with purpose.

Career Builders

Apprenticeships and Diplomas

You tend to passion, we tend to progression.

Skill Builders

Top-up skills and knowledge

End of Life Awareness Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Medication Awareness Understanding Care Planning
All Skill Builder Courses >

Careers with heart, skills with purpose

Learn more about tend >
Author: Cameron Bower

Date: April 30, 2026

Training Needs Analysis (TNA) Tool

Contents

What is a Training Needs Analysis?

A Training Needs Analysis helps you understand where your workforce is today, where it needs to be, and what training will close that gap.

It gives you a clear, evidence-based view of skills, compliance requirements and development priorities across your team, so you can make confident decisions rather than guess.

Why a TNA matters for your organisation

Without a structured view of training needs, most organisations fall into one of two traps. They either over-invest in training that delivers little impact, or they miss critical gaps that affect performance and compliance.

A TNA removes that risk by aligning training directly to business goals, inspection outcomes and workforce capability.

What a good TNA should include

A strong Training Needs Analysis should look at more than just qualifications. It should bring together:

  • Workforce roles and responsibilities
  • Current competency levels
  • Compliance and regulatory requirements
  • Business objectives and growth plans
  • Inspection or audit outcomes

This creates a full picture of where development is needed and why.

How the tend TNA works

The tend TNA is designed to make this process simple and structured.

You are guided through a series of focused questions about your organisation, covering areas such as staffing, performance, priorities and inspection outcomes. From there, the system builds a clear profile of your workforce needs.

It removes the guesswork and replaces it with consistent, structured insight.

Turning insight into action

Once the analysis is complete, the output is not just data. It is a practical training plan.

You will see:

  • Key skills gaps across your workforce
  • Recommended training pathways
  • Priority areas based on risk and impact
  • Opportunities to improve performance and outcomes

This allows you to move straight from insight to implementation.

Supporting compliance and inspection readiness

For regulated sectors, training is not just about development. It is about demonstrating competence and meeting standards.

A structured TNA helps you evidence that your training decisions are informed, relevant and aligned to regulatory expectations. That can make a real difference when it comes to inspections and audits.

Making better use of funding

Training budgets and funding streams can be complex. A clear TNA helps you use them more effectively by focusing investment where it delivers the most value.

It also helps identify where funded routes, such as apprenticeships, can support your workforce development.

Getting started with tend

The tend TNA is a completely free tool, designed to be quick to complete and easy to understand.

In just a short amount of time, you can build a clear, structured view of your workforce needs and receive a tailored training plan to support your organisation.

Get Started

Related articles

Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS)

Find out how the Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS) can help eligible adult social care employers reduce the cost of staff training and qualifications,…

Read more

Apprenticeship Service Setup (AS): Employer Step-by-Step Guide

Apprenticeship Service Setup (AS) made easy. Follow our step-by-step employer guide to create your account, connect tend and manage apprenticeship funding.

Read more

Entry requirements: what you need to know

Entry requirements are fundamental for enrolment and securing funding. All the essential points are covered here.

Read more

Let's Talk...

Let's Talk...