Cumbria will receive £1,253,611 from a fund designed to help the care sector.

The county is getting the cash from the Government's £120m Workforce Capacity Fund.

It aims to provide additional care staff where shortages arise and support administrative tasks so experienced and skilled staff can focus on providing care.

A spokesperson from Cumbria County Council said: “The council welcomes news of additional funding being made available to support the care sector, which is facing significant challenges all over the country.

“The council will work with care homes and other partners to determine how Cumbria’s proportion of the funds will be distributed to ensure that capacity is available to support people safely across the sector.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This funding will bolster staffing numbers in a controlled and safe way, whilst ensuring people continue to receive the highest quality of care.

“Since the start of the pandemic, we have taken steps to protect care homes, including increasing the testing available for staff and residents, providing free PPE and investing billions of pounds of additional funding for infection control.

“Help is on the way with the offer of a vaccine, with over 40% of elderly care home residents having already received their first dose.”