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Adult Social Care resources for professionals

Adult Social Care - Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS)

The Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) is an adult social care-specific free online data collection service in England. There are currently more than 20,000 care providers using this service. The service helps care providers run their business and manage their staff training needs. 

It can also provide access to the Learning and Development Support Scheme, a valuable source of funding for staff training. Data is then collected to help plan, fund and monitor the sector.

ASC-WDS account

There are six reasons to open an ASC-WDS account:

1. Offers and discounts

All users of the service have access to the ASC-WDS Benefits Bundle. 

This gives access to special offers and discounts across our products, including: 

  • exclusive offers from endorsed training providers
  • 10% off values-based interviewing and valuable conversations bespoke seminars 
  • 10% off eLearning modules from Skills for Care

2. Benchmark your businesses performance

Benchmark your workplace against others offering the same service in your local authority area and more widely. Access information about how your service is performing on workforce metrics such as staff turnover, care worker pay and staff sickness.

3. Record training and qualifications data

Search, record and manage mandatory training by job role and get alerted to make updates and fill gaps in your training. Training reports also help you to evidence that you’re fully up to date with your staff training during inspections.

4. Provide intelligence to decision makers

This is how we can provide evidence of challenges the sector faces to your local authority, national government and the DHSC. The workforce is central to the adult social care sector. It determines the quality of care experienced, the success of care providers and the funding needed. It is vital that we understand the workforce and the issues affecting it.

5. Access to funding for training and qualifications for your staff 

The new Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS) is only available to care providers with an ASC-WDS account. Claim for a wide range of qualifications, programmes and modules if you check and update your data regularly. You can also claim for eligible qualifications started last year from the Workforce Development Fund

6. Store and access key information about your workforce

Create individual staff records that store personal details and other information, and access them all securely in one place.

Virtual tour and contact information

Take a virtual tour of the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set from 3pm to 4pm on Monday 25 November. You can email [email protected] or telephone 0113 241 0969.

Create an account

Sponsorship and overseas recruitment

You can view guidance for adult social care providers to ethically and sustainably recruit care workers and senior care workers from overseas.

East Midlands International Recruitment Hub

Dedicated telephone lines

The East Midlands International Recruitment Hub have set up dedicated telephone lines, which are being introduced to enhance recruitment efforts and provide displaced recruits with the support they need.

The new telephone lines are designed to make the recruitment process more accessible, efficient, and supportive for international candidates.

Process

Direct Access to Recruitment Teams: candidates can connect directly with our recruitment teams, bypassing the delays and uncertainties that often come with online applications. This ensures quicker responses and more personalised interaction.

Dedicated Support for Displaced Recruits: special attention will be given to displaced recruits who may face additional challenges. The telephone lines will offer guidance on accessing local services, legal advice, financial assistance programmes and helping them secure stability and employment.

Contact

To contact the East Midlands International Recruitment Hub please call 01522 303308 or email [email protected].

Find out more about the East Midlands International Recruitment Hub on their official website.

ReSPECT

ReSPECT ready

Enabling health and care professionals to make informed, compassionate decisions about a person’s emergency care and treatment is at the heart of ReSPECT. 

It stands for Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment. It is a process that Northamptonshire will adopt as a health and care system in 2024, including colleagues within social care. 

ReSPECT plan

ReSPECT creates a summary of personalised recommendations for a person’s clinical care in a future emergency, in which they do not have capacity to make or express choices. 

It is agreed based on conversations between a person and health professionals involved in their care. The plan also includes a recommendation on whether or not CPR should be attempted if the person’s heart and breathing stop. It can be changed in subsequent discussions.

The recommendations outlined by a person’s ReSPECT plan may be used across a range of health and care settings.

These include:

  • the person’s own home
  • an ambulance
  • a care home
  • a hospice 
  • a hospital

The plan should stay with the person. This enables the plan to be immediately available to the health and care professionals providing emergency care and treatment.

Health and social care professionals are required to complete training on how the ReSPECT process works.

The ReSPECT Awareness module is aimed health and social care colleagues who come into contact with patients and service users who may have a ReSPECT plan in place. 

The module is available on the NHS England’s eLearning for Healthcare online portal. Create an account and you can access the module.

Contact

If you have any questions on our implementation of ReSPECT, you can contact your local ReSPECT champions Karen Proctor or Danielle Frankish by emailing [email protected] with subject title “ReSPECT”. 

We also recommend that you inform your local ReSPECT champions when your whole workforce has completed the training by emailing [email protected].

You can find out more about the ReSPECT process and training locally on the Integrated Care Northamptonshire website.

Digital Social Care Record (DSCR)

Digital social care records (DSCRs) are software solutions for recording a person’s care information. They replace paper records. This is sometimes called an electronic or digital care plan, care record or care management system.
DSCRs do not normally include rostering or electronic medication administration records (eMAR), but you may be able to find a solution that also offers these features.

Using DSCRs will allow you to share up-to-date information more easily and securely, and reduce time spent on admin tasks. This improves the safety and quality of your care records, helping you to provide person-centred care.

Digitising Social Care Program

The Digitising Social Care programme has been supporting the scaling of Digital Social Care Records (DSCR) across England and has recently confirmed that funding and support will continue into 2024 to 2025.

If you would like to find out more about digital transformation in the sector please visit Digitising Social Care Fund.

If you have any questions please email [email protected] with the title “DSCR Enquiry”.

Ombudsman complaint processes and templates

The Ombudsman has re-launched their complaint handling resources for independent care providers.

These resources are designed to support good complaint handling in adult social care settings and include:

  • a model complaint process
  • Template letters
  • a signposting guide
  • how to write an apology
  • Complaint management checklist

You can view further resources for care providers.

Last updated 26 November 2024