A successful strategy can be made easier by using data to analyze results, identify future problems, and make decisions. Skills for Care is committed to ensuring accurate and comprehensive data are available to support adult social care.

Working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, our Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) is the leading source of workforce information for the adult social care workforce in England and there’s currently over 19,000 care providers using the service.  

These data are obtained directly from social care employers who use the online service.

ASC-WDS allows providers to compare themselves to other providers in their locality on metrics such as turnover, pay, and sickness rate. This will allow them to determine how they are doing. To make these benchmarks, you can sign up for ASC-WDS. Our explainer video explains the benefits to your business of ASC-WDS.

All decision makers, including those in the workforce intelligence section, can access the data insights available on our website.

The Department of Health and Social Care, local governments, the CQC and Integrated Care Settings make informed decisions about the care sector. These include vaccine rollouts and increasing the National Living Wage. Understanding the age breakdown of workers in the sector and promoting adult social work as a career.

Access to data is crucial for leaders to be able to make informed decisions. What can social workers learn from data? Learn more below.

Analyse pay rates within the sector

Data can be used to help you structure your wages. Employers can see the average social care sector pay rate, as well as the main service type, the specific roles, and the different local authorities.

This insight allows you to compare your pay rates with others in the sector.

See how your turnover rates compare to other care providers

Social care workers can have a difficult time determining the average turnover rate. Employers of social services should be able to use benchmark data to help them assess their turnover rate in comparison to other providers.

It is important to understand your turnover rate in order to make recruitment and retention decisions. You can also introduce new processes like values-based recruitment to help you find the best people for your organization.

Get insight into different roles across organisations

Data can help you assess your organization’s structure and pinpoint areas where you might be able to introduce new skills and roles.

Analyzing similar organizations can be helpful in making decisions about adding a role, training staff or changing the organisational structure

Understand the demographic make-up of the sector

Your organization will be able to offer the highest level of care by having a diverse workforce that understands and represents the people it supports.

You can use demographic data to gain a clear understanding of the makeup of your organization and compare it with the rest of the sector.

These insights will help you to create workplace policies that promote equality and diversity in recruitment.

Know what will be needed from the sector in the future

The key to identifying and securing future needs in the social care sector is workforce projection data. We can use ASC-WDS data to create workforce projections. These allow us to understand the magnitude of the challenges that we will face as we move ahead. This information allows us to plan for the future by planning now.

Our workforce models indicate that we will need 2.17 million social workers by 2035 if the workforce of adult social workers grows in proportion to the population 65+. This is an additional 600,000.

This foresight allows everyone in the sector to plan for their future. It helps us all be prepared for what lies ahead, train and develop the future workforce, and promote social care careers.

Conclusion:

Being a leader in a crucial sector like social care can be challenging. However, using data to determine what works and what needs to change and where growth opportunities exist is a great way to help you become more effective and confident.

The post Data driven decisions: what adult social care leaders can learn from using data first appeared on Verrolyne Training.

1. ‘If you see something, say something.’

This is a key point; if you suspect something isn’t right then it’s important to report it straight away. It is only by speaking up that we will be able to help those who may need protection from physical or sexual abuse and neglect (or indeed another type of harm). It is far better to be over-cautious than to doubt your gut feeling and not say something.

2. Trust your instincts

If you have a feeling that something isn’t right, despite no visible signs of abuse or neglect, then it’s important to trust your instincts and report the concerns immediately. Take time to think things over if you are unsure but don’t let the situation become more serious before you have spoken up. Don’t just push your concerns to one side as it may be too late if you do so.

3. Look out for warning signs of abuse and neglect

There is no setlist of what constitutes a ‘warning sign’, although there are several examples that are known to be signs of potential harm. A child may try to hide what is happening at home or they may not want to go home or they may be suffering from neglect due to the parent(s) inability (for example, by not having enough food in the house). It is important that you remain vigilant if you suspect something; don’t just let it pass.

4. If you are in the process of applying for adoption, think about what would happen if your prospective adoptive child disclosed that they had been harmed or abused in their birth family; how would you respond?

This is an important question to consider, not just when you are waiting for approval but at every stage of the adoption process. In fact, it can be a useful question to keep in your mind throughout the entire process as you prepare for an adoptive child to join your family.

5. Be realistic with yourself and those around you, about what adoption means

In reality, adoption will never give a child their ‘real’ birth parents, and nor should it be expected to. A child’s birth parents are important to them, even if they choose not to have contact with their adoptive family. It is the role of the adoptive parents to make sure that they are open with their children about their adoption story and do not try to replace each other (although this can be difficult); it is crucial that both biological and adoptive parents are respected.

And finally…

Remember, safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility not just those in the health and social care sector. If you have concerns about a child who may be at risk of harm then it is important that action is taken immediately to prevent further harm or abuse from occurring. What may seem like small steps can lead to big changes in protecting children.

The post Five Simple (But Important) Things To Remember About Health, Social Care, Children And Young People first appeared on Verrolyne Training.