NCF Members' Briefing 17.2.23

 

Details from the latest NCF Members' Briefing 17.2.23

Care Data Matters: Roadmap for better data for adult social care

DHSC has published a document which sets out a roadmap for improving the collection and analysis of adult social care data in England. A consultation has been set up on the document (see chapter 3) which closes on 31 July 2023. Accompanying this announcment is £3m worth of funding for Local Authorities to implement national mandatory person-level data collection from April 2023. This will replace the existing Short and Long Term (SALT) Support data collection.

It will take us a little time to fully analyse the Care Data Matters roadmap as its publication has come as a bit of surprise - it was not mentioned on any of the stakeholder groups we sit on. Following our initial reading of the roadmap, we'd say that it is a little 'fluffy' in parts and repeats some of what was previously announced. However, some of the timescales are useful to note - particularly at end of Chapter 1 and in Chapter 4. We're a little sceptical about some of the claims the roadmap is making about 'progress so far' on the People at the Heart of Care and Data Saves Lives commitments. It's also glaring that there is not one mention of funding in the entire roadmap. Chapter 1 gives a good outline of the roadmap's contents:

  • Chapter 1 sets out the importance of adult social care data and the vision for what we can achieve through the better use of data across the sector, through:

    • streamlining and improving existing data collections

    • establishing data collections and bridging data gaps

    • improving data access to produce better insights

    • driving sector digitisation, to streamline data flows including through the adoption of digital social care records

  • Chapter 2 summarises the current adult social care data landscape, outlining the different data flows and data collections at both a national and local level, and the limitations that DHSC is aiming to tackle, such as lack of data sharing and gaps in the data collected

  • Chapter 3 sets out the importance of understanding data needs across the sector and the engagement DHSC has done to date. It details their plans for further engagement with the sector, and includes a feedback questionnaire to help them understand what data is needed by people who draw on care and support, their families and unpaid carers, and those involved in the delivery and commissioning of social care in a professional capacity

  • Chapter 4 sets out DHSC's roadmap for how and when they will transform adult social care data nationally by:

    • streamlining and improving existing data collections to reduce duplication and burden of collection

    • setting up new data collections to bridge data gaps

    • improving how data is shared and disseminated

    • digitising data across the sector

  • Chapter 5 sets out how DHSC will support the sector to have the capabilities to achieve their vision, outlining the guiding principles that they must adopt as a sector to facilitate this, and the initiatives underway to advance digital and technology across the sector that are critical to underpinning their success

£15m International Recruitment Fund

In September 2022, the previous Health and Social Care Secretary announced a £15m international recruitment fund to help adult social care providers recruit overseas staff as part of the Plan for Patients. It has taken until 10 February 2023 for this fund to be launched. The money will be used to enable international recruitment over 2023 and 2024.

The fund is aimed at SME providers but note that DHSC will distribute the grant through a lead Local Authority which will act on behalf of all the LAs in the partnership and in collaboration with local care alliances and local providers. The lead LA is the one that makes the application for funding which reflects the consensus of the wider partnership and collaboration. The services offered through the partnership, using the funding, must be available to all adult social care providers within the footprint of the partnership – it looks unlikely that the funding will be passported directly to providers. However, the intention appears to be that initiatives created by this funding, should in theory, be co-designed. Examples in the guidance about how it can used includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • helping providers attract overseas candidates

  • a shared recruitment resource that looks at the whole region needs

  • providing an advice or checking service for sponsorship licence or visa applications

  • helping new arrivals to access affordable housing

  • helping international recruits with solutions to work travel requirements, for example, helping them gain a UK driving licence

  • developing pastoral support, such as buddying schemes

The guidance makes it very clear that any schemes set up must promote ethical recruitment and employment practice – have a look at the code of practice for international recruitment for some guidance in this area. The way in which this fund is designed implies it is aimed at providers who have done very little, to no, international recruitment so far – this is disappointing because there are quite a few providers in our membership which have already taken the initiative to develop international recruitment processes but will not necessarily be helped by this fund.

The deadlines for the lead Local Authorities to apply for funding are very tight:

  • Deadline for submission of bids accessing 2022 to 2023 funding - 24 February 2023.

  • Deadline for submission of bids accessing 2023 to 2024 funding - 17 March 2023.

Funding must be spent by the end of the respective financial years. The fund’s grant conditions don’t state anywhere that the fund can be used for schemes already set up since it was announced in September 2022, so we’re assuming that the first deadline submission above is for applications for schemes between 10 February and the end of this financial year. The second deadline is for applications for schemes which could use funding up to the end of the 2023/24 financial year.

In short, providers should seek out the lead LA in their area as soon as possible to try and encourage applications and shape them.

NCF Editorial Takeover of HSJ

You may remember that before Christmas we tookover the HSJ for 2 weeks to share a range of articles written by the team, members and partners we work with on the importance of adult social care. We are now promoting them again as a second-push. We're going to share a couple of posts on social media over the next week or two. If you would like to help us increase the reach of this campaign, please see the links on this page and share and comment on your social media and through your networks.

 
Members News, General NewsRemote Digitalncf, adult social care, dhsc