How we use ASC-WDS to support our organisation

David McCluskey, Learning Data Intelligence Analyst at care provider HC-One shares how the organisation uses the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) to gain useful insights that support their business.

The ASC-WDS is a key source of information – both for us, and also in terms of how decisions about the sector as a whole are made.

Currently, the key data we use from ASC-WDS is around turnover rates. The social care sector experiences high turnover rates, which is something that we at HC-One are actively working to reduce through a range of initiatives (including pay and reward, flexibility, and learning and development). Through the ASC-WDS, we can access a summary report of nationwide and local authority turnover data, and compare this to turnover rates across our organisation.

This provides a really useful insight for our service managers about how our turnover compares nationally and locally, which can help us to identify any challenges and also recognise success.

Using this data, we produce up-to-date, automated, real-time reports that are available to various colleagues throughout the business who manage people-related key performance indicators.

We plan to do the same using the vacancy rate data available via ASC-WDS too.

Another key benefit of using ASC-WDS is that it provides access to the Workforce Development Fund (WDF).

HC-One has successfully claimed WDF for over 10 years now and one of the criteria for accessing the funding is to comply with the ASC-WDS requirements. So, in essence, ensuring we engage with ASC-WDS means we can claim our allocation of funds directly.

A further key aspect and driver for contributing to ASC-WDS is that it provides us with an opportunity to help shape decisions about the social care sector.

By providing workforce data we’re ensuring decision-makers have more accurate data to make informed decisions, as the data provided in ASC-WDS is used by the Government, the Department for Health and Social Care, local authorities and the Care Quality Commission to plan, fund and monitor the sector. We’re really proud to be able to help curate an accurate picture of the sector to support informed decision-making.

Find out more about ASC-WDS and sign-up.

Find out more about how #DataDrivesChange on our spotlight page.

Find out more about HC-One.

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