Why social care providers are using ASC-WDS
23 Oct 2024
8 min read
Adult social care providers tell us why they choose to use to the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) platform.
Our Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) allows users to submit and manage their workforce data, in addition to giving providers access to funding and discounts for training and development. The system also provides a platform for organisations to benchmark their themselves against the performance of the wider sector, helping them to make decisions about their business.
We wanted to take a look at how some of the current ASC-WDS users are currently using the system and why they believe it’s benefitting their business.
Unique Senior Care
Unique Senior Care is a family-owned care provider offering home care services for older individuals across Warwickshire and Southwest England. They’re a Care Quality Commission (CQC) ‘Outstanding’ rated provider who deliver a range of services from hourly visits to full-time live-in care.
Dedicated to improving the sector, Unique Senior Care actively maintains its ASC-WDS account to support government decision-making and improve workforce management, something that they believe is crucial to running a socially responsible business:
We believe in the importance and our social responsibility to share key information allowing the Government to make informed decisions, and this is our way of helping.
The organisation also said that ASC-WDS helps them remain competitive by giving them insight into salary figures and allowing them access funding for training:
Furthermore, we use the salary benchmarking function to ensure that we are competitive in our employee propositions.
We ensure employee data is available to assist us in applying for funding to give our staff the qualifications they may want to enhance their skills. We are pleased to share this important data and by doing so, we receive a certificate which with pride, we display in our offices and our CQC Evidence Folders.
Oaklands Care Home
The Oaklands is care home based in Nottinghamshire which provides respite care for adults with disabilities. The organisation is currently using ASC-WDS to improve workforce management and training development.
Through ASC-WDS, The Oaklands has claimed over £33,500 in the funding over six years, with three staff members currently completing qualifications, expecting to claim £3,000 this year. The funds are reinvested into training, offering opportunities for all staff to achieve qualifications at levels two, three, and five.
Using the ASC-WDS salary benchmarking tool, The Oaklands regularly provides data to their board, comparing their performance against "Good" and "Outstanding" providers. This benchmarking ensures they stay competitive and aligned with the best in the sector, providing valuable insights not available elsewhere.
The care home has also streamlined its tracking of staff training and qualifications using ASC-WDS. Prior to this, records were managed manually with spreadsheets, which was time-consuming. Now, with the data centrally managed, the process is far more efficient, allowing their training officer to focus more on staff development rather than administrative tasks.
During inspections both local councils and CQC are always reassured when they see it as it backs up your training matrix. We share it with them to aid transparency. I love how we can benchmark (demographics) in each specific area against other care providers anonymously e.g. Training, wages, staff retention, qualifications etc.
Saracen Care
Saracen Care is a supported living service with 180 staff who operate across Gloucester, Cheltenham and Swindon.
Saracen told us that the benchmarking function within ASC-WDS has been particularly beneficial in their workforce planning, enabling them to align with industry standards and remain competitive. In 2023, benchmarking revealed they were behind on pay rates, prompting an increase to improve staff retention and recruitment. Previously, they had to rely on job advertisement sites to compare pay rates, but ASC-WDS makes it far easier to access relevant data for decision-making.
Saracen Care also uses ASC-WDS to claim funding for staff qualifications. This year, they expect to claim over £8,500 for 27 staff members who completed various courses. The reinvested funds allow them to offer additional training beyond those covered by the fund. They currently have 15 staff in the process of earning their qualifications, the service expects to claim between £600-£1,500 per person, further supporting the development of their workforce.
Creative Support
Creative Support, a not-for-profit social care provider with over 5,500 staff, has been utilising ACS-WDS for the past decade to enhance its workforce management.
The organisation has used ASC-WDS to access discounts through the benefits bundle, resulting in over £10,000 in saved costs for eLearning material. They have claimed funding for a wide range of training, including Level 2-5 diplomas, mental health first aid, and vocational learning. This year alone, they expect to claim approximately £100,000 for training over 200 staff members. Over the last three funding years, Creative Support has claimed more than £330,000 in total.
The funding they receive has been reinvested into their training department, allowing for the hiring of trainers and assessors, the provision of both virtual and in-person training, and support for continuing professional development (CPD). This reinvestment has been crucial in addressing skills gaps within the organization, improving the quality of care they provide, and boosting staff morale.
In turn, the improvements in workforce development have had a positive effect on both staff retention and service quality. The strategic use of ASC-WDS not only helps Creative Support to remain competitive but also ensures they can offer their employees opportunities for growth, which ultimately benefits the individuals they support.
Dr. Ray Kendall-Corry, Head of Engagement and Learning at Creative Support, said:
We’ve found ASC-WDS really useful over the past few years. In the past 12 months, we’ve claimed over £100k for diplomas delivered by our internal team, with training delivered at 13 sites across the country. This approach helps address skills gaps, fosters development allows us to invest in our future success!
Red Robin Homecare
Rosie Robinson, owner of Red Robin Homecare, gave us some firsthand insight into how she uses ASC-WDS:
I’ve been using ASC-WDS since its early days, when it was originally known as the National Minimum Data Set for Social Care (NMDS-SC). The platform was developed around 2005, and I’ve been involved with it ever since. The transition to the ASC-WDS in 2019 has made the system even more efficient, but I’ve seen its value from the very beginning. When I first started, it took about a day to input all the staff data, but ongoing updates are much quicker now.
Rosie has used ASC-WDS to claim funding for a variety of courses to help her staff deliver better care:
Over the years, I’ve successfully claimed funding for a range of training courses through ASC-WDS, including awareness of dementia care, safe handling of medicines, and end of life care. This has helped train many of our team members, which has been crucial for maintaining high standards.
Red Robin Homecare have also used ASC-WDS to compare pay rates and other key business information, ensuring they remain competitive:
One of the most useful features is the ability to benchmark our performance against other providers. I regularly use this to compare pay rates, ensuring we remain competitive and informed. It’s been instrumental in guiding our decisions around staff pay and development.
ASC-WDS has been an invaluable resource for Red Robin Homecare; It allows us to benchmark performance and access funding for critical staff training, helping us maintain high standards and drive continuous improvement
If you’d like to know more about ASC-WDS, including how to signup, visit our ASC-WDS hub page.
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