WMCA Weekly Newsletter

July 29, 2025

Hi $[FNAME|Customer]$ Book your place at our Autumn Conference

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29 July 2025

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WMCA Excellence in Care Awards - Nomination window closes this Friday 1st August

The nomination window will close on Friday, so if you haven't done so already, time is running out to get those nominations in!

Nominate

WMCA Autumn Providers Conference:

Taking your social care business forward in an uncertain world

Thursday 2nd October 2025

9.30am - 3.00pm

Portway Lifestyle Centre
Newbury Lane

Oldbury
B69 1HE

Discover strategies to elevate your social care business in an ever-changing landscape.

Join us at "Taking Your Social Care Business Forward in an Uncertain World" to gain insights, best practices, and networking opportunities that will empower you to navigate challenges and seize new opportunities.

Don't miss this chance to future-proof your organization and make a positive impact.

Register now!

Book Now

NEW:

Verbal Intervention Training

(train the trainer)

Thursday 25th September

9:30am - 4:30pm

Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust,

501 Birmingham New Road

Dudley, West Midlands DY1 4SB

WMCA has teamed up with the Crisis Prevention Institute to offer this unique training course.

Give your staff the skills to identify, respond to, and verbally de-escalate challenging behaviour in a safe, hands-off way with Verbal Intervention Training.

Book Now

The Care Sector Power-Up:

Plan Smart, Go Green, Get Funded!

Thursday 7th August 2025

10.30am - 2.00pm

Online

Care Sector Resilience: A Free Day of Expert Webinars Join us for a focused day of free, expert-led webinars designed to help care providers strengthen their services and plan for long-term success.

The event will cover four key topics tailored to the needs of the care sector: Business Planning · Artificial Intelligence · Finance · Sustainability

Book Now

Click for a full list of our upcoming events

All Events

International Recruitment Webinar:

Get ready for the Employment Rights Bill (part 2 of 3)

Thursday 21st August 2025

11:00am - 12:15pm

Virtual

This session will focus on the new and upcoming duties to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, including responsibilities around third-party harassment. You'll also receive practical guidance on how to prepare for these changes and ensure compliance with the new legislation.

Book Now

Student nurses set for skills boost through new adult social care placements

Student nurses will have more routine access to adult social care training placements in their nursing degrees, as part of a new national strategy launched today (Wednesday 23 July).

The move aims to encourage more students to pursue a career in adult social care and give them valuable skills in care closer to patients’ homes, as the government shifts care from hospital to community under its Plan for Change.

The new strategy will embed adult social care placements into nursing degrees, giving students first-hand experience of working with services that help prevent unnecessary hospital admissions. Social care placements are currently not routinely offered to students.

Nurse Placements

Fair Pay Agreement for Adult Social Care Webinar Recording

On Tuesday 15 July 2025, Skills for Care was joined by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to share an overview of the Fair Pay Agreement (FPA) for adult social care.

During the webinar, colleagues at DHSC explained what a FPA is, why it is being introduced and what this means for the sector. Details about the Employment Rights Bill and how this provides the legislative framework for FPAs were also shared. The webinar explored how the Government has been engaging with the sector so far, and ways in which those working in adult social care can get involved, including plans for a public consultation later this year.

A recording of the webinar is now available for you to view.

FPA Recording

For all the latest news and updates relevant to the social care sector, check out the "News and Info" section of our website.

News

Windows 10 approaching end of life

act now to stay secure!

Microsoft will officially stop supporting Windows 10 on 14 October 2025. After this date, there will be no more security updates, bug fixes, or technical support.

For adult social care providers, this raises serious data security risks – and it’s crucial to start planning now. Digital Care Hub have published a short guide to the changes.

Windows 10

They are also putting on a webinar on the 2nd September on how to transition step by step to Windows 11

Windows 11

New advice from The Digitising Social

Care programme on guidance for

providers using AI

  Digital Care Hub  have developed guidance for adult social care providers on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Social Care.  

It includes top tips for us on AI and how artificial intelligence is being integrated into care delivery to enhance both administrative efficiency and the quality of support provided to individuals.

Need Help completing the DSPT?

West Midlands Care Association is your local Better Security Better Care support organisation, and offers a raft of online resources, workshops and one to one support to help you complete the DSPT, all of which is FREE to CQC registered providers. Click the button for more info