WMCA Weekly Newsletter

March 3, 2026

Hi Anne

3 March 2026

Facebook

Click here for details of how to join our members WhatsApp group.

FREE Distance Learning Courses for your Team

Find out which fully funded courses are available for your team.

Online via Microsoft Teams, tomorrow at 11.30am

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/32912427096398?p=KKy9SBP2U7tVBIJPle

Meeting ID: 329 124 270 963 98

Passcode: He9az2gC

https://stratus.campaign-image.eu/images/32883000024654326_zc_v1_1771428104431_digital_health_checks_qr_code.png

DWP Jobs Guarantee Grant - Phase One Now Live

If you want to support a young person but budgets are tight, this is your opportunity.

Wages are fully funded by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – a low-risk, high-impact way to bring young talent into your organisation.

📊 The Challenge

946,000 young people aged 16–24 are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) – that's 12.7% of all young people in the UK.

🎯 The Solution

DWP's Jobs Guarantee Grant pilot creates six-month, fully paid roles for long-term unemployed young people aged 18–21, with wraparound employability support to break cycles of unemployment and build pathways to sustained work.

PeoplePlus UK are seeking employers who can:

🔹 Offer genuine six-month entry-level roles with supervision

🔹 Provide meaningful work experience and progression opportunities

🔹 Operate in one or more pilot regions

Phase Two will roll out nationally later in the year.

Interested? Complete the EOI here

Or contact laura.savage@peopleplus.co.uk for more information.

FREE Digital Health Checks

As part of the national Better Security, Better Care programme, we are offering FREE in‑person Digital Health Check visits to help you review your data protection and cyber security policies.

These checks provide valuable reassurance and highlight practical steps to strengthen your systems. We believe a Digital Health Check offers important benefits for care providers, supporting safer, more resilient services.

To book your FREE visit, simply scan the QR code below or click here .

🩺 GP Connect–Focused Webinars for Care Homes

Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria (HI NENC) is hosting two upcoming GP Connect–focused webinars designed for care homes and social care teams. Each session offers practical guidance on improving communication, accessing clinical information, and supporting more seamless resident care.

Together, these webinars provide valuable insights to help strengthen processes and enhance outcomes for residents.

GP Connect Masterclass for Care Homes & Social Care Staff

1 8th March - 10.30-11.15am (online)

Book here

Hospital Discharge to Care Homes

22nd April - 10.30-11.15am (online)

Book here

https://stratus.campaign-image.eu/images/32883000024654326_zc_v1_1771937191148_nhs_england.png

Everyday Economy Solutions Workshop:

Opportunity for Care Providers

We’re sharing details of an upcoming Everyday Economy Solutions Workshop on 13th March, part of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).

The Everyday Economy includes essential sectors such as retail, hospitality, health and social care, transport and construction—key contributors to the West Midlands workforce and local growth.

The LSIP is shaped by employer insight, and this workshop offers care providers the chance to help influence future training and skills development across the region.

Book here

https://stratus.campaign-image.eu/images/32883000024654326_zc_v1_1771939793777_west_midlands_combined_authority.png

Click for a full list of upcoming events

All Events

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

News

International Recruitment

International Recruitment: The Employment Rights Act (part 2)

19 March 2026

10.00am - 11.15am (Online)

Book here

Exploitation in International Recruitment: “Working Together: Multi-Agency Responses to Exploitation"

23 March 2026

2.30pm - 4.00pm (Online)

Book here

https://stratus.campaign-image.eu/images/20065281358/inkcanva_32883000021538789.png

Need Help completing the DSPT?

West Midlands Care Association is your local Better Security Better Care support organisation, offering free online resources, workshops and one-to-one support to help CQC registered providers complete the DSPT.