14 May 2025
Capacity tracker reminder
All adult social care providers who are regulated by the CQC should be completing the Capacity Tracker during the reporting window. This is between 8th and 14th day of each month - or next working day if 14th is a weekend or public holiday.
If you have any problems submitting your information, please contact the Capacity Tracker Support Centre by email: necsu.capacitytracker@nhs.net or phone: 0191 691 3729 (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm excluding public holidays).
Click here to find out how to register for a Capacity Tracker account.
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Dementia Action Week - 19-25 May 2025 Dementia Action Week is an awareness raising campaign. Each year, Alzheimer's Society works with individuals and organisations across the UK to encourage people to act on dementia. This year they are focusing on diagnosis and highlighting to audiences the most common symptoms of dementia. Diagnosis is vital to give people access to the care, treatment and support they desperately need. Yet, incredibly, 1 in 3 people with dementia do not have a diagnosis. If you're worried about yourself, or someone close to you, get help describing your symptoms to a GP by filling in the Alzheimer's Society symptoms checklist . Help the Alzheimer's Society to spread the word Download Dementia Action Week resources including posters, flyers and banners to help spread the word about making dementia diagnosis a priority. Find out more about Dementia Action Week including how you can get involved and get support for yourself or a loved one on the Alzheimer's Society website .
DHSC Adult Social Care Reform: the cost of inaction This is a House of Commons committee report, with recommendations to government. The Government has two months to respond. Details here .
Citation: How to prepare for your next CQC inspection
Electrical Maintenance Courses for Care Home Staff The Programme Manager for Construction in the Adults Skills Team at Solihull College and University Centre have asked us to share details of courses which may be of interest to our members as they have already been approached by a few care homes who have maintenance staff. Please click on the links below to find out more:- Electrical Awareness Portable Appliance Testing For more information, please contact: Shamira Bolia, Sector Skills Lead at Solihull College & University Centre Campus Line: 0121 678 7000 | Direct Line: 0121 678 7037 Email: Shamira.Bolia@solihull.ac.uk Website: Solihull College & University Centre
University of Worcester Nursing Placements in Care/Nursing Homes University of Worcester are keen to establish opportunities in Care Homes across the county to offer placements for Nursing and Nursing Associate students. If you are interested, please contact: Sarah Weaver Lead of Practice Learning and Partnerships Email: s.weaver@worc.ac.uk Attached is Practice Supervisor and Practice Assessor Preparation information , which contains details on training for those of you who are interested, but please contact Sarah directly in the first instance.
International Recruitment Safeguarding & Wellbeing Directory We are pleased to announce the launch of a new Directory for Safeguarding and Wellbeing Services , featuring key services across the West Midlands and nationally. This provides information about a range of services – from preventing ill health, abuse, and crime, to organisations that help people whose behaviour may be causing harm to others. It will help anyone who needs to find support for others (or themselves) particularly if they have been affected by any type of crime. It was produced as part of the West Midlands International Recruitment Programme 2024/25 but can be applied much more widely. It is designed to provide quick access to help, advice, and action because safeguarding is a shared responsibility. You can access the Directory via WM-ADASS here . Further information and support regarding International Recruitment can be accessed on the WMCA website .
Is your Care Service "Responsive"?
13 May 2025
The Home Secretary - Yvette Cooper - announced on Sunday (11 May 2025) that it is "time to end care worker recruitment from abroad". This was followed by the launch today by the Prime Minister of a Government White Paper on immigration The Home secretary stated that rules will change this year - requiring firms to hire British nationals or extend visas of overseas workers already in the country. I think all of us would agree that recruiting from within the UK workforce is a better and cheaper solution but as many of our members know too well, that is not as easy as politiicians seem to think. It already looks like 2025 is turning out to be Social Care's 'Annus Horribilis' with both inflation busting increases in National Minuum Wage and Employers National Insurance Contributions, removing the option to recruit from overseas when there is not a large local pool to recruit from, feels like another twist of the knife As always the devil is in the detail and we'll let you know more as infomation becomes available. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper
