Care-worker database shines a light on staff

A national database of adult social care employees is being developed by the skills council covering that sector. The aim is to create a more accurate picture of the workforce.

In a project worth more than £6m, Skills for Care is developing the National Minimum Data Set for Social Care (NMDS-SC) with tech services outfit Tribal Group.

Skills for Care estimates there are more than 38,000 organisations employing up to 1.5 million people in the UK in adult social care. The aim of the NMDS-SC is to log around 30 key details, such as qualifications and age, for all staff.

Once completed, the NMDS-SC will allow Skills for Care to understand the structure of the workforce nationally and plan for future developments such as mass retirement or a skills shortage.

Francis Ward, head of skills research and intelligence for Skills for Care, told silicon.com: "We want to take the guesswork out of developing this workforce."

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The body responsible for developing the adult care sector's workforce hasn't previously had a complete record of the numerous organisations and employees within the sector.

Ward said Skills for Care is very keen to gain a greater understanding of the workforce and has "taken [the project] very, very seriously".

He added: "There are occasional huge white elephants in the public sector. We don't want to be one."

At present, the details of around 3,000 organisations are accounted for through a paper-based system implemented over the past year but the new system will go further.

The system is intended to go live in the autumn. By the end of 2008 Skills for Care hopes to have around 50 per cent of all employees on it. An almost complete record is expected in the next couple of years.