taking steps: a guide to workforce planning for providers of adult social care

The government's Putting People First (DH 2007) agenda aims to ensure that people have choice and control over the care and support they need to live the lives they want. This means that the way in which adult social care is funded, commissioned and delivered is undergoing radical change.

A confident, skilled and knowledgeable workforce is essential to achieving these changes, so all adult social care employers now need to plan the way they recruit, develop and retain their workforces.

who should use the guide?

The guide is aimed at service providing organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors. It focuses on care and support providers as businesses and as employers. It is designed for busy people wanting help with workforce planning - take from it whatever you find useful and do not feel you need to read the document from cover to cover.

Two versions of the guide have been developed; a detailed version and a shorter version. The detailed version is available to download below and the shorter version will be available here shortly.

Taking steps_a detailed guide to workforce planning for providers of adult social care (pdf 983kb)

Hardcopies of the guide are available to purchase by visting the publications section of our website.

Section 3 of the guide, questions to answer, makes reference to more questions available to use as prompts for your workforce plan. Please click on the link below to access these additional questions.

Priorities in working to put people first - the strategy for the adult social care workforce: questions to answer (IDeA 2008)

what is included in the guide?

Section 1: Workforce planning in context

Section 2: Getting started

Section 3: Questions to answer

Section 4: Skills for Health's Six Step Methodology

Section 5: Ten top tips for strategic workforce planning explained

Section 6: Information on workforce data

Section 7: Essential standards of quality and safety

Section 8: Integrated local area workforce strategies

Section 9: Appendices

what difference can workforce planning make to your business?

"Workforce planning means that when there are 'new hoops to jump through' we can usually do it.

It means we can continue to provide a good service even when there are changes because we are always one step ahead."

Janet Reed, Manager of Care Watch Southend

Workfoce planning can help any provider of adult social care, from local authroties to small private, voluntary or independant businesses. We interviewed Janet Reed, Manager of Care Watch Southend, who explained how it has helped her business be 'one step ahead' and she shared her tips on how to successfully use workforce planning.

To veiw the full interview with Janet Reed click on the link below:

Workforce plannning tips: interview with Janet Reed, Manager, Care Watch Southend

Click here to download other practical tools to help you progress InLAWS in your local area.