Publications

A decade on since the Care Act received Royal Assent, our publication reflects on the extent to which the aims of the legislation have been achieved and, where they have not, what changes are needed to deliver fully on the Act’s ambitions.

Evidence shows that values-based recruitment (VBR) can improve the recruitment and retention of people who perform better and are more satisfied in their care roles. This guide showcases good practice, success factors and evidence of what works in council-led VBR campaigns in different local contexts, to support sector-led improvement. It provides practical insights and advice for organisations wishing to adopt VBR, and a framework to help capture the impact of VBR campaigns.

This resource pack gives councillors an overview of the key legislative and policy issues regarding placements for children in care. The resource explores good practice, key issues and things to look at in local areas to try to improve the sufficiency and quality of placements, so that every child can live in the best possible home.

The Employer Standards survey, also known as the ‘health check’, gives a voice to registered social workers, occupational therapists, and non-registered social care professionals. It helps them feel listened to and know that their employers are proactive in tackling challenges. The key purpose of the survey is to better understand a number of critical questions about the experiences of the social care workforce in England.

The role of the audit committee is normally to seek assurance that the council’s financial reporting, internal controls, governance, and risk management are effective and can be relied upon by councillors and citizens. The audit committee is the committee of the council to which has been delegated the task of looking into such matters in detail.

These top tips, and key actions, have been co-developed to support effective collaborative partnership working in the planning and delivery of community mental health services. They recognise that every heath and care system will experience challenges in relation to partnership working given the statutory and cultural differences of organisations working across the mental health pathways and that there will be different arrangements to frame local partnership working, including for example a Section 75 agreement.

The resource has been developed in response to conversations with, and feedback from principal social workers (PSWs), chairs of national and regional PSW networks and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services regional leads. It has also been informed by learning from the pilot sites, and tools and techniques from the worlds of coaching and learning and development.

Principal social workers (PSWs) have a key role to play in the Care Quality Commission (CQC) local authority assessment process. We've commissioned this publication to summarise the experiences of PSWs involved in the pilots and help other PSWs to prepare.

This ‘Must Know’ guide covering Working with Auditors provides information and practical guidance to help you ensure this valuable resource is maximised.

The survey was sent to police forces in England and Wales in order to inform on-going national negotiations by providing accurate and up to date information about the composition of the workforce and provide a means for costing claims, offers and their consequences.