West Midlands ADASS has secured funding through the Skills for Care Workforce Strategy Impact Fund to support the next phase of the regional Data Hub.
Hosted by Shropshire Council, the project will strengthen workforce and care market intelligence across the West Midlands by enhancing existing workforce data, bringing together wider datasets and developing predictive insight to support workforce planning and evidence-based decision-making.
Building on the region's existing Data Hub, the project will help local authorities, providers and system leaders develop a richer understanding of workforce supply, future demand and care market pressures, enabling better planning for the future.
Building better workforce intelligence
The programme will be delivered through three complementary areas of work:
- Making better use of existing intelligence by enhancing the value of workforce data already available through the Data Hub and existing regional datasets.
- Broadening the evidence base by integrating workforce, labour market, demographic, commissioning and care market intelligence to provide a more complete picture of local and regional pressures.
- Developing predictive insight through collaboration with the University of Birmingham, using advanced analytics and population modelling to explore future workforce demand over the next five, ten and 15 years.
Together, these developments will provide practical intelligence to support workforce planning, market shaping and strategic decision-making across adult social care.
Why this matters
Adult social care continues to face significant workforce challenges, including recruitment, retention and increasing demand for services. While existing data provides valuable insight into current workforce trends, there is an opportunity to better understand future pressures and support earlier, more informed decision-making.
By bringing together workforce, care market and demographic intelligence, the Data Hub will help local authorities, providers and partners identify emerging challenges, explore future workforce demand and prepare for the changing needs of the sector.
The project supports the ambitions of the Skills for Care Workforce Strategy by helping the sector recruit and retain its workforce, develop new skills and build a sustainable adult social care workforce for the future.
Working in partnership
The project brings together a strong regional partnership including Skills for Care, the University of Birmingham, the Hartree Centre, West Midlands Care Association, Partners in Care and colleagues from local authorities and the independent care sector.
Working together, partners will combine data, research and practical experience to develop intelligence that is both robust and directly relevant to the challenges facing adult social care.