We are engaging with the social care sector and identifying sector led priorities and products to improve workforce planning.

CfWI Annual Conference

Our annual conference in October 2011 had a strong social care focus. Speakers included David Behan, the Department of Health's Director General of Social Care, Local Government and Care Partnerships and Peter Hay, President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and Lord Victor Adebowale, Chief Executive of Turning Point.

We are also preparing a series of short reports identifying the workforce planning implications from current policy and strategy in social care, health care and public health. We tested out the messages for the system during our annual conference.

NCAS Conference

From 19 to 21 October 2011 the CfWI contributed to the National Children and Adult Services conference. We welcomed delegates to our stand in the main exhibition hall throughout the conference. We discussed a wide range of topics facing the social care sector, demonstrated the later life care pathway toolkit and launched the social worker supply and demand model.

We were joined by colleagues from Skills for Care, Social Care Institute for Excellence, the National Skills Academy for Social Care and Brian Walsh, ADASS Workforce Policy Network Co-Chair / Director of Community Services for Coventry City Council in a successful fringe session chaired by Roy Taylor, CBE Governance Board member on the thinking around making good workforce decisions in tough times.

This included showcasing the very latest developments in workforce modelling, how to get the best out of existing datasets; and what good looks like through positive practice examples. Finally the discussion focused on how best to communicate these findings with social care leaders.

The CfWI, Skills for Care, the Social Care Institute for Excellence and the National Skills Academy for Social Care have produced a resource guide outlining how we are working together to support the adult social care sector to effectively plan the development of the existing and future workforce.

Mental health

We have established a mental health learning circle. The first meeting focused on dementia care with the follow up meeting planned for November.

For further information please contact: enquiries@cfwi.org.uk.