This week's issue includes Devon County Council's call for real-life stories showcasing independence through care, to enable us to share your good work.

We do our best to keep the content and structure of our PEN website up-to-date in these fast-changing times and your suggestions on how to improve the website are always welcome.

Showcasing Independence Through Support - Please Share Your Stories

Devon County Council is seeking powerful, real-life examples of how care and support services have helped individuals maintain or regain their independence. We’re particularly interested in film footage featuring people in receipt of services sharing their experiences in their own words.

These stories will inspire and celebrate best practice in the market and positive outcomes for people.

If your organisation has any relevant video links or footage you'd be happy to share, please send them to: socialcarebusinessrelationsmailbox@devon.gov.uk 

Capacity Tracker Mandatory Submission Window Opens Monday 8 September

Please note that the Capacity Tracker data submission mandatory window opens on Monday 8 September.  The window will remain open for mandatory updates until 23:59 on Monday 15 September 2025.

Please remember there is a statutory obligation which requires all registered providers to submit data via the Capacity Tracker between the 8th and 14th day of every month (or next working day). Providers risk being issued with a Notice of Intent if they do not update mandatory data 3 months consecutively or 4 times within a 12-month rolling period.

Changes to Capacity Tracker Questions

In preparation for the start of the Autumn / Winter 25 Covid-19 and Flu Vaccination campaign, Capacity Tracker have added NEW questions to capture Flu Vaccination data for Autumn/Winter 2025/26 for:

• Care Homes
• Residents
• Staff
• Agency/bank staff

• Home Care providers
• Staff

 Removal of COVID Spring Booster question

The COVID Spring booster question for care home residents will be removed.

Reminder: Please can care homes update the Seasonal Vaccination section of the capacity tracker once Flu vaccinations have been completed.

Why should you register for Adult Social Care Workforce Dataset?

The ASC-WDS is an essential online data collection service that covers the adult social care workforce in England. Here are 6 reasons why you should register for an ASC-WDS account!

Offers and discounts- All users of the service have access to the ASC-WDS Benefits Bundle which gives access to special offers and discounts across our products including: 10% off values-based interviewing and valuable conversations bespoke seminars and 10% off eLearning modules from Skills for Care.

Benchmark your business performance

Benchmark your workplace against others offering the same service in your local authority area. Access information about how your service is performing on workforce metrics such as staff turnover, care worker pay and staff sickness.

Record training and qualifications data

Search, record and manage mandatory training by job role and get alerted to make updates and fill gaps in your training. Training reports also help you to evidence that you’re fully up to date with your staff training during inspections.

Provide intelligence to decision makers

Provide data to Government, DHSC and local authorities. The workforce is central to the adult social care sector. It determines the quality of care experienced, the success of care providers and the funding needed. So it’s vital that we understand the workforce and the issues affecting it.

Access to funding for training and qualifications

The new Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS) is only available to care providers with an ASC-WDS account. Claim for a wide range of training courses and qualifications. ASC-WDS includes an eligibility checker so you can easily check if you can claim. 

Store and access key information about your workforce

Create individual staff records that store personal details and other information, and access them all in one place.

Want to know more? Check out this webpage https://www.devon.gov.uk/providerengagementnetwork/workforce-development/adult-social-care-workforce-data-set/

Good News Stories -  100th Birthday Celebrations at Croft Lodge, Teignmouth Croft Lodge, part of Centrum Care Homes in Teignmouth, has been celebrating a truly special occasion – the 100th birthday of our much-loved resident, Mrs Kathy Mould, on 18th August 2025. Family travelled from all over the country to join Kathy for a wonderful afternoon party at Croft Lodge. Residents and guests were entertained by our talented resident singer, Millie Bowden, who performed some well-loved classics that soon had everyone singing along and even up dancing! One family member expressed their gratitude: “My Great Aunt has been a resident here for nearly three years. From day one, the manager and her team treated her with kindness, respect and compassion, and she settled so quickly. We are always kept informed about her health and wellbeing. The home is warm, welcoming, and bright, with lovely spaces for residents to enjoy. The 100th birthday party was beautiful – with music, food, and plenty of joy. It was such a memorable afternoon.” Find out more about Croft Lodge at: Croft Lodge | Private Residential Care Home for the Elderly — CENTRUM CARE HOMES

visit https://www.sundialcare.com/lifes-journey-continued/

Remember to share your good news stories in this newsletter

Has your support helped transform someone’s life? Have you got innovative practice to share? Send us your celebratory photos and words and we will help share good practice.

Revisit previous good news stories

Issue 238 4 September 2025

DCC COVID-19 updates

Coronavirus advice to the public

National COVID-19 guidance updates

The GOV.UK website

The NHS.UK website

National vaccination publication collection

The national government page contains vaccination guidance, training resources, consent forms, letters, leaflets, posters and more.

PEN newsletter archive

View previous issues

NICE newsletters and alerts sign up

Keep up to date with the latest news and guidance that may impact on your service and clients via the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)

Sign up to receive NICE newsletters here.

Virtual Oral Health Improvement Training: Caring for Adults

This is a 2-hour FREE virtual oral health improvement training session and is aimed at anyone who supports or cares for adults – including staff in care homes, hospitals, out in the community or at home.

Tuesday 9 September 2025 at 10:00am – 12:00pm

Click here to book on now

Making learning accessible

Did you know Flourish has accessibility tools built into the eLearning platform Click? The Recite Me Accessibility Toolbar can transform digital learning experiences.

• Text to Speech: Play, rewind and forward!
• Translations: Over 100 languages and including 65 text to speech voices.
• Text Styling & Customisation: Adjust font style, size and colour
• Reading aids: Dictionary, page summariser, and magnifier

Discover how Flourish can support your team! 'Click' can be accessed for £1 per learner, per month, plus VAT, specifically for our Adult Social Care online course bundle. This is subsidised by Devon County Council who will be covering two thirds of the cost of 'Click'. To access the platform, use the form below and the team will get you setup in no time.

Click here to fill out form

Reminder - Maximise Your Training Budget with LDSS Fund Claims

Businesses looking to optimise their training budgets should take full advantage of the LDSS fund. Claiming money back for training is straightforward, but it’s crucial to upload the correct evidence to ensure a smooth and quick process. Here’s what you need to know:

Evidence of Payment

• Your evidence of payment must include:
• Course/Qualification Name
• Training Provider/Learning Centre
• Amount Paid
• Payment Date
• VAT Number
• Number of Learners per Claim

You can upload up to four documents, such as receipts, invoices, receipted invoices, and/or bank statements.

Evidence of Completion

• Your evidence of completion must include:
• Date of Completion
• Course/Qualification Name
• Learner Name
• Training Provider
• Awarding Body

The document to upload would be the certificate of completion.

Claiming Process

You can claim either:

• 100% of the course cost or
• 60% upon enrolment and 40% upon completion

There is a full list of providers to choose from who are experts and can provide all this information on one invoice.

Investing a little time in submitting these claims will ensure you receive the funding back, allowing you to reinvest in other areas of your business. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to maximise your training budget and enhance your workforce!

Check out this video Click here to view video for more info.

Want to know more, take a look at this webpage Click here to view webpage