1. Birmingham City Council - Fee Increases 2026 (Information for all Contracted Providers)

2. Birmingham City Council – New Good Practice Guidance Added to Shaping the Market Webpage: My Home Life England, What Does Good Leadership in Homecare Look Like? (Information for all Home Support Providers)

3. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) The Winter 25/26 Flu Campaign (Information for all Providers)

4. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - Patients to Benefit from Cutting-Edge NHS Care from Their Homes (Information for all Care Home Providers)

5. REMINDER CONSULTATION Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - Fair Pay Agreement Process in Adult Social Care – DEADLINE 16 January 2026 (Information for all Providers)

6. Capacity Tracker Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Updates - What's New to Capacity Tracker (Information for all Providers)

7. CONSULTATION Care Quality Commission (CQC) Consultation on Improving How CQC Assess and Rate Providers – DEADLINE 11 December 2025 (Information for all Providers)

8. REMINDER Skills for Care Updates for December 2025 (Information for all Birmingham and Solihull Providers)

9. REMINDER Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (BSOL) Quality Team - Web Page (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)

10. REMINDER NHS Birmingham and Solihull (BSOL) Training Hub November 2025 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Providers)

11. Birmingham and Solihull (BSOL) Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Nurses working in Social Care 26 November 2025 (Birmingham and Solihull Social care Nurses)

12. Skills for Care - Adult Social Care Workforce Data (ASC-WDS) - Learning and Development Funding for Adult Social Care (Information for all Providers)

1. Birmingham City Council - Fee Increases 2026 (Information for all Contracted Providers)

With the Budget taking place on 26 November 2025 we wanted to take this opportunity to let all of our contacted care provider organisations know that significant work has been carried out over the Autumn to develop the Council’s fee increase proposals for April 2026. Once any announcements made in next week’s budget have been fully analysed, further detailed consideration of fee increase proposals in the context of the Council’s wider budget setting process will take place. Our intention, as always, is to communicate the fee increases as soon as they have been agreed and our internal processes have concluded.

2. Birmingham City Council – New Good Practice Guidance Added to Shaping the Market Webpage: My Home Life England, What Does Good Leadership in Homecare Look Like? (Information for all Home Support Providers)

My Home Life England’s new report, Leadership in Homecare Services – What Works Well? (see link below) brings together insights from 90 homecare professionals working across England to explore the key elements of effective leadership in homecare services. Drawing on insights from professional support and development programmes with homecare leaders, interviews with those working in a range of roles for a large homecare provider, and a scoping review of the literature, the report identifies the challenges faced by homecare leaders and the effective strategies they use to support their teams and deliver high-quality care.

Leadership in Homecare Services – What Works Well?

This report, and other useful information on good practice in adult social care, is available in the Good practice resources for care providers | Birmingham City Council section of the Information for care providers | Birmingham City Council website.

Good practice resources for care providers | Birmingham City Council

Information for care providers | Birmingham City Council

3. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) The Winter 25/26 Flu Campaign (Information for all Providers)

Flu season has started earlier than usual. It’s important that all Adult Social Care staff get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Please read the following letter for key information on the vaccine, who’s eligible, and how to book. Please ensure this is disseminated to all your staff and colleagues;

2025.11.17 Flu Uptake Letter.pdf

4. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - Patients to Benefit from Cutting-Edge NHS Care from Their Homes (Information for all Home Support Providers)

More patients will receive faster, more convenient care from the comfort of their own homes, through the rollout of new digital technologies across the NHS. Please use the link below for further information.

Patients to benefit from cutting-edge NHS care from their homes

5. REMINDER CONSULTATION Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - Fair Pay Agreement Process in Adult Social Care – DEADLINE 16 January 2026 (Information for all Providers)

As part of the Employment Rights Bill, the government intends to implement an Adult Social Care Fair Pay Agreement negotiating body and process. The Department of Health and Social Care has opened a consultation about the process which will close on 16 January 2026.

You can access further details about the consultation including how to respond to it using this link-

Fair pay agreement process in adult social care - GOV.UK

6. Capacity Tracker Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Updates - What's New to Capacity Tracker (Information for all Providers)

Some changes have been made to Capacity Tracker. Unless otherwise stated, these took place on Wednesday 19th November 2025. Please use the this link for further information

20251118 whats new november draft 003_gh_ja final.pdf

7. CONSULTATION Care Quality Commission (CQC) Consultation on Improving How CQC Assess and Rate Providers – DEADLINE 11 December 2025 (Information for all Providers)

This is your opportunity to share your views and help the CQC to improve how they assess and rate health and care providers. They would really value your input, please use the link below to take part.

Better regulation, better care - Care Quality Commission

The consultation closes at 5pm on 11 December 2025.

8. REMINDER Skills for Care Updates for December 2025 (Information for all Birmingham and Solihull Providers)

Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk

Key highlights include:

• ASC-WDS (Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set) webinars – Running from December to March
• Tell us what you think of our website – complete our short online survey
• Upcoming Registered Managers Networks
• Join the Birmingham and Solihull ICS Faculty for Social Care and Independent Sector
• Attend the next BSOL Nurses and Clinical Leads in Social Care Network meeting
• Skills for Care National and Regional events
• Have your say on the future of the Learning Development and Support Scheme (LDSS) survey

Please note: the Birmingham Registered Managers Network meeting on 4 December at 10:00am – 1:00pm is now in-person at:

South and City College Birmingham,

Longbridge Campus, Longbridge Campus; 1 Longbridge Ln, Birmingham B31 2TW

9. REMINDER Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (BSOL) Quality Team - Web Page (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)

Please visit the

BSOL ICB Quality Team Web Page

which includes information on:

• Falls resources - New

• Dysphagia and swallowing resources - New

• Continence resources - New

• Clinical Learning Alerts

• Quality improvement resources

• Best practice information
• Medicines Management - New

If you would like more information about the BSOL Quality Team, please contact nhsbsolicb.qualitychc@nhs.net

10. REMINDER NHS Birmingham and Solihull (BSOL) Training Hub November 2025 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Providers)

The Birmingham and Solihull Training Hub Website is for those working in a primary or social care role in the Solihull / Birmingham area. The information is for students looking for support with career development or a visitor wanting to find out more.

Please use this link for training, further information and booking

Social Care – BSol Training hub

All training events are listed in the calendar section. You can also contact the training hub by email bsol.traininghub@nhs.net.

The next sessions are:

25 November 2025 BSOL Nurses and Clinical Leads Network Meeting 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm

25 November 2025 Medication Management 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

26 November 2025 Catheter Care 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

26 November 2025 The DSPT and Data Protection in General for Home Care 10:00 am - 11:00 am

27 November 2025 Midlands ASC-WDS (Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set) workshops 10:00 am - 11:00 am

27 November 2025 Change management and ethical use of data 10:30 am - 12:00 pm

27 November 2025 Understanding the 20 hour rule: What care providers need to know 11:00 am - 12:15 pm

27 November 2025 Registered Managers Forum and Skills for Care: Working together with Registered Managers in Solihull 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm

27 November 2025 Solihull Registered Managers Network & Forum - 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

27 November 2025 The DSPT and Data Protection in General for Care Homes 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

11. Birmingham and Solihull (BSOL) Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Nurses working in Social Care 26 November 2025 (Birmingham and Solihull Social care Nurses)

(BSOL) Nurses and Clinical Leads Network would like to invite registered nurses to the next virtual network meeting for Tuesday, 26 November 2025 at 2:00pm.

There will be an update from BSOL Integrated Care Board, Social Care Nurse Advisory Board, Skills for Care and West Midlands Care Association on support/resources for nurses. 

Find out more about the network and book your place for the next meeting

Nurses and Clinical Leads Network

12. Skills for Care - Adult Social Care Workforce Data (ASC-WDS) - Learning and Development Funding for Adult Social Care (Information for all Providers)

We have issued a number of bulletin items recently promoting the benefits of registering with the Skills for Care Adult Social Care Workforce Dataset and submitting your workforce data. Please see the link to the Skills for Care website which gives further information and how to get started:

Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set

One of the primary benefits to care provider organisations is that it provides eligibility to make claims under the Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS). Please use this link:

LDSS

for more information and how you can benefit.

A recent Skills for Care ASC-WDS Engagement report shows that, of the 627 CQC registered locations in Birmingham:

• only 59 are ASC-WDS registered and eligible to access the LDSS funding.
• 352 are not ASC-WDS registered so are not eligible to access funding.
• 216 are ASC-WDS are registered but are ineligible to access funding. Skills for Care have informed us that that the primary reason for ineligibility is because the registered location has not fully submitted its workforce data.

Provider locations which are not registered are therefore encouraged to do so, and all other locations which are registered are encouraged to log into their accounts and ensure that they have fully completed and submitted their data.

A workshop will be held on 27 November 2025 - 10:00am -11:00am giving further information and advice around the ASC-WDS. Please click on the link to book your place

ASC-WDS Workshops

Please use this link to see the responses to the most recent Department of Health and Social Care survey

Adult social care workforce skills survey: September 2025

A webinar focusing on LDSS claims will be held on Monday 8 December 2025 - 13:00pm – 13:45pm for East and West Midlands Care Providers only.

Please register by clicking on the following link:

LDSS Webinar - 8th December 1pm on MS Teams

Once registered, you will receive a Teams invite.

Please note: You will need an Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) account to claim funding, you can create an account by using the following link;

Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set