1. we help to improve social care standards
Local Authority Return 2018

2. NMDS-SC 2018 LA workforce return
A Mandatory data return via NMDS-SC to the NHS Digital facilitated by Skills for Care
Commissioned by the Department of Health
NMDS-SC is on the Department of Community and Local Government Single Data List
The window for your return is 10th September to 12th October 2018
All requirements remain the same as last year and can be found at : then click on ‘Help & Guidance’ then ‘click on Help & Guidance for Local Authorities’.

3. Preparation Tips
Identify roles and responsibilities throughout the LA and system suppliers, if appropriate.
Agree a time plan for when others will get data to the inputter; use those who hold overall responsibility to unblock any barriers
Complete a gap analysis – of all the data fields including your qualifications data.
Ensure pay data will be actual pay and not full time equivalent.
Agree a plan to fill any gaps and set clear deadlines.
Set up a review for July. Check readiness and identify any areas for concern; seek help with unblocking any barriers.
Set a date for uploading in the 1st two weeks of the window, to allow for adjustments and errors.
Use the flow chart provided

4. Finding Information
There is a “One Stop Shop” page for LAs which holds all information regarding the annual upload.
This is updated throughout the year and frequently throughout the window
We aim to add FAQs as we get questions from LAs that we know will relate to all
We have developed this page further based on your feedback
This is the first place you should go if you have a query then click on “Help & Guidance” then click “Help & Guidance for Local Authorities”.
Have you watched the LA video? This can be found on the “One Stop Shop” page

5. Completing the return
Once you have submitted your confirmation form your return will be quality checked.
If you have met the criteria and there are no quality issues you WILL receive an to say your return has been accepted.
If you haven’t met the criteria or there are quality issues you will be asked to amend the required information.
Once changed resubmit your confirmation form and it will be rechecked.
You are NOT complete until you have finally received the congratulations .

6. Qualifications Remember to complete both qualifications questions
Highest level is only mandatory if they hold a social care qualification
Job roles such as Social Worker, OT etc must hold a social care qualification
You can still list each individual qualification but this is optional

7. Type of service provided (main service)
Recap of requirements
Type of organisation
Should be set to LA Adults (BUDI code 1)
Type of service provided (main service)
Parent account should be set to head office services (BUDI code 72) and should only include information about the team which is responsible for the return (not the whole LA.) If the LA has regulated services then the parent account should be set to CQC and the provider number entered.
All CQC regulated services should have the correct main services in accordance with CQC (any main service that has three letters in brackets)
There should be a subsidiary account for each CQC regulated service provided by your LA
Any private arm of your LA should NOT be included in the return

8. Number of staff by job role Vacancies
Capacity
This is dependant on main service. All regulated services should have capacity but some teams will not. This has to be completed and cannot be left blank. Any set to head office services is exempt from capacity
Utilisation
Again, this is dependant on main service as above and must be completed.
Number of staff by job role
Head count of all staff at each team/service broken down by job role
Vacancies
Actual vacancies, these are ones that are advertised or you are intending to fill. The total vacancies should match the vacancies by job role

9. Starters and leavers Contracted hours Sickness Salary
Within the last 12 months, this is a rolling 12 month period
Should add up with last year’s figures i.e. 10 staff last year – 2 leavers and one starter = 9 staff and 1 vacancy (if replacing)
Total starters and leavers must match starters and leavers by job role.
Contracted hours
If staff are on a zero hours contract remember to fill out the new zero hours contract question and put zero in their contracted hours.
Sickness
Within last 12 months – actual days sick (a rolling 12 months)
Salary
Actual salary not pro rata ( e.g. if you are a service manager on a salary grade of £30,000 for full time, but you only work half time hours then you would enter’ £15,000’, not ‘£30,000 pro rata’.

10. Validation and what you need to do - Recap
The IMPORT must take place during the window but validations can happen just before and as many times as necessary until you are happy with the data.
Run the LA Progress report to check you have met the required criteria, this is a live report so can be run after each import.
BUDI validation does not tell you whether you have met the criteria for the return.
Early validation of files gives time to correct any errors/issues.
Remember, you must click IMPORT after validating..
You are deemed as not active until you have carried out your first IMPORT.
After successful import send in your confirmation form to
Confirmation form is available on the one stop shop page from 10th September.
You will receive a reply to either say congratulations or you haven’t met the criteria. As we have to check each account thoroughly this may not happen immediately but we aim to do this within 1 working day
Once you have been signed off do not update anything. Changing anything after you receive the sign off will mean you have to be signed off again and it could result in not meeting the criteria. Please wait to update till the 1st November.

11. NMDS-SC Support Service 0845 873 0129
Manager: Jackie Green
Team comprises a Support Supervisor and 4 Support Assistants who can
help you with any uploading issues whether it is general questions or technical issues.
walk you through the system, show you how it works, what to avoid, show you how to manage BUDI, guide you on how to structure your NMDS-SC account.
look at your NMDS-SC on-screen and offer help & guidance by working through it with you
The LA return window is a very busy time for Support. The earlier you ring the better for everyone. If you leave it till the end of the window you may struggle to get through to us.
Tip: develop a list of questions or issues and then either ring or Support Service.

12. Support Team and Locality Managers Once the ‘window’ has opened, all your queries will be dealt with by the Support Team. If you contact your Locality Manager they may direct you to the Support Team. They are not being unhelpful, just ensuring that you get clear and consistent guidance directly from the central resource.

13. Key practices to avoid:
No clear roles & responsibilities
No clear action plan in place or no monitoring of a plan
Not starting to collate data until end of August
The single most problematic issue in the past has been the upload sitting with one key person, who for a variety of reasons is unable to manage the task (this might include lack of capacity, not being given data by other depts., leaving the authority, being new to the role, annual or other types of leave and so on)
Thinking you will have no errors or issues to deal with so leaving it till the last minute to do the first import.
Not checking the LA Progress Report – this is the only thing that will tell you if you have met the required criteria
Not ringing our Support Team early enough – please do not struggle, the Support team can help you.

14. Making effective use of your data
Are the right people in your LA seeing what NMDS-SC data dashboards can tell them?
Our experience is that when the right people get to see what the dashboards can tell them they are very excited at the possibilities for use.
The ‘right’ people in our experience so far include:
service commissioners,
quality assurance and compliance directors,
workforce analysts & planners,
workforce leads,
those involved with Joint Strategic Needs Assessments/ Market Position Statements

15.
Support Service