Supplier assurance information session: social care case management systems

Overview

The Department for Education (DfE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) are inviting current and prospective suppliers of adults’ and children’s social care case management systems (CMSs) to an information session.

The session will outline the government’s plans to explore a Catalogue Agreement as the assurance mechanism for data and interoperability standards being developed through the adults’ and children’s social care Data Standards Programme. The purpose of this session is to explain why this approach is being considered and how the Catalogue Agreement is expected to operate in practice, and to receive supplier feedback.

Register your place

Further information is provided below on the Data Standards Programme, the proposed Catalogue Agreement, the content of the session, and the organisations that may benefit from attending.

Background

DfE and DHSC recognise the critical role that CMSs play in supporting the delivery of adult and children’s social care across local authorities. Engagement with local authorities, suppliers and wider sector partners has identified opportunities to strengthen how information is structured, shared and used both within and across relevant organisations.

Building on existing work, including the Foundational Specification published last year, and through close alignment with other national data and information sharing initiatives, DHSC and DfE are working to support local authorities and suppliers in realising these opportunities through a Data Standards Programme.

About the Data Standards Programme

DHSC and DfE are working with Social Finance, the Open Data Institute and Coram to deliver the Data Standards Programme. The programme’s aim is to develop a core set of data and interoperability standards for social care CMSs to support more joined-up ways of working, improve the flow of information between systems, and promote greater consistency across the whole sector.

When implemented at scale, these standards are intended to:

• Enable earlier intervention

  by helping practitioners access the right information at the right time, including where information is held across multiple systems.

• Improve people’s experience of social care

  by supporting access to accurate and up-to-date information across organisations, improving the safety and quality of care, and reducing the need for people to repeat their stories.

• Improve analytics and decision-making

  by enabling better use of data to support planning, insight and decision-making locally and nationally.

About the Catalogue Agreement

The Digital Services Integrated Care (DSIC) Catalogue Agreement is a formal agreement between government and suppliers that sets out the responsibilities and commitments of both parties. It provides a structured approach to implementing standards, assuring supplier solutions, and maintaining a roadmap for future requirements.

For the Data Standards Programme, DfE and DHSC are exploring this approach as the assurance mechanism for data and interoperability standards. The Catalogue Agreement could provide a structured route for suppliers to demonstrate alignment with agreed requirements and support a consistent approach to standards adoption across the sector.

This approach is already used across parts of the NHS and adult social care, including GP IT and Digital Social Care Records. As an established model, it provides a familiar and transparent framework for supplier engagement, standards assurance and ongoing management of future requirements.

About the session

The session will be delivered as an online webinar featuring presentations from representatives of DfE, DHSC, NHS England and Social Finance, followed by a live question-and-answer discussion.

This session provides an opportunity for suppliers to gain early insight into the proposed approach, ask questions, and understand how they can engage with the programme as it develops.

Who should attend?

The session is open to organisations that currently supply, or may be interested in supplying, case management systems for adults’ or children’s social care. We look forward to working collaboratively with suppliers as this work progresses.

Opportunities for further engagement

We welcome questions and feedback.

Following the session, we intend to publish a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document to address common queries and provide further clarity on the proposed approach.

Based on the level of interest and feedback received, we may offer additional engagement opportunities, including follow-up webinars or targeted discussions with suppliers.

How to register

To book your place, please complete the registration form.