Adult Social Care Provider Information Provisions

The statutory guidance says that data is needed to:

• Understand capacity and risk in the care system;
• Determine when and how to target support to providers;
• Ultimately, help facilitate the care of individuals across the care system.

Integrated Care Systems and other government agencies will use the data to identify emerging risks and issues both locally and nationally. This will allow better overall planning and more effective national and local responses to system pressure and emergency situations, including future public health emergencies.

The type of data required is different for care homes and other registered services. The specific information required will be set out in a formal notice issued by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). You should refer to the statutory guidance and the current formal notice issued by the DHSC for details of the current mandatory information that must be collected and provided. This is because the type of data required is subject to change over time and may be adapted to include additional information relevant to current circumstances or challenges, including seasonal data related to things like the Flu.

See: Formal notice of a mandate for all adult social care providers.

See also: Adult social care provider information provisions: guidance for providers on data collection.

All services that are already registered with the CQC are required to submit mandatory data every month, in line with the reporting windows set out in the statutory guidance and the current formal notice issued by the DHSE. Submissions are required between the 8th and the 14th of each month. If the 14th falls on a weekend or public holiday, the data must be submitted no later than the next working day.

The Department of Health and Social Care does not require the routine submission of information that directly identifies individual people.

When providing information, it is your responsibility to ensure that personal data is not disclosed unwittingly, and that Data Protection law and regulations are upheld.

Providers will be contacted when they have not updated their Capacity Tracker data and will be offered support or advice on doing so. This could be email support, telephone support or support from a Regional Lead or Local System Champion.

Financial penalties may be used when:

• A provider persistently fails to submit the required data; and
• Guidance and support have been offered.

The level of the financial penalty will be the same as a provider’s CQC registration fee which is scaled to the provider type and size.