National Minimum Data Set for Social Care

The National Minimum Data Set for Social Care (NMDS-SC) is a web-based system that collects information on the adult social care workforce in England. It aids employers in workforce planning and provides strategic insights to support decision-making across the sector. The NMDS-SC was developed between 2003 and 2005 by Dr. Francis Ward, then at Skills for Care, with collaboration from various government departments and organizations such as the Department of Health, the General Social Care Council, the Commission for Social Care Inspection, SCIE, NHS, LGA, and others.

The system allows employers to voluntarily register and update their workforce information online. Anonymized data is used by Skills for Care and government bodies to inform policy and funding decisions, while local authorities use it to enhance their understanding of the local workforce and service providers. Although not mandatory, the accuracy of reports depends on timely updates. The NMDS-SC was succeeded by the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set in August 2019.