The West Midlands Care Association has been the voice of the care industry within the region for over thirty years. The Association offers the crucial support care providers require to deliver sustainable excellence within community, nursing, special needs and residential home settings.
Quick Links
Membership of the West Midlands Care Association offers a raft of advantages to all types of care providers. We offer a comprehensive suite of support services that allow you to concentrate on providing top quality care. Find out more about what we do, or join our membership by clicking the buttons below
WMCA Excellence
in Care Awards
2025
www.excellencein.care
The Nomination Window has Opened!
We are pleased to announce that this years WMCA Excellence in Care Awards are now open!
We have 12 categories this year, and each winner will win a personalised trophy and £500 in cash!
Anyone who nominates will also be entered into a prize draw to win one of five £100 Amazon vouchers
The nomination window will close on 1 August 2025 so get nominating!!!!
WMCA Autumn Providers Conference:
Taking your social care business forward in an uncertain world
2 October 2023
9.30am - 3.00pm
Portway Lifetsyle Centre
Oldbury
Discover strategies to elevate your social care business in an ever-changing landscape.
Join us at "Taking Your Social Care Business Forward in an Uncertain World" to gain insights, best practices, and networking opportunities that will empower you to navigate challenges and seize new opportunities.
Don't miss this chance to future-proof your organization and make a positive impact.
Register now!
West Midlands Care Association DBS Service
Fast online criminal records checks
West Midlands Care Association DBS System
The WMCA DBS System allows employers to submit electronic applications and quickly receive the results.
WMCA offer Care Providers, a self administered system which can be accessed 24 hours a day. Users have their own secure control panel from where they can add new candidates, monitor the progress of their applications a more importantly see the results as they come in.
Most importantly our staff understand the Care Industry so can answer your DBS questions in a way generic services cannot
WMCA members receive a substantial discount on each search compared to our standard prices
For more information click the buttons on the right
Members Area
Our exclusive members only area of the website includes lots of resources only available to our members including how to access the FREE member HR and Legal Helplines and other supplier discounts (password required)
WMCA Members WhatsApp Group
We have set up a members Whatsapp group, which will enable us to update you with:
- Our latest events
- Our latest updates, including added membership benefits and new partnerships that you can benefit from
- Latest sector news
- Announcement of the 2025 Excellence in Care Awards nomination window opening
- An opportunity to network with other members and get support
If you would like to be added to this Whatsapp group, click on the button below, read the Terms of Reference and fill in the details on the form (Requires Members Password)
The Care Association Alliance
The national voice of local care provision
The Care Association Alliance (CAA) is a collective of local care associations - including WMCA - from across England representing nearly 10000 care providers.
Established to strengthen the voice of independent adult social care providers, the CAA serves as a vital link between local services and national policy-makers.
West Midlands Care Association was one of the founding members of the CAA, and through it our own members benefit from being part of a nationwide collective network and having their voice heard by national government.
For more information about the CAA, and how through your WMCA membership you have a national voice , please click
here
Latest News and Useful Information
WMCA News
Latest news from the DHSC
Social Media
Our Social Media feeds are updated daily with the latest news from the association and from around the care industry
To get the latest uptodate news and notifications of our events, follow us on Facebook, Threads, Linkedin and Instagram by clicking the links below. If you are a WMCA member you can also join the members WhatsApp group by clicking the WhatsApp logo.
Newsletters
WMCA publishes a weekly members newsletter with government updates and whats new in the industry and the Care Association.
You can access the archive by clicking on the button below (requires members password)
Facebook Feed
Advice to Care Providers
At WMCA we try to keep our members up to date of new developments in the industry on a regulatory level or just general advice on business matters
Advice to New Providers
Setting up a new care service can be daunting. Once you've completed your CQC registration, what do you do next?
Click on the button below to access some advice for new adult social care providers, which we hope is useful.
Advice on Business Issues
Whether you are setting up a new business or running an established one, the care sector presents a unique set of challenges
We have produced information pages which are designed to help you with numerous business challenges, such as marketing, cost control and business continuity
Advice on Recruiting
Recruitment and Retention are perennial issues for the care sector
The Care Association has been advising its members for many years on various elements of recruitment and we also work with trusted partners who can help you.
We have produced information pages which are designed to help you with numerous recruitment challenges.
Advice on Regulation
Adult Social Care is one of the most heavily regulated sectors of industry and the legislation can be a minefield.
We operate Free helpines for members on HR and Legal Matters.
We have produced information pages which are designed to help you with numerous challenges.
International Recruitment Support
www.wmca.international
The West Midlands Care Association is working in partnership with other care associations, West Midlands ADASS, West Midlands Employers, Local Authorities and the independent provider sector, to provide international recruitment support across the region
Stop Press - Important changes to international recruitment rules
From 9th April 2025, care providers will no longer be able to directly recruit from overseas without first proving they have assessed candidates who are part of the displaced workers pool within their region. This means that care providers will need to register with the regional international program. More details are on the International Recruitment Advice Main Page
White Paper - Restoring Control Over the Immigration System
The Government has published a white paper on restoring control over the immigration system. Amongst the recommendations within it the Care Worker visa will end in the near future, and as drafted, existing care workers will only be able to extend their Visa until 2028.
As always the devil is in the detail and we'll let you know more as infomation becomes available.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper
Regional Recruitment Hub
This Hub has been developed to provide information, advice and guidance on international recruitment to the adult social care sector. It has been developed for both providers of adult social care and councils operating in the West Midlands and offers Free advice including legal and HR
Webinars
This Hub is delivering a program of International recruitment webinars which are free to attend for West Midlands based care providers. Details are available on our events pages or by clicking below
Looking to recruit?
Are you a care provider with a valid sponsorship license who is looking to recruit from overseas? There may be people already here looking for alternative employment
We are working with displaced individuals who are looking for work. If you are interested in potentially employing any of these individuals then please register your details with us
Additional Advice
We have pulled together additional international recruitment advice for our members. details of which can be accessed below (requires members password)
Digital Care Support and Security
www.wmca.digital
The DSPT Deadline is 30 June 2025 - click on the buttons in this section to access the free support we offer
Care is becoming more digital and it can be confusing when you are a provider what each system does and how it can benefit you.
We've pulled together information on some of the more popular digital solutions, what they mean and if there's any support to help you adopt them. Click the button below for more details
Better Security Better Care:
Need help with the DSPT?
Better Security, Better Care is a national and local support programme to help adult social care providers to store and share information safely. It covers paper and digital records and focuses on helping care providers to complete the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) – the annual, online self-assessment.
You do not have to be a data or digital expert to get support. The programme can support you – wherever you are on your data security journey.
West Midlands Care Association is your local support organisation, and offers a raft of online resources, workshops and one to one support, all of which is FREE to CQC registered providers.
Find out more by clicking the button below.
Events and Training
www.wmca.events
We've organised our events listings into:
- upcoming conferences and workshops
- upcoming training sessions
- upcoming digital support sessions
- Registered Managers Networks
These are listed below (to see a full chronological list of all events and training sessions click
here)
WMCA Members Workshop:
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion & Culturally Appropriate Care
Attending this workshop on equality, diversity, and inclusion is essential for fostering a respectful and welcoming environment both personally and professionally.
This workshop provides valuable insights into the experiences and challenges faced by different groups, helping participants develop greater empathy and awareness. It will also equip attendees with practical strategies to promote fairness, eliminate biases, and support a culture of acceptance. By participating, you contribute to creating more inclusive spaces where everyone feels valued and respected, ultimately enhancing teamwork, innovation, and community well-being.
This workshop is for WMCA Members Only
3 July 2025
9:30am - 1.15pm
Venue:
Portway Lifestyle Centre
Newbury Lane
Oldbury
B69 1HE
Upcoming Conferences and Workshops - www.wmca.events
West Midlands Care Association runs events and training for our members and the wider care industry throughout the year
You can see a list of our upcoming events and training on the right hand side of this page. Or see the listings for training sessions and digitisation support further down the page.
Workshops
We organise workshops in partnership with trusted suppliers and partners to cascade information and training about new or upcoming legislation
Conferences
WMCA run several large scale conferences each year, aimed at Care Homes and Domicilicary Care providers. They are a great opportunity to network with other providers and meet representatives from local authorities, health and suppliers from across the West Midlands.
Previous Events
For materials and presentations from previous events, please click the button below
Exhibiting
We are normally able to offer sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities at most of our events. You can find more information by clicking the button below.
Upcoming Training Sessions - www.wmca.training
West Midlands Care Association has partnered up with various training providers to cover all of your training needs
As well as the workshops highlighted on this page, we are always open to suggestions from our members and if there is sufficient demand, we will organise workshops for you
If you have specific training requirements please get in touch as we can signpost you to one of our preferred training providers (or use the links below)
We run weekly webinars if you need help with completing the Data Security Protection Toolkit (DSPT), details of which are below. Alternatively, check out our DSPT Help pages
Upcoming Digital Support Sessions - www.wmca.digital
Digital Care support
The West Midlands Care Association is the Local Support Organisation for Better Security Better Care - a national program of support to help you with your digital compliance by completing the Data Security Protection Toolkit (DSPT).
Just look for the DSPT logo in the event listings for helpful webinars and workshops.
For further information on the DSPT support we offer click here
Registered Managers Networks - www.skillsforcare.org.uk
The Registered Managers networks are administered through Skills for Care.
Details of upcoming network meetings are available on this page. The events are not organised by WMCA and bookings must be made directly with Skills for Care
For further detaills of the networks in your area, click here
Advice on Finding Care and Legal Planning
Finding care for yourself or a family member can be daunting prospect.
Help Me Find Care has advice on finding care along with a directory of our member care providers and advice on the steps you need to take to protect yourself and your family legally, including power of attorney and making a will.
