COVER STORY


If your system forces staff to work around it, rather than supporting what is already being delivered, you’ve purchased a shiny time- saver that quietly steals time.


CARE GROUPS AND SCALE Technology decisions also have ethical and legal dimensions.


Providers operating across multiple sites have advantages. Larger organisations can secure better pricing, stronger support packages and influence over suppliers. But scale comes with its own headaches.


Digital confidence varies widely. A system that makes perfect sense in head office can feel alien on the floor of a small residential home.


Decisions made centrally without involving local teams mean the tech can land with a thud. Early engagement with frontline staff might spot issues that don’t show up in demos and can surface practicalities before signing contracts.


WHICH APPROACH?


Introducing a new system across an entire organisation at once is appealing. It brings consistency and stronger negotiating power with suppliers.


It can also be spectacularly stressful if assumptions are wrong.


Phased rollouts, starting with a pilot, allows organisations to test systems and refine training before scaling up. It reduces disruption and helps leaders identify what works. It gives staff time to adapt and prevents small issues from snowballing into major problems.


CARE TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS SYSTEMS


Care delivery systems and back-office soſtware are tightly linked. A digital care record might flag a change in someone’s needs, but if the rostering system doesn’t reflect that, staff can arrive without the right time or skills.


When platforms don’t connect staff become the glue and end up copying information, doubling up on admin and feeling frustrated.


Thinking about tech as an ecosystem will help leaders to spot these tensions before they become problems.


CHOOSING SUPPLIERS: BEYOND THE SALES PITCH


Selecting a supplier is one of the most important decisions a care leader will make.


The Assured Solutions List, from the Digitising Social Care programme is a useful starting point, but it doesn’t tell you how it will feel to use at 3am on a Sunday when something breaks.


Coverage Care’s digital journey shows this in action. Debbie Price, CEO, explains how they evaluated providers: “I came from an era where digital wasn’t even a word in care. Seven years ago, I looked at digital care plan systems but felt they weren’t safe enough to completely replace paper records.”


Their choice of Care Vision was shaped by ongoing supplier engagement and support. Debbie said: “Rishi Jawaheer and his team were incredibly supportive. They took the time to understand our needs and showed how Care Vision could evolve with us. The Care Vision team is incredibly supportive… Their quick response times… give us confidence that help is always available.”


11 www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


Consent isn’t a one-off tick box, and people drawing on care and their families need clear explanations about how data will be used and shared.


Interoperability matters too. It’s increasingly expected that care systems can exchange information with NHS systems. Leaders should ask suppliers how products support integration with health and care partners.


THE TRUE COST OF IMPLEMENTATION


Licence fees are the tip of the iceberg. Real costs include: •


• •


Staff training time and refreshers. Infrastructure upgrades. Ongoing support.


Leaders need to plan realistically, whether rolling out at scale or phasing introduction.


FUTURE-PROOFING WITHOUT A CRYSTAL BALL No system lasts forever but some are easier to adapt than others.


Ask suppliers about product roadmaps and how they plan to meet future requirements around interoperability and security. Choose a partner who’s paying attention to the future. MAKING INFORMED CHOICES


There’s no single ‘right’ technology for adult social care. What matters is making decisions that fit your service, support your staff and improve outcomes for people drawing on care.


Throughout March, Digital Care Hub is running a campaign on difficult conversations about data and tech in social care. Webinar sessions include the right to privacy versus monitoring tech, and what consent really means.


www.digitalcarehub.co.uk/difficult-conversations


Debbie recommends being clear on what you want the system to achieve.


CONSENT AND INTEROPERABILITY


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