FEATURE EMBRACING CHANGE


Cheryl Guest, Operations Director at Unique IQ Limited, suggests ways of overcoming social care’s staffing challenges through digital innovation.


The adult social care sector is undeniably in crisis, with a vacancy rate that has significantly increased over the past four years. It’s saddening that the repercussions are far-reaching, impacting both care providers and the vulnerable individuals they support.


According to Skills for Care, the vacancy rate in adult social care is currently 9.9% the second-highest since 2012-13. This challenge is amplified in the homecare sector, which predominantly manages a remote workforce. We are no strangers to the issues of recruitment and retention in the sector – we work closely with customers every day supporting them to find solutions to their workforce issues.


Homecare Association’s Workforce Survey 2024 has evidenced this growing concern. Their key findings highlighted that 48% of respondents cannot meet demand, with 84% citing recruitment difficulties as the primary reason. When you consider that the need for care is expected to grow by around 25% over the next decade, it’s concerning for the sector and more so for the vulnerable individuals who require support. According to CQC’s State of Care, in the first three months of 2022, 2.2m hours of homecare could not be delivered because of insufficient workforce capacity.


This year’s Care Trends Report also uncovered that managing complex shiſt patterns and/or payroll categories was a main challenge in social care currently. Perhaps the most disheartening is that 33% of staff are unhappy as they want to deliver more care and spend less time managing admin. Technology can make this a reality.


“By investing in technology,


care providers can thrive in this challenging landscape.”


Those who are embracing technology are seeing the benefits, and the sector as a whole is certainly becoming more digital. Technology can provide time efficiencies by streamlining administrative tasks, freeing up valuable time to focus on delivering quality care. We are also seeing the benefits of improved communication and handovers, with real-time updates and clear information sharing enhancing care coordination and continuity.


“The vacancy rate in adult social


care is currently 9.9% the second- highest since 2012-13.”


Unique IQ understands these challenges intimately. It’s the reason we were founded – the recognition that technology could relieve some of the pain points that were, and still are, being faced. Our focus on providing technology-driven solutions to the complexities of managing remote workforces aligns perfectly with the sector’s urgent need for innovation.


We know from our own focus group research the main challenges that staff across care organisations are facing, including frontline and office-based workers, are: accessing the information needed at a time when it is needed most; availability of reliable resources/data; accuracy of data; and, maintaining staff morale.


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In terms of improving staff morale, technology provides enhanced management support. Features such as leave management and activity tracking are empowering managers to provide better support and oversight. With mobile apps for those working remotely, there is also improved job clarity where teams can communicate quickly and effectively.


By addressing many different pain points, Unique IQ is helping to create a more supportive and efficient care environment for our customers. This, in turn, contributes to increased job satisfaction, reduced turnover and, ultimately, improved care outcomes.


It is evident that the future of care lies in a digital transformation. By investing in technology, care providers can not only survive but thrive in this challenging landscape. With our human centric approach, we are committed to being a partner in this journey, helping to build a stronger, more resilient care sector.


However, as a sector we need to do more to showcase digital transformation to our younger peer groups. We need to promote the benefits of technology so we are able to attract and retain a new generation of care staff – those that are seeking the value technology brings to enhance their day-to- day working lives.


www.uniqueiq.co.uk www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


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