Care staff technology


How technology can attract, retain and support care staff


Rachel Moffat of care home HR technology supplier Ceridian explains how the use of technology has accelerated to enable social care staff to carry out their jobs effectively and efficiently during the pandemic and beyond


In its 2020 annual report, Skills for Care outlined the need for the adult social care sector in England to fill over 100,000 job roles on any given day.1 While the report showed there had


been a slight but welcome reduction in job vacancies, Skills for Care chief executive Oonagh Smaith highlighted the need for the sector “to attract more new recruits who have the right values to fill posts that offer long term careers”. In addition, the report also revealed


the percentage of sick days in adult social care across England increased to 7.5 per cent between March and August 2020 compared to 2.7 per cent prior to the pandemic. Burnout is a serious issue affecting


healthcare workers across the sector and is often cited as a main reason for absenteeism. As we look to recruit and retain staff, it is important to understand the impact burnout can have on workers and implement new ways to support them during this time. Welcoming the report, care minister


Helen Whately said it underlined the “challenge” for social care employers to recruit and retain staff plus the importance of investing in training and career opportunities. The Covid-19 pandemic has put the


role of care workers under the microscope, with the challenges of an already strained sector, and yet the commitment of its workforce, heavily in the spotlight.


Catch-22 situation The healthcare industry has one of the highest absence rates in the UK, and with demand for care higher than ever, the workload becomes increasingly difficult in the absence of support from team members. This creates a vicious cycle where


absenteeism causes further burnout on the remaining staff due to the volume of work, which causes further absenteeism. Patients are also indirect victims of staff burnout as this often leads to longer wait times, lower quality care, and, unfortunately, the potential for errors. Another major impact burnout has on


the healthcare sector is higher turnover rates. Losing employees is expensive. Compounding that loss is the additional cost of overtime and hiring contract workers – accounting for even more time and effort spent to onboard a new group – to fill the gap and ensure patient service does not suffer. Minimising turnover, therefore, is of


critical importance. The growing need for specialised skills in an increasingly technology-driven work environment also adds a layer of complexity.


What has the pandemic taught us Underlying issues, such as existing staffing shortages have exacerbated to a boiling point. Even before the pandemic hit, healthcare providers were often struggling with their staffing needs. For years, demand has consistently outpaced supply, and that gap is only growing.


Social care organisations will need to rethink how they work if they want to improve health outcomes for residents and service users


February 2021 • www.thecarehomeenvironment.com Experts predict the lasting effects of


the global pandemic will create an increased need to do more with less. This can and likely will put significant pressure on a workforce that was already stretched to capacity prior to the outbreak. Social care organisations will need to


rethink how they work if they want to improve health outcomes for residents and service users. Solutions will need to address the past, present and the future: leaders and managers will need to simultaneously look back at what was already broken before the pandemic, and forward to how the health and social care sector can change for good as a result of it.


Road to recovery through technology For those working in healthcare, we are likely entering into a prolonged period of significant structural change. One where workforce resilience and adaptability will be essential. Technology will play a key role in helping enable the healthcare workforce gain the skills necessary to adapt to new ways of working. For example, a learning platform can


be personalised to serve up a relevant set of courses and learning modules embedded into a person’s daily


25


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50