Digital solutions
Could digital tech solve the care sector’s staffing crisis?
The staffing crisis facing social care in England has hit a new and alarming level. Pay conditions across the sector are poor, exacerbating the challenges associated with recruiting and retaining workers. Tandeep Gill of PainChek explains how the right digital technology, tools, and solutions can help recruitment, retention, and engagement, and deliver operational stability
Services provided across the care sector are struggling to attract and retain staff. Pay conditions are so poor that many care workers are leaving in favour of other industries with higher salaries and lower levels of stress. A recent survey by Newcross Healthcare and YouGov found that over a quarter of care workers plan to quit their jobs in the next 12 months. The study also revealed that 75 per cent of care sector workers cite understaffing as a reason for their dissatisfaction in the workplace, and that 64 per cent believe staff shortages have impacted their wellbeing and contributed to a mental health crisis. In 2021/22, care worker vacancy rates
were twice as high as the national average at 11 per cent, according to the latest report by the workforce development and planning body for adult social care in England, Skills for Care. The report found that staff turnover rates remained high at 29 per cent, with younger workers the most likely to quit. The recruitment and retention crisis poses a real threat to the future of the social care sector and also that of our growing elderly population. If we are to fulfil the need for quality care, the country will need up to 627,000 additional staff by 2031. Without doubt, workforce stability is one of the biggest concerns for care providers. A monumental transformation in the way we recruit, train, and retain care workers is crucial, but as running costs continue to soar, solving the problem with financial incentives and pay increases is simply not an option for the vast majority of UK care homes. We believe that technology-based tools and systems hold the key to unlocking improvements in the care sector, having the potential to truly empower staff, improve
16
employee wellbeing and engagement, build skillsets, and optimise operational efficiencies.
The power of digital tech Digital tools and solutions developed to support carers and the people they care for have a transformative impact on the social care workforce. They take a central role in motivating
and empowering staff to provide quality care to residents and offer opportunities for their ongoing growth and development. Technology can lift many administrative burdens from care staff, in turn driving
We believe that technology- based tools and systems hold the key to unlocking improvements in the care sector
efficiencies and productivity, improving job satisfaction, giving carers back the time to interact with residents, and maximising chances of attracting and retaining the most passionate and committed workers.
Five top benefits
The main benefits of embracing digital technology for care home operators, owners, managers, and workers, are: 1. Remote monitoring
Remote monitoring and remote data access allows multiple sites to stay up to date with records at every location. Care workers can demonstrate they have been thorough in the care they have delivered, providing them with the security and peace of mind that their work has been accurately documented and evidenced, for senior management to observe remotely. The benefits from this type of tech-
enabled information will attract new staff, who can see they are going to be working in an environment with powerful, fit for
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com February 2023
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
