Digitisation


almost 300 homes and 20,000 colleagues working across three countries, meaning the potential demand for support is immense. The team annually handles over 23,000 emails, around 2,000 portal requests, and nearly 22,000 phone calls. Since joining in 2022, I have wanted our approach to digital transformation to be built on empathy, support, and listening to colleagues to implement technology which simplifies – rather than complicates – care delivery. This requires shifting away from traditional change management, breaking down silos and empowering multidisciplinary teams to lead – beginning by listening to those who matter most and designing services and solutions with them, not for them from afar. The work before implementation is the first and often the most important step in a digital strategy. Once colleagues feel supported and listened to, we not only stand a better chance of successful implementation, but it gives us a clear indication on the type of practical solutions that could have a significant impact for our colleagues on the ground. The principles of human-centred design, though not new, require a fresh operating model to maximise value. Without aligned business transformation, team efficiency may suffer. This is one of the key lessons from other sectors, where new entrants have completely disrupted industries by approaching delivery of services in a different, human-centred way. While the care sector has long emphasised ‘personalised care’, the challenge today is leveraging technology to enhance the experience for both caregivers and recipients.


Practical solutions with seamless integration In contradiction to what many experts in the digital space will tell you, we have learnt that while new technology can undoubtedly enhance workflows and improve service delivery, it is often the smallest and simplest changes that make the biggest impact. From long shift hours to high-pressure situations, those in our homes can often find themselves juggling multiple processes and this is where technology can truly make a difference. The power of digital transformation can be best demonstrated with practical and simple solutions that integrate seamlessly into day-to-day operations. Perhaps an unexpected aspect of digital transformation that has saved valuable time for colleagues can been found in our Wi-Fi and network infrastructure upgrades.


The demand from your average 60


bed care home requires enterprise grade networks, Wi-Fi, and the cyber security to keep our data and identities safe. Investing in digital care plans, AI driven monitoring devices, or eMARs is pointless without up- to-date mobile devices (laptops, tablets, and phones) along with sufficient bandwidth and Wi-Fi coverage to access and use these apps throughout the home and at every bedside.


Wi-Fi has become a fundamental part of the care home experience for colleagues, residents, and relatives. The possibilities available with a strong Wi-Fi connection include access to the intranet, internet, video calls with family members, communication with local health and local authority stakeholders, and easy access to vital digital care records and other digitally enabled health tech. However, the Wi-Fi systems across many of our homes were not originally designed to handle the demands of a more digitally connected world. Our colleagues have previously reported issues with ‘flaky’ connections or ‘not spots’ that slow down or even crash entirely when demand peaked. Connectivity issues subsequently cause our care colleagues to become frustrated, especially when it results in downtime or delays. Responding to this, we launched a large-scale project focused on overhauling our existing infrastructure to achieve a marked improvement in connectivity and network performance. Since 2023, the DDaT team has been


upgrading the digital networks in our care homes. The team has reached an impressive milestone of completing installation of the fibre networks across our estate – meaning


May 2025 www.thecarehomeenvironment.com 19


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