Event round-up: How suppliers can support boroughs on their journey of adult social care service innovation
In the spirit of collaboration, it was great to start the session with a show and tell from some of the London boroughs on the innovative projects they have been working on.
LB of Redbridge - Discovery into Adult Social Care front door
To help address the challenge of an ageing population and deliver a sustainable model, this discovery has helped to develop a new accessible channel on the councils website to signpost residents as a ‘front door.’ Residents know if they are eligible for support and help prevent a future crisis.
LOTI - Piloting a home care cooperative project
The project focuses on developing an integrated, localised, home-care service that puts community networks, trained care workers and care recipients at the heart of its delivery.
LB of Hounslow - Developing a data platform for frontline care workers project
Developing a simple single entry point software tool to enable better discovery of vital information.
ADASS - Service and technology priorities and aspirations for boroughs
One of the enabling priorities for ADASS is digital and technology. From how technology can be maximised to support people to gain and maintain safety, yet privacy, and dignity to avoid unnecessary crisis to mainlining independence to better supporting the workforce.
What’s stopping collaboration?
There was a clear desire to share learning and best practise in the room and one observation was what is stopping boroughs collaborating between themselves and with suppliers. Some of the obstacles to overcome include articulating a clear motivation for collaboration and many councils do not have a digital framework, thus there is no collective view of what these should look like to facilitate joint working. Plus care tech providers need to be seen as part of the framework and ecosystem.
How can suppliers help
Throughout the discussion it was identified the various ways suppliers can support councils on digitally transforming adult social care to looking at new models. The starting point is for suppliers to understand council pain points but often the challenge can be councils themselves rightly articulating the problem. The latter is instrumental in fixing the plumbing and driving interoperability across the systems. It is essential that suppliers are and are seen as ‘value added’ partners. Some examples of how they can do this is by helping councils to horizon scan and understand what the art of the possible is. It was also suggested that industry can access different pots of funding that help and suppliers can help map this out for council partners. There is also a potential role for techUK and LOTI to act as facilittars around funding bids.
Shift in culture
It was clear that a fundamental shift in culture is needed. At the highest level digital, data and technology should no longer be seen as an add one but how can we develop DDAT skills across the service and organisation. It is also about how we can be a world leading care tech market and sector. To realise this vision, social care needs the same parity of esteem as health tech and should as it is fundamental in helping to minimise hospital admissions and reduce waiting times.
techUK also convenes a social care working group made up of a diverse group of tech suppliers in this space. If you would like to find out more please contact [email protected]
Georgina Maratheftis
Georgina is techUK’s Associate Director for Local Public Services
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