Time’s up to tool up
Final deadline approaches to secure funding for digital social care records.
The clock is ticking to secure funding for digital social care records before it’s too late. The application process is simple and there is lots of support on offer, so if you have not yet made the switch, follow these steps and contact your local team to find out more.
Since the Digitising Social Care (DiSC)’s 'Clock is Ticking' campaign launched in April this year, more than 900 new care locations are being supported to adopt a digital social care record. The campaign called on care organisations to take advantage of government funding and local support while it’s still available.
Over 70% of providers are now using a digital solution to plan and record care, which is offering enormous benefits to staff and the people they are supporting.
Each member of staff spends an average of one hour less per shift on admin, according to care providers who have adopted a digital solution. Up to date information about a person’s care, preferences, medication and more are available at the touch of a button and selected information can even be accessed by family members who want to find out how their loved one is doing at any time.
Reporting, audits and inspections are also far more straightforward with digital social care records in place, reducing the need to pull together and prepare information in advance.
As well as giving support to apply for funding, local ICS (Integrated Care System) teams can put you in touch with other care providers who are already using digital solutions, to find out how they chose their supplier, what the transition has been like for them and what differences they have seen.
Kerren Friend, senior programme manager at Digitising Social Care says,
Every day, care providers are telling us just how beneficial a digital social care record solution has been for their teams and the people they work with
Whether they are team members supporting people in their homes and in care settings or registered managers, everyone tells us time saving has been one of the greatest benefits. Staff talk passionately about having more time to spend with people – often the reason they went into care in the first place – and of the relief of finishing shifts on time, without having to stay back to finish off paperwork.
More and more care providers are also finding that carefully selected digital solutions have offered great relief to staff with neurodiversity. One care worker with autism and dyslexia said recently;
I feel like an actual human now. I used to get so worried and nervous and embarrassed about showing any of my paperwork because it was so bad, and I struggled with it so much.
This is the last year to apply for the Adult Social Care Digital Transformation Fund. Care providers are therefore urged to act now to get support to make an application before the November deadline.
Kerren adds,
We have seen a really encouraging rise in care providers securing funding, finding and adopting digital solutions since we launched our campaign this spring.
But the clock really is ticking now. With the final deadline for applications in November, it’s a good idea to contact your local ICS team now to secure their support and advice for both making your application and choosing the right solution.
A list of digital social care record solutions which have been assessed and assured by NHS England is also available on the DiSC website to help you find the best possible tool for your organisation.
It’s also a good idea to complete the Data Security and Protection toolkit to make sure you know how to keep both your paper-based and digital information safe and secure. Again, your local ICS team can help with this.