Discover how digital technology is revolutionizing services and unlocking vast opportunities in adult social care. Explore innovative solutions that enhance care quality and efficiency.
Technology offers opportunities to help people maintain independence and improve outcomes using tech enabled care.
Skills for Care believes that developing digital leadership and growing the wider sector’s skills are inter-dependent. Growing and developing confident and skilled digital leaders will ensure the digital development of those they manage. Find information and support on understanding and assessing how digital ready your organisation is, cyber security and data protection including a learning resource on cyber security, how to use technology in social care as well as our Digital terms explained glossary guidance.
Digital working in adult social care can significantly improve how people are supported by enhancing the quality, efficiency, and personalisation of care:
- Better communication: Digital tools like secure messaging apps or video calls enable care workers to communicate with family members, healthcare professionals, and other staff members more easily, ensuring better coordination and faster responses to people's needs.
- Efficient care planning: Digital systems allow care plans to be updated in real-time, ensuring that all care workers have access to the most accurate information about a person's health, preferences, and needs, leading to more personalized and consistent care.
- Remote monitoring: Technologies such as wearables or smart home devices can help monitor an individual's health conditions, track vital signs, and detect falls or other emergencies, allowing for timely interventions.
- Training and development: Digital platforms provide care staff with ongoing access to training and learning resources, which helps them stay up-to-date with best practices and regulations, ultimately improving the standard of care.
- Record keeping and compliance: Digital records reduce paperwork and help care providers stay compliant with regulatory requirements by tracking everything from medications to risk assessments, improving the accuracy and accountability of care.
- Increased autonomy for people drawing on care and support: Digital tools like assistive technologies and apps can empower individuals receiving care to manage certain aspects of their daily routines more independently, boosting their autonomy and quality of life.
Overall, digital working enhances both the quality of care and the working conditions of care staff, benefiting the entire adult social care sector.
Digital Care Hub
Digital Care Hub is a partnership of seven social care organisations, funded by NHS Digital, to support the adult social care sector to become ‘digital ready’. This dedicated space provides advice and support on technology and data protection to the adult social care sector. Throughout the ‘Digital’ section of our website you’ll find links to resources hosted by Digital Care Hub.
Visit the Digital Care Hub website.
NHSX Adult Social Care Technology and digital skills review
Digital technologies have the potential to improve social care. They can extend the services on offer, giving people greater independence and control over their care and are proven to help support well-being. They can free up the time care workers now spend on administration tasks for more face-to-face care. And they can help care providers to operate more efficiently, so they can do more to look after those they support and their employees.
NHSX commissioned reviews of the current extent of digital technologies and digital skills in the sector and how both could be scaled up.
Skills for Care is pleased to be a key partner in this work on digital skills to support with reaching out to a range of organisations and people involved in delivering social care.
The future of digital skills development in adult social care: taking forward recommendations from the Adult Social Care Digital Skills Review.
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This document provides responses to questions asked in the Slido chat, including questions the speakers and facilitators were unable to answer on the day.