Interview: how we use digital innovations to positively impact the people we support

In this interview, Debbie Price, Chief Executive, Coverage Care Services discusses how using technology has had a positive impact on the people they support.

Skills for Care (SfC): Tell us more about Coverage Care Services

Debbie Price (DP): Coverage Care has 11 services across Shropshire, Telford and Wikin. We predominantly provide services for the older population, but we do have one respite service for people with a learning disability. We’ve been operating for nearly 30 years. My role as Chief Executive is to is to lead the company and deliver our strategic plan, supporting the homes to provide safe and compassionate care. To do that, it's important to make sure that we're constantly looking at new ways of working and keeping up with innovations.

SfC: What is some of the digital technology in place across your services?

DP: For over 10 years now we’ve had a bespoke digital portal, which has seen various adaptations over the past decade to keep it updated as technology has developed.

We use the system to log any incidents, accidents, or complaints as well as any positive feedback we receive. This means we have all this information easy-to-hand in one place so that we can learn from it.

We can record data such as any falls that have happened and we can then assess factors such as whether specific buildings or times of day seem to be linked to any incidents. This means we can put relevant measures in place, whether that’s environmental changes or different staffing ratios, to reduce these incidents.

Of course, we can also use it to identify positive outcomes and where we’ve been receiving good feedback and results.

We collate a monthly file of all our data which we can use to easily evidence to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that we’re monitoring our outcomes and taking action to continually improve outcomes for the people we’re supporting.

We also use a digital interface connecting one of our homes to the GP surgery. The home uses it to identify deteriorating residents or those with chronic health conditions and report on clinical observations and any concerns. The GP service respond within four hours with instructions or arranges for a clinical visit. This system has ensured better communication with the GP surgery and a better response rate to meeting people’s health needs.

We also make use of assistive technology which can help better support people.

In two of our services, we’ve recently started working with our local Integrated Care Board (ICB) to introduce a falls detection sensor. It’s placed in the ceiling of the bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms and it can alert staff if somebody starts to move and if they were to fall onto the floor. Staff are alerted via their handset and can then go and check on the person, which means much quicker responses to these situations.

SfC: What ‘everyday tech’ do you have in place for the people you support?

DP: We've got digital tabletops which can be used for playing games or accessing the internet. We've also got tablets, and Alexas and most of our residents have phones too.

SfC: What are the positive impacts of people having access to ‘everyday tech’?

DP: It means that they can have meaningful conversations with their family members without being reliant on them visiting. It also makes it easier to plan catch-ups around their family’s schedules.

For people who are being nursed in bed, having access to technology allows them to undertake meaningful activities with focused time spent on a tablet or phone.

They can be more independent about being able to manage the activities that they want to do.It absolutely enhances their quality of life.

SfC: What’s been some of the challenges with introducing more technology into the organisation and how have you overcome that?

Wi-Fi has been a big a big challenge. We've spent a lot of time and money updating our digital infrastructure and broadband services to ensure it can work effectively across all our buildings.

We did have some staff who were a bit worried about using technology. To support them we've had digital champions who’ve worked with them and have supported them to learn at their own pace.

What we've found is that the people who were really hesitant to even go near it have really taken to it and they love it. So, they’re now our champions for the people that are coming in.I can't think of anybody in the organisation that hasn't learned how to use the new technology, and become comfortable with using it.

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