Innovation in Social Care

The initial aims of the East Riding SCIP project were to:

• reduce falls by 20%.
• reduce medication errors by 20%.
• reduce A&E attendances.
• prolong independence.

System services

• Many care providers used their SCIP grant to develop their IT hardware and infrastructure including purchasing laptops, tablets and Wi-Fi enhancement for use by staff.
• This saved staff time, facilitated training, increased digital literacy and improved reporting quality.

Technology to monitor client services

• Care providers purchased technologies such as nurse call or fall monitoring systems to assist them in monitoring the safety of clients.
• This enabled dynamic risk assessment, reduced staff time, improved the care environment and decreased response times.

Technologies to enhance quality of life

• Large activity tablets/tables or ‘magic table’ projectors were regularly purchased, with the aim of providing engaging and cognitively stimulating activities for clients.
• These technologies provided a range of games and activities and could prompt conversation and reminiscence, as well as being used to contact families and friends. Participants perceived that these technologies engaged care recipients, including those who did not always take part in activities.
• The portability and adaptability of the technology was appreciated by staff, as it allowed them to cater for the needs of clients with a wide range of mobility/cognitive ability.

Satisfaction with the new technology

• Overall satisfaction scores were very high, with an average of 4.8/5 (where 5 = highly useful) among care provider leads.
• Benefits they perceived for care recipients included accessing activity and engagement, connecting with others, greater safety.
• SCIP enabled care providers to purchase technology to meet specific needs, rather than determining the technology which would be offered.

Digital poverty

• While some services were well equipped, others had limited access to technologies, or had very outdated tech in place.
• Many services purchased ‘every day tech’ rather than more innovative products, reflecting the level of need in many services.
• In many services, innovation will start with gaining access to tech such as laptops and Wi-Fi enhancement, before further developments are possible.

Digital skills

• Skills and confidence among managers and care staff to use new technologies are variable.
• It is important that these are recognised when services further their ‘digital journeys’.

Technological support and adoption

• Managers and staff often needed information, support and training when introducing new technologies, with some lacking digital literacy skills.
• Many care providers reported that their new technologies saved them time. However, the initial set up of new systems and learning to use them could be time demanding.
• There were also new roles for staff, such as supporting care recipients to use the new technologies.

Access to new technology to facilitate training

• Purchasing additional devices that staff could use at work or borrow to take home had assisted some staff who had been struggling with training and helped them to progress.
• This enabled them to meet training requirements and potentially to progress their careers, as well as developing a better trained workforce.