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In 2021, the LGA Care and Health Improvement Programme launched a further programme of work to support councils to realise ambitions for care technology and to adopt digital tools and solutions in adult social care.
Digital Support Programme launch video
In 2021, the LGA Care and Health Improvement Programme launched a further programme of work to support councils to realise ambitions for care technology and to adopt digital tools and solutions in adult social care. The programme built on the momentum of our work with the sector over recent years and aimed to achieve the following impact for participating people and organisations:
- Build confidence in the use of digital technology and effective decision making for the scaling of technology solutions
- Build resilience in councils and individuals to deliver this ambitious agenda
- Develop leadership capacity and capabilities required to tackle the digital tech agenda
- Enable culture change across councils and the sector to ensure the “digital first” approach becomes systematised, understood and truly valued – including having an evidence-based approach to improvement
- Accelerate knowledge of council staff, to be able to shape the market, procure and commission the best technologies for their local communities and create effective digital health and care partnerships through integrated care systems (ICSs)
The programme included a range of connected interventions to work towards our vision of all councils sustainably adopting digital technology that transforms health and wellbeing for their residents.
The programme was delivered by Rethink Partners and co-produced with the sector; it ran for six months from mid-October onwards and included an exciting programme of masterclasses, tools, on-line resources, coaching, leadership development and communities of practice. All resources that emerged as a result of this programme can be accessed on the CHIP Digital Resource Centre.
Digital benefits realisation
A deep dive into the complexity and variety of approaches to evaluating the impact of care technology - both in terms of financial benefits to councils and the positive impact on people's lives. We will share experiences of councils who are leading this agenda and seek to demystify how to compare “apples and pears" and how to develop your own approach locally.
Watch the recording of the masterclass: Digital benefits realisation.
Digital culture change
Too often when organisations think about technology they forget the people – staff, leaders, partners, residents, families. If they don't learn to use, trust and love the technology in their lives then no one will feel the benefit. Join us to hear about how to get hold of changing culture – in adult social care and beyond – so that technology can be used to the full to improve lives.
Watch the recording of the Masterclass: Digital culture change
Digital discharge
The pressure on hospitals has never been greater than now – and stretched capacity in the care market is adding to the challenge. Join us to hear how other councils are using technology to make discharge smoother, safer, timely and as a key moment to bring care technology into people's lives when they might need extra help to recover and regain independence. Reablement services, care providers, NHS partners and voluntary sector all feature in this complex landscape – a real test for collaboration and partnership working.
Watch the recording of the Masterclass: Digital discharge
Digital Access for All (co-produced with Lincolnshire County Council)
When we consider the application of digital to enhance the lives of the people we support are we also considering all the barriers to this – the seen and the unseen? How does digital bias influence the decisions we make and how do we really place individuals at the heart of our considerations? Assumptions are easy to make and, in this session, with the help of Lincolnshire County Council, we help you to question these and to explore how to get under the bonnet of the data that is available and truly understand what your staff, providers, partners and individuals requiring support actually need.
Watch the recording of the Masterclass: Digital Access for All
Working with the Care Market (co-produced with a consortium of Telford & Wrekin Council, Birmingham City Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, and Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council)
Working with the Care Market (co-produced with a consortium of Telford & Wrekin Council, Birmingham City Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, and dudley Metropolitan Borough Council). Many councils and ICS's are recognising the opportunity and imperative of working differently with care providers on the digital agenda – including care technology. COVID-19 saw some real shifts but there is much more to do. The opportunities for real benefits for providers and their customers are significant – but there are many barriers and challenges in this work: culture, risk, funding, skills, priorities. This is the next frontier for digital and care technology. Join us to hear how councils from the West Midlands have been working with different parts of the care market in different ways – to really try to make a difference to people's lives and to support our partners in the care market.
Watch the recording of the Masterclass: working with the care market
Five councils were selected to participate in the Digital Leadership Programme running from November 2021 to March 2022, a form of buddied coaching with both an engaged and committed senior leader and a dedicated care technology lead. The programme was delivered virtually and included participation in communities of practice, coaching, and other interventions over the period of the programme.
Councils included Norfolk County Council, Hampshire County Council, Gateshead Council, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Nottinghamshire County Council.
The CHIP Digital Resource Centre is the home of all co-produced content, support tools and online resources which emerged from the CHIP Digital Support Programme 21/22. All learnings from both the Strengthening Sector Capability and Digital Leadership Programme are shared freely via this platform.