Manifesto for digitisation in the adult social care sector

Digital transformation in social care: a win-win for health, social care and the public

The national body representing care providers’ interests in digital technology is calling on the next government to accelerate and maintain the safe use of digital technology and data sharing to support people to live healthy, fulfilling lives.

Digital Care Hub has published its manifesto for the 2024 general election.

Michelle Corrigan, Director of Digital Care Hub, said:

“Digital tech and the smart use of data can transform lives and reduce pressures on the health and care system. We’ve seen that it can support people to live independently, predict and reduce the need for more intensive care, and free up care workers to do what they do best – deliver care.“It’s a clear win-win for social care, the NHS and most importantly, the people who rely on us. We don’t have many of those, so we are calling on government to work with the sector and seize the opportunities that technology offers.“Real progress has been made in recent years, but we need a long-term, ambitious and funded plan. And we need to bring together the expertise of people drawing on care, care workers and providers, and tech and software developers to coproduce tech solutions that really improve people’s outcomes and that work for our sector.“Let’s be ambitious and aim to be global leaders in the smart, safe use of technology and data in social care.”

The manifesto for digitisation in the adult social care sector focuses on 5 key areas. The priority actions for the incoming Government are highlighted below:

1. Put people at the centre of digital and data innovations

Create a sector-led innovation hub where tech and software developers can share and coproduce solutions with people drawing on care services, carers, care workers and care providers.

2. Strengthen the digital infrastructure

Support the social care sector to become digitally mature. This includes sustained funding for: purchasing, upgrading or transferring of tech and data systems; ongoing licences; expert support on choosing and using technology safely; training on how to make the most of tech and data – including care staff, managers and decision makers.

3. Support safe, appropriate data sharing

Co-design data standards with care providers and fund an implementation and support programme for the sector; enable role-based access to data; and reduce the data collection burden on social care providers by collecting data once and re-using it and by automating data collection as far as possible.

4. Reinforce data protection and cyber security

Deliver the implementation plan for the National Health and Social Care Cyber Security strategy; codesign an effective national cyber incident response plan with the care sector; and expand the national support programme (Better Security, Better Care) to all care and support organisations.

5. Develop the workforce’s digital skills

Incorporate digital and data skills training within an adult social care workforce strategy, develop and promote digital career opportunities within social care, and consider a digital workforce passport across health and social care.

Read the full manifesto

Labour misses social care opportunity

Fears that politicians are afraid of reform

The Labour Party today missed a golden opportunity to make reform of the way the country looks after its most vulnerable a key General Election pledge.

The party has unveiled its plan for improvements to NHS healthcare but failed to mention social care reform.

The ICG said that was a serious omission as the two needed to be improved together.

ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: “It is hugely disappointing that again social care has been left out in the cold and we call on Labour to immediately set the record straight and tell us what it will do about the way we look after our most vulnerable. Reforming the NHS without reforming social care would be pointless. 

“Both Labour and the Conservatives are remaining frighteningly quiet on social care and it can’t go on. We are heading into the second week of the campaign and social care has not been mentioned at all, which is making all of us worry that the politicians are afraid of it or do not see it as a vote winner.

“They are wrong. 80% of us will need social care in one form or another in our lifetime and demand for care is growing. We expect the number of people with dementia to top a million next year and reach 1.6m people by 2040. We will need a further 440,000 carers by 2035.

“The country isn’t ready for that wave of extra social care demand that is heading towards us and sadly the Labour Party has shown today that it is not willing to say what it will do to cope.

“It is time for all of the parties to stop running away from social care and tell the country what they plan to make sure older and vulnerable adults are properly looked after in the future.”

Some 1.6m people currently can’t get care, there are 152,000 social care staff vacancies and providers of homecare and residential care are leaving the sector.

In its own Save Social Care - Our Manifesto for Change document, which has been sent to all the main political party leaders, the ICG suggests ring-fencing a percentage of GDP for care, creating a National Care Service, setting a minimum carer wage, establishing a task force for reform and creating fair tariffs for services such as care beds and homecare visits.

ENDS

The iCG Manifesto

The iCG has launched its General Election manifesto calling for bold reform of the way we look after older and vulnerable adults.

Read or download the PDF here:

iCG MANIFESTO