Funding for your tech

Most of us now use digital technology in some way in our day-to-day lives. Whether it’s doing our weekly food shop via a phone app, wearing a watch to track how many steps we take each day, or a using a smart speaker to remind us to take the roast out of the oven on time.

It’s no different in the adult social care sector, and often the same technologies and gadgets that we use at home can also be used to support how we care for people. But when this everyday tech is packaged up as ‘care technology’ it can feel a bit intimidating and technical.

In our work to support the digital transformation of the adult social care sector we want to make sure that we keep the focus on the difference technology can make to people’s lives and how care is delivered. Using technology to support care shouldn’t be daunting. And you definitely don’t need to be a tech-whizz to be able to use it. If you are using a smartphone in your day-to-day life, then using technology to support care is no different.

How can technology support care?

Going back to the devices we may already be using at home; mobile phones and tablets have already found their place as invaluable tools to support people in remaining connected with families and loved ones. They can also be used to set medication or hydration reminders or to manage repeat prescriptions.

There are also now many apps which can be used to support communication, including the more sophisticated eye-gaze and touchscreen technologies that can enable people to express their wants and needs and be in control of how they are supported.

Digital solutions to support reminiscence, as well as art-based solutions such as music therapy, are helpful in supporting people with learning disabilities or who are living with dementia. Even just playing simple games on a tablet is a way in which technology can help incorporate therapeutic approaches into care routines. There are many ways that embedding everyday technology into care planning can play a part in supporting people. These approaches to using technology in a care setting can deliver big results, but what about care tech solutions that might require a bigger investment in time or finances to put in place?

Specialist solutions which can support the delivery of care include vital signs monitoring, as well as falls prevention and detection technologies. We’re seeing strong evidence around the role these technologies play in keeping people safe and in preventing hospital admissions, but there’s a lot to think through for providers.

With this in mind we want to support Care Quality Commission-registered providers in making decisions about which care technology solutions in which they might choose to invest.

Last month we announced the launch of our technology fund. Each pilot will be funded up to a maximum of £600,000 to be spent in the financial year 2023/24. The funding will be allocated in up to three waves over the course of the financial year. For the first wave we are inviting Expressions of Interest to be submitted by 26 May 2023.

The funding will support providers to test and adopt care technologies that address local priorities, by providing implementation and evaluation support to develop an evidence base to prioritise which technologies have proven benefits for the sector.

We’re working with local integrated care systems to manage applications to our Adult Social Care Technology Fund which will focus on the following priorities:

• Care quality and safety (including safe discharge from hospital)

• Avoidable admission/readmissions to hospital

• Support for people to live independently.

We know that technology is increasingly playing a significant role in how care is delivered. Get it right and care technology can help enable outstanding quality and personalised care, empowering individuals, their families and carers.

To find out more about how our care technology funding support could help you please email: england.adultsocialcare@nhs.net