The clock is ticking to ‘grab a grant!’
If you are an adult social care provider in England looking to adopt or implement new technology, there may be funding available to help. The funding available depends on your location, what your needs are, and whether you are registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This guidance will help you to identify suitable funding and find contact information for funders.
The clock is ticking to access funding, but your local team is here to help you.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) provides funding support to help providers implement digital care planning approaches through a digital social care record (DSCR) The aim is for 80% of CQC registered providers and 80% of people to have a digital social care record (DSCR), in place by March 2025
Providers who have already implemented a DSCR solution are now seeing a huge range of benefits in how they operate, from time savings and greater efficiency through to better collaboration with relatives and huge decreases in the volume of paper being used The clock is ticking to access funding It won’t be around forever, but there’s a local team ready to help you The process is simple when you know how – follow these steps:
1. Reach out to us at the Sussex Digital In Reach Team.
2. Chat to other care providers who are already using digital care plans, find out how the transition has been for them – your local team can put you in touch.
3. It’s a good idea to complete the Data Security and Protection Toolkit to make sure you know how to keep both your paper-based and digital information safe and secure
4. Think about what you need from a digital care plan solution – what does your organisation need it to do?
5. Look through the list of assured solutions on offer and make a shortlist of the ones that meet your needs.
6. Talk to your shortlist of suppliers. Invite them in to give you a demo, watch the videos available on our website.
7. Involve your team – ask their opinions on what sort of solution will work best for them.
8 Decide which solution supplier you would like to go with
9. Sussex Digital In Reach Team can help you with the process of accessing the funding support on offer to help with your first-year costs.
10. Once you’ve gone through all of these steps, time to work with your chosen supplier to implement your digital care plan solution.
11 You’re off! You’ve taken the first steps on your digital transformation journey
We are your local team! We can help!
Over 82% of care providers in Sussex already use digital social care records, making a huge difference for managers and staff If you haven't transitioned yet, what's stopping you?
Time and money are common barriers, but the Digital Social Care programme can help. The Adult Social Care Digital Transformation Fund is available this year to cover costs, and our 'Clock is Ticking' campaign provides guidance on securing funding and choosing the right so Visit Digital Social Care Records (sussexdigitalteam co uk) for more details and local support
s save time and money, streamline processes, and improve care quality s, your local team, for help and act now before the funding deadline digitising your care planning today and experience the benefits.
Our Digital Conference 2024
ollowing the success of last year's digital conference, we are delighted to inform you that we are organising another digital conference on
h November 2024 he Brighton Amex Centre.
ove care and outcomes for people.
Last year's conference was a great success, but this year we aim to make it even better. It will be much more interactive, giving you the opportunity to see technology in action and how it can be used to enhance the lives of the people you support. You will learn how to improve their safety, enrich their quality of life, and enable you and your staff to focus resources where and when needed. The conference will also cover how to protect your business from cyber attacks and data breaches, how to avoid being scammed, and how to make the most of records integration.
Some of the esteemed speakers who have already agreed to attend our conference include
Amanda Partington Todd, Deputy Director for Adult Social Care at Mike Bailey Locality Manager for Sussex;
Katie Thorn from Digitising Social Care;
Chris White from the Cyber Security Centre;
Daniel O'Shaughnessy from Better Security, Better Care;
Lester Aldridge Solicitors, and many others.
Keep a look out for more information coming soon.
DSCR Grants
Grants are available for adopting a Digital Social Care Record (DSCR).
By going digital, you can enhance the quality of care you provide and streamline your operations. Here’s why you should not miss out:
Benefits of Implementing a Digital Social Care Record:
●Efficiency at Your Fingertips: Capture information easily at the point of care, allowing more time for what matters most—caring for your clients
●Rapid Response: Support staff can react swiftly to changes in clients’ needs, ensuring timely and effective care1
●Secure Sharing: Quickly and securely share vital information between care settings, safeguarding client confidentiality
●Safety First: Minimise risks to client safety with a system that’s always up-to-date and accessible
Contact digitalteam.co.uk
There are many advantages of moving to a digital care record system.
Check out the Assured Suppliers list below and book your demonstration to see how they can positively impact your workplace.
Choosing the right solution for your Digital Care Records
Once you have decided to start using digital social care records (DSCRs), you will need to find the right software solution for your organisation.
There are many different options available, so it’s important to take time to consider your needs thoroughly
Working out what you need
When choosing the right DSCR for your organisation, you need to decide what the system needs to do.
Think about what’s essential and what’s optional. All assured suppliers offer basic features, so it’s important to consider what additional features you might need.
See the full list of Assured Suppliers: View the assured solutions list
To find out more about one of the digital social care record systems, visit this YouTube channel to watch a 30 minute demonstration of each solution.
DSPT WORKSHOPS
We are running a 4 week workshop to cover all aspects of the DSPT.
Week 1: Staffing & Roles
Weds 4th Sept 10.30 - 11.30 am
Week 2: Policies & Procedures
Weds 11th Sept 10.30 - 11.30 am
Week 3: Data Security
Weds 18th Sept 10.30 - 11.30 am
Week 4: IT Systems & Devices
Tues 24th Sept 10.30 - 11.30 am
Digital Care Hub are running a webinar as per of their ‘DSPT In-Depth’ series where they dive into different sections of the care sector’s DSPT.
The Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) is the officially-recognised, free, online self-assessment of health and social care providers’ data security and protection policies, procedures and processes.
This session will focus the IT systems and devices sections of the DSPT and will be delivered by Sam Harpley of the Sussex digital Inreach Team.
The session will cover:
● Managing mobile devices
● Passwords, backups and access
● Systems and software
uesday 24th September 2024
2.00 - 3.00pm
- IT systems and Devices - Digital Care Hub
How would you handle a cyber attack?
s every social care provider’s worst ghtmare, experiencing a cyber attack.
he current environment it is paramount that organisations prepared so that if a cyber attack were to hit them, ntinuity in care for their servicer users can be maintained m Booth, Director of Performance for Be Caring recently oke at a Better Security, Better Care Webinar, ‘Cyber cruity in Homecare: What do small providers need to ow? Here he talked through the cyber attack that had ected the business, and the lessons learnt
m told the group, In March 2023 our rostering system, Care Free, was attacked and we thought it would be over quickly – we hought it was just a blip!”
ckily Be Caring had two systems so were able to move er to the second system Sam and the team used PASS their digital care planning and because the two were egrated they pulled out what they needed but had to work m spreadsheets for just over a month
Care Free confirmed they had been hit by ransomware!
In the grand scheme of things Be Caring escaped too much disruption and when Care Free rebuilt their systems they could re upload their data again and reuse it But this full process took several more months to get back up to full speed At one point, Be Caring had to manually verify all their calls, which was no mean feat when they receive roughly 20,000 visits per week
As Sam comments,
“You see cyber attacks in the news, but you never think it is going to happen to you – and it has a massive impact.”
Sam and the team had a business continuity plan, but it wasn’t as up to date as it needed to be, and they felt they didn’t have the technical expertise from within the organisation to ask th right questions Sam felt the tools being developed by Better Security, Better Care programme will help social care providers know what questions to ask
Sam’s top tips for surviving a cyber attack
● Take cyber security seriously – add it to your business continuity plan
● Implement regular backups from the system and separate to your co
● Invest more in local IT infrastructure MDN) solution
E g find out about their accreditations and back up systems
vided a template and information for Creating Continuity Plan for Data and Cyber Security
cyber attack, flood, fire, wifi phone disruption, but what would you do? plan for emergencies?
access resident care records in a power cut?
A Business Continuity Plan is all about identifying those parts of your business that you can't afford to lose - and planning how to maintain these if an incident occurs
Here’s a template to help you create yours should the unthinkable happen.
You must have a form of business continuity plan for data and cyber security in order to complete the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) to Standards Met or Standards Exceeded.
Sussex Digital In Reach Team offer free training around Business Continuity Planning as well as Cyber and Data Security We also have helpful advice and recordings on our website
Our next Business Continuity Planning session is on 19th September at 1.30pm.
Skills for Care are running an Interactive Seminar for services who want to understand the practical ways to be ready for their CQC Assessment.
Thursday 14th November - 10.00am - 3.30pm.
This event will bring together frontline managers to learn about the step-by-step ways to be ready to evidence that their service meets CQC expectations to achieve a Good or Outstanding rating.
This seminar will cover:
■ why CQC assessment is important
■ CQC standards and legislation
■ CQC monitoring and assessment process, including ratings
■ involving others in the assessment process
■ the importance of quality assurance
■ evidencing that you meet CQC standards
■ latest insight into CQC priorities
Register your place
Identity Theft
Your identity is valuable.
Identity Theft is when your personal details are stolen and Identity Fraud is when those details are used to commit fraud.
If your identity is stolen, you can lose money and may fi it difficult to get loans, credit cards or a mortgage. Your name, address and date of birth provide enough information to create another ‘you’. An identity thief can use a number of methods to find out your personal information and will then use it to open bank accounts, take out credit cards and apply for state benefits in your name.To assist you ICO have put together some guidance.
How do I reduce the risk of identity theft?
● Store any documents carrying personal information – such as your driving licence, passport, bank statements, utility bills or credit card transaction receipts – in a safe and secure place
● Shred or destroy old documents so nothing showing your name, address or other personal details can be taken
● Monitor your credit report and regularly check your credit card and bank statements for suspicious activity
● When you move house, contact your bank, credit and store card providers, mobile phone provider, utility providers, TV licensing, your doctor and dentist etc, and give them your new address – you don’t want the new tenants to have access to letters containing your personal information You can also redirect your mail by contacting Royal Mail
● Remember, less is more The less you give away about yourself, the lower the risk of information falling into the wrong hands
● Think before you buy online – use a secure website which displays the company’s contact details, look for a golden padlock symbol and a clear privacy and returns policy Check the web address begins with https
The What can I do if I'm a victim of identity theft section identifies organisations who can provide further advice and support ICO are unable to deal with cases of identity theft
Action Fraud offer more advice on this subject:
Identity Fraud and Identity Theft
Identity Theft happens when fraudsters access enough information about someone’s identity (such as their name, date of birth, current or previous addresses) to commit a fraud Identity theft can take place whether the victim is alive or deceased
Identity Fraud can be described as the use of that stolen identity in criminal activity to obtain goods or services by deception
● Fraudsters can use your identity details to:
● Open bank accounts
● Obtain credit cards, loans and state benefits
● Order goods in your name
● Take over your existing accounts
● Take out mobile phone contracts
● Obtain genuine documents such as passports and driving licences in your name.
The government has put together a checklist to help on the steps to take to repair your identity and prevent re-victimisation The purpose of the checklist is to provide victims and organisations with consistent helpful messaging & advice on what to do when identity theft has occurred and how to prevent it from happening again
DSPT - Interactive Workshop - Week 1 - Staffing & Roles
Wednesday 4th September: 10.30 - 11.30am
DSPT - Interactive Workshop - Week 2 - Policies & Procedures
Wednesday 11th September: 10.30 - 11.30am
Data Protection - ROPA, IAR and DPIA
Thursday 12th September: 1.30 - 2.30pm
NHS Mail - Common questions and MFA
Tuesday 17th September: 10.30 - 11.30am
DSPT - Interactive Workshop - Week 3 - Data Security
Wednesday 18th September: 10.30 - 11.30am
Data Security & Your Business Continuity Plan
Thursday 19th September: 1.30 - 2.30pm
DSPT - Interactive Workshop - Week 4 - IT Systems & Devices
Tuesday 24th September: 10.30 - 11.30am
DSPT, Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus: Quick Guide
Thursday 26th September: 2.30 - 3.30pm
Sussex Digital Team Conference - Transforming Care with Technology
Tuesday 5th November: 9.00am - 3.00pm - Amex Stadium Brighton Follow
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We would love to have your feedback. Whether it’s good or bad, please drop us a line with how you think we’re doing.
Do you have any training ideas or needs we can help with, are there any topics you would like covered in our newsletter or social media posts? Email us to tell us your thoughts. support@sussexdigitalteam.co.uk
Nada Wakeford nada@westsussexpartnersincare.org
Brian Roberts brian@sussexdigitalteam.co.uk
Sarah McNally sarah@sussexdigitalteam.co.uk
Claire Badzek claire@sussexdigitalteam.co.uk
Natasha Fowler natasha@sussexdigitalteam.co.uk
Georgie Ind georgie@sussexdigitalteam.co.uk
Sam Harper sam@harperdigitalskills.co.uk
Or phone us on 07860 630063 www.sussexdigitalteam.co.uk
