The power of AI that is giving care home residents a voice
A state-of-the-art medical device with unique innovative pain assessment technology is helping staff at Orchard Care Homes identify if residents living with dementia are in pain. The population of people living with dementia is set to triple by 2050, according to recent data published by Alzheimer’s Society. Currently, around 70% of people living in care homes have a form of cognitive impairment which sometimes leaves them unable to reliably communicate their pain, which in turn goes unrecognised and therefore untreated. Orchard Care Homes has been running care homes across the UK for over a decade and has established a strong reputation in the care industry for providing quality care for the elderly. With 23 care homes in the North West, North East, Yorkshire and the Midlands, Orchard is the largest care provider in the UK to use the world’s first AI-powered pain assessment tool PainChek®, to identify pain in its residents living with dementia. PainChek® is a secure medical device for use on mobile care devices and tablets and uses artificial intelligence (AI) (facial detection and analysis technology) and smart automation to detect and score pain in real time. Since Orchard integrated PainChek® into its comprehensive dementia strategy, it has seen many positive outcomes for its residents, including a 100% increase in pain assessments for those unable to verbalise pain, a reduction in distress response behaviours, and a reduction in the use of benzodiazepines and antipsychotics. Hannah Miller, Dementia Lead at Orchard, explains: “Integration of PainChek® in Orchard Care Homes’ electronic care plan system (PCS) has enabled our nursing teams to closely monitor and assess the pain experience of individuals in their care using a mobile care device, providing staff with a long-term view of when a resident is likely to experience pain. “Orchard strives to incorporate technological advances and put them into practice to ensure we are enabling all our residents to achieve good outcomes and be afforded equitable care regardless of their cognitive ability or ability to self-report health concerns such as pain. Residents who are not able to effectively verbally communicate pain that were previously disadvantaged are now on an equal footing with those that can communicate effectively. “As a supporter and advocate of digital technology, Orchard has also introduced a mobile care monitoring system and an electronic medication management system and has developed an in-house governance digital dashboard. Alongside PainChek®, these systems support staff to focus their time and skills on where they are most needed and improve work efficiency. “PainChek® empowers our workforce to conduct effective pain assessments in people that cannot reliably verbalise their pain,” she adds. “The app is easy to use, and staff feel motivated when they see the positive impact they can make in minutes. “Orchard is sharing the data with clinicians to effect change: paramedics can see pain levels, and families feel reassured that we have the latest technology to help those living with dementia.” Innovative approach Prior to the introduction of PainChek®, pain assessment was not approached with consistency. PainChek® was introduced at some of Orchard’s homes in January 2021, and pain assessments increased significantly from a baseline of infrequent assessments that were completed subjectively and often went unrecorded. Orchard’s innovative approach supports the team in meeting the NICE guidance NG97: management of non-cognitive symptoms of dementia, and includes: Reviews and assessments External health professionals now request residents’ pain charts and reports from Orchard, available from the PainChek® data portal. “Orchard is proactively reviewing intervention and data outcomes to improve quality of life,” explains Hannah. “At the micro level, clinicians can effect positive change for a resident. At the macro level, we can see the ‘pain burden’ across the estate. “When a resident is experiencing distress – communicated through behaviour that may have previously been viewed solely through the lens of dementia – PainChek® assessments are added to the care monitoring system. “The app is unique in the way in which it has been developed within social care, for social care, and Orchard is proud to have rolled out the innovative technology to the Orchard estate with conviction.” Real world delivery Orchard achieved effective pain management for a resident, enabling a trial stop of the anti-psychotic medication they were taking. As regular pain relief has increased, there has been a drop in the use of PRN pain relief, and so Orchard residents’ pain is better managed. This has also contributed to a decrease in use as well as in dosage of psychotropic medication administered to residents. As a direct result, since January 2021, the number of residents with regular pain relief available has increased from 25% to around 75%, as pain is now being identified and treated effectively. PainChek®’s ‘follow up’ report shows how quickly a pain assessment was followed up – this level of information has never been seen in the UK before. In June, 83% of severe pain assessments were followed up and 100% of these resulted in a lower pain severity being recorded. Orchard Care Homes enhances dementia strategy with PainChek® Daily challenge PainChek® Senior Business Development Manager Tandeep Gill, comments: “It is a daily challenge for carers and healthcare professionals to assess pain in people living with dementia or other cognitive impairments. Often pain goes undetected or untreated, which can lead to unnecessary prescribing of medication such as antipsychotics, behavioural and psychological issues, and decreased quality of life for residents. “PainChek® was developed as an effective solution to this problem, by utilising AI to address a core issue with pain assessment. It is a secure medical device for use on mobile phones and tablets, and uses AI, facial analysis technology, and smart automation, to detect and score pain in real time. “AI remains the foundation of the technology today. Its Pain Assessment System has an open API, facilitating the integration of PainChek® with care management systems, which allows real-time recording of pain assessments into residents’ medical records, and sharing of those results with other healthcare practitioners.” PainChek® Marketing Officer Drew Hunt adds: “The PainChek® team is united by its goal to provide a voice to those who cannot verbalise their pain. PainChek continues to research and review the link between pain and dementia, and provide free, accessible resources and information such as whitepapers and reports to care providers across the globe to support better pain assessment and management and an enhanced level of care. A recent UK study has been published demonstrating PainChek® is a valid and reliable instrument to assess the presence and severity of pain in people with moderate-to-severe dementia living in aged care.” PainChek is currently used in over 1,600 aged care
From good to outstanding: how to improve your care home’s CQC rating
Getting an outstanding Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating can sometimes seem unattainable, especially given the current challenges faced by social care in the UK. From staff shortages, an ageing population and the need for keeping up with emerging technological advancements, it goes without saying that there is a lot of demand in this industry. Despite the challenges being faced within this sector, the CQC has found that improvements relating to care home ratings are being made. Blueleaf has summarised the behaviours and practices in place at some of the top care providers in the UK to offer advice and actionable tips on how to be rated Outstanding, as well as the benefits this title comes with. The benefits of being ‘outstanding’ Services that are rated outstanding perform exceptionally well – this is what differentiates them from good services which perform well, but only meet rather than exceed expectations. In a recent CQC report, one care home was compared to a 5-star hotel and this level of service should be at the forefront of your mind when you are working towards an outstanding rating. Making the extra effort to achieve an outstanding CQC rating is worthwhile for many reasons. Boosting staff morale and enhancing levels of absenteeism are among the most important reasons. So is staff retention rate. Recognition is the key to retaining staff – by recognising and rewarding hard work, your workers will feel valued. Feeling valued, recognised and respected is within some of the top reasons for employers staying at their current place of work, so is definitely an aspect to take advantage of. By having an outstanding rating it will also become easier to recruit top talent to look after the people in your care homes. It is clear that employers within this sector are struggling to find, recruit and retain suitable people to the sector and within specific roles. As your reputation for excellence grows, people will be more likely to choose you to take care of their loved ones. Don’t overlook the importance of good leadership No matter what industry you work within, you cannot underestimate the effect good leadership can have on making changes to the level of service provided. Good leaders can make a difference to the culture in a place by being approachable, so staff feel comfortable raising concerns with them allowing them to carry out their core tasks more effectively. In fact, in a recent report from the CQC, leadership was highlighted as one of the underlying reasons for care providers achieving an outstanding rating. The report stated “services that improve tend to have leaders who are visible and accountable to staff, promote an open and positive organisational culture, and engage effectively with partners.” Top CQC rated care homes were also shown to have leaders who were committed to continually improving their service, despite already performing well. In the good and outstanding care guide, leaders at outstanding care providers were said to: ● Have a strong, visible person-centred culture ● Deliver stretching but realistic objectives ● Involve people in shaping the service; from recruitment to making developments ● Strive for excellence and seek out the latest best practice and new technologies ● Be externally recognised and work collaboratively with other services ● Take pride in your workforce Staff are any organisations biggest asset and are invaluable when it comes to identifying how improvements can be made. To help shape your service, staff should know the details of your CQC reports – not just the overall rating – and they should understand inspection criteria. So, transparency and decent internal communications is pivotal. Staff should also feel confident about the inspection process and explaining what they do at any time – not just when a CQC visit is imminent. As well as feeling recognised and valued, career growth, learning and development is an important factor amongst talented employees. Investing in staff training should therefore never be deprioritised, even when resources are stretched. To allow carers to provide unrivalled levels of care, they need to be given time to work on developing their expertise. In some cases, this might mean going into a clinical setting to refresh their skills, for example. You can’t get outstanding CQC ratings without giving staff the support and training they need to do their job effectively. Inspectors are likely to ask staff questions about: ● What their role involves ● Their length of service ● The recruitment and induction process ● How their learning is kept up to date ● How supported they feel They may also check their understanding of safeguarding, dignity and respect, feedback, complaints and recording incidents. Focus on the importance of caregiving Unfortunately, when pressures are high and staff levels are low, the people being cared for might not be given the attention they deserve. It can be hard to give each person individualised care when you are rushed off your feet due to being understaffed. However, this is exactly what outstanding care providers need to do. Work on recruitment, recognition and retention. Staff need to be given the time to get to know the people they care for and build a relationship with them. It is important that they also have time to speak and listen to the family or advocates of the people they care for. For each person they care for they should ask: ● What are their likes and dislikes? ● What are they passionate about? ● What is their background? ● What is important to them? ● What is likely to upset them? ● Do they have cultural or religious needs? ● Do they have dietary preferences? Take advantage of modern technology Software solutions have allowed for digitisation of records including care plans, residents’ medical records, and staff employment and management records. This has led to the optimisation of operational and administrative processes in UK care homes. Systems such as eMar have played a large role in reducing the pressure on staff within care homes by providing a faster
The importance of oral hygiene in care
Roger Daniel is CEO at Red Homes Healthcare. Having grown up working in and around care homes, Roger has vast experience in delivering care. Here he discusses how important it is to have an oral hygiene policy in place… CQC research released earlier this year found that 52% of care homes were without an oral health policy, and 73% of care didn’t sufficiently cover dental health. This is such an important but often overlooked aspect of care that protects residents’ oral health and in turn their overall wellbeing. Conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia which affect a person’s ability to brush their teeth effectively, medications which reduce saliva and the fact that natural teeth are now maintained for longer all lead to greater oral health problems. For those in our care. we must not only address these issues as they arise but also put initiatives in place to prevent them from occurring in the first place. The effects of poor oral hygiene in care A bad oral hygiene routine can severely impact a person’s wellbeing and if we as caregivers are not on top of residents’ oral health it can have significant implications. Loneliness is something which all of us in the care sector are aware of and having teeth which we are uncomfortable with others seeing can lead to low self-esteem and a resident not partaking in social activities. This results in them feeling disconnected and unable to build relationships with those around them. Aside from the cosmetic implications that bad oral hygiene can have on a resident’s self-esteem, not upkeeping oral health can have numerous repercussions on physical health. Just some of the these include: • Respiratory issues as a result of ingesting bacteria from gum disease (recognised in The Journal of Periodontology) • Cardiovascular disease, put simply, as a result of bacteria entering the bloodstream, travelling to the heart and causing plaque to build up in the arteries • Inflammation of the mouth (stomatisis) resulting from a lack of dental care • Increased symptoms of diabetes, as gum disease makes it harder to manage blood sugars. Those with diabetes are also more prone to gum disease. The steps towards positive oral health When someone moves into a care home, they should undergo a full oral health assessment as this helps to identify any issues from the outset. Some simple questions this initial evaluation should include are how they normally manage their oral hygiene, what dental aids they currently use, whether they have dentures (checking they’re clearly labelled if so) and whether they already have a dentist. If dental information is recorded using the oral health assessment tool recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and specific needs are outlined in someone’s personal care plan, it’s easier to keep on top of ongoing dental requirements. This also ties in greatly with offering person-centred care which is tailored to each individual. In order to maintain a positive dental routine, it’s important that staff are aware of how they can best support residents. This includes the basics of general oral hygiene such as brushing their teeth or dentures twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and using their preferred products. As well as a good daily routine, staff must be aware of the implications that bad oral health can have on residents’ wellbeing and know the steps to take if they are concerned about a person’s dental condition. Working alongside doctors, dentists and community nurses is key to ensuring all aspects of optimum health. Having an effective oral health policy in place can have a huge impact on confidence and social skills, which helps those in care build relationships with both staff and other residents – massively increasing their quality of life. Not only this, but it ensures that residents are able to enjoy food comfortably and can get the night nutrition they need to keep fit and healthy. [1] https://www.cqc.org.uk/publications/major-report/smiling-matters-oral-health-care-care-homes [2] https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/life-stages/oral-care-age-55-up/the-importance-of-oral-health-for-older-adults-0914
How to manage medication when resources are stretched – care home providers
In a sector where recruiting and retaining permanent staff is an ongoing challenge, Martin Lowthian, compliance expert at The Access Group’s health and social care division, looks at how care home providers can manage medication safely and effectively. Ensuring vulnerable residents receive the correct medication at the right time, all properly documented, must be the top concern for any reputable care provider. But chronic staff shortages in the sector, not to mention copious amounts of paperwork, makes this essential task feel impossible at times – and many managers worry that their home will fall short of the standards expected. Despite the current recruitment and retention crisis, some are putting safeguards in place by taking on 110 per cent of the staff required to provide full coverage, even if someone is off sick. For others, particularly smaller providers and/or those in rural locations, this simply isn’t an option. Instead, they have to assign more tasks to existing employees, adding to the pressures they already face, or else plug the gap with agency workers. It is worth reiterating the problems associated with this way of working. Reliance on agency staff is not only costly, it can also compromise the continuity of care and increase risk. These carers may be experienced and hold the necessary qualifications, yet be unfamiliar with the provider’s values, quality standards and processes. We all hope that recruitment drives, including the government’s Every Day, is Different campaign[1] launched earlier this year, will encourage more people to consider a career in the sector, particularly as the care requirements of an ageing population increases and becomes more complex. However, change won’t happen overnight and more still needs to be done to tackle the root causes of the staffing crisis. Low pay, unsociable hours and perceived lack of career progression remain a barrier for many – which means, for the time being at least, providers have no choice but to work with the resources they have already got. These constraints mean it has never been more important that they develop clear and consistent processes to not only support efficiency and productivity but also compliance, safety and quality of care, without creating an admin burden for already-stretched workers. One solution is to replace manual medication administration records (MARs) with an eMAR system, enabling every authorised staff member – whether permanent or agency – to access residents’ medication requirements and receive prompts about what needs to be administered and when. Any missed doses are recorded with reasons why, providing a strong audit trail to demonstrate compliance. The fact that they integrate with pharmacy systems means care workers can speed up communications, check stock levels and reduce the chances of receiving the wrong medication. Given the current staff shortages, the minutes saved on every shift could add up to make a significant difference to the quality of care delivered. Of course, eMAR is just one example of how digital technology is transforming the care sector. Indeed, some managers have seen time savings of around five to six hours a week using a data-led central platform to automatically allocate staff shifts, deliver handovers, report risks and incidents and communicate care plans securely. This frees them up to concentrate on leading their team, not being bogged down with admin, as well as helping them to prioritise safety and mitigate risk – the hallmarks of an ‘outstanding’ CQC standard.
Committed to providing high-quality care services since 1986
Nightingales, which operates in London and the South East, grew from two residential homes in 1986 to an additional home care service which serves 100 clients. Nightingales Home Care division celebrated 25 years in operation this year. Here, founder Sarah Bruce and Head of Home Care Donna Roch explain how the care provider has gone from strength to strength thanks to an ethos of prioritising residents and providing high-quality staff… Nightingales care services Q&A Tell us about the history of Nightingales’ care services… Nightingales was founded by Nick & Sarah Bruce in 1986 providing private residential care at our two private homes, firstly in Bromley and then also in Reigate. Our mission was to provide the kind of care that we would give to our own parents. It seemed natural to extend that experience in providing home care, first in the Bromley area expanding through Croydon to the Reigate area. How many staff are at Nightingales now, and how many people do you care for in their own homes? Across both homes and the home care service, we have about 100 staff. Not all of these are full-time and we provide flexible working arrangements. We are also transitioning to 50% employee-ownership, so whoever you speak to at Nightingales, you will be speaking to someone who thinks like an owner. Further to this, 95% of our management team has been promoted from within the company. We currently support about 100 home care clients with a variety of care needs. The ageing population means care has changed a lot in recent years – how do you find people’s needs are changing over time and how have Nightingales addressed this? With 12 million adults in the UK aged 65+ and around 1.6 million aged over 75, almost without exception the elderly want to stay living independently in their own homes for as long as possible. The vast majority of those aged 80+ live alone with small social networks. What’s important from a care perspective is that we are flexible and able to respond to the changing needs of our clients over time; we’re certainly seeing an increase in demand for live-in care. On-going training is absolutely crucial for our carers so that they are able to confidently and competently support clients whose needs become increasingly complex both physically and mentally. All our carers have been trained extensively in dealing with dementia for example. The staff turnover rate is often a problem for care providers – why do you think employees stay for longer at Nightingales? There is a very real career path within Nightingales and opportunities across all the divisions. Our 10-Year Lunch Club which is an annual event and celebration of all those who have 10 years’ service has almost 20 members now, with the longest-serving about to celebrate 30 years with the company. Yes, the industry has a reputation for staff churn, but we are a value-driven company, and our staff like working to the high standards that comes from that. Our culture is one of professional and personal development supporting people in their career aspirations, I think our team recognises it’s something quite special that we have created here. Three years ago we adopted an Employee Ownership business model to better reflect that culture. Being part of Nightingales is so much more than a job, passion and commitment runs through all that we do and we understand that caring for the elderly is both a massive responsibility but also a huge privilege. How does Nightingales ensure CQC standards are met? Our carers receive possibly the most comprehensive training in our industry. They go through a thorough induction process, completing the nationally recognised Care Certificate course, and then enter our ongoing training programme. This typically involves them completing one assessed training module per month plus any additional training that is necessary. They will also be entered into NVQ training as well as receiving an annual appraisal and quarterly supervision sessions. However, it is our staff who really make our training special by choosing additional subjects each year which they feel will make the most difference to our clients. Each course typically involves them studying in their own time over a period of 12 weeks, which underlines just how engaged they are with everything the company is about. As an independent healthcare provider, what do you think policymakers could do to help people live in their own homes for longer? We are fortunate in that we only care for privately-funded clients, but the key issue to support people in their own homes is funding. At a certain needs point, residential funding becomes cheaper, and where limited state funds have to be rationed between everyone in need of care, difficult choices have to be made. Increasing funding to match need would therefore be the best thing that can be done. What’s in store for the future at Nightingales? Nightingales is committed to providing the same high quality of care it has always done. One of our mantras is to always do the right thing, and then work out how we will pay for it. There is always a way, but by putting the focus on the clients’ needs means the best decision for them is always made. We are also continuing to expand. With our transition to employee ownership, the appetite to grow the company in a sustainable way has increased, and we are therefore actively expanding into new home care areas, and looking to buy an additional home. We feel our approach to care is unique in the industry, with a total focus on quality of care and activities, and keeping our homes small and personal, with the highest quality of décor. We even make sure our residents continue to enjoy good-quality wine and other drinks. After all, they want to continue enjoying their lives, and we’re determined to make sure they do! For more information please visit nightingales.co.uk
Hiring temporary contractors – understanding tax rules IR35
Are you aware of the recent change in law regarding temporary contractors? Here the team at Lawspeed, the UK’s leading Law Consultancy dedicated to the recruitment industry, discuss the new tax rules… Some of you will have heard recently about new tax rules known as IR35 relating to the use of temporary contractors, and due to apply in April 2020. Under current proposals businesses with a turnover of less than £10m, a balance sheet of £5m or fewer than 50 employees (excluded businesses) need not be concerned, but the rules should be noted by all other businesses that hire contractors. IR35 is the name given to an Inland Revenue notice (Inland Revenue number 35) which explains obligations on contractors to pay tax in a different way whenever the contractor provides services through a third party, usually a personal service company (PSC). These obligations have existed since 2000. If the rules apply, the contractor has been required to pay employment taxes and NICs on the whole of the income it receives from a posting or assignment, with a top slice allowance of 5%. As this means that the individual receives a net amount far less than if normal company tax rules apply, most temporary contractors have worked hard to avoid application of the rules, and HMRC believes that there has been serial tax avoidance in this area. To address this, in 2017 HMRC changed the rules where a contractor is hired by a public authority, and it now plans to extend those changes to the private sector, so affecting all businesses except the smallest companies. So when do the rules apply? They do not apply to self-employed individuals who are not operating through a PSC (there is a misconception around this!). Because of a fear of employment rights claims and also the desire of the hired individual to maximise net returns, it has become common practice to engage locums and temporary support individuals via their own PSCs. It is these arrangements that the rules attack. What do the rules require? Where the working arrangements are such that, if there were no PSC, the individual would be regarded for tax purposes as employed, someone has to account for employed levels of tax and NICs on invoiced sums for work done/time spent. This also means that someone has to make a decision as to whether they apply. The ‘someone’ used to be the contractor, but is now switching to the hirer or other party who pays the contractor, for example an employment business that supplies the contractor to you. This party is known as the Fee Payer, who is now also to be responsible for payment of PAYE and NICs wherever the rules apply. The decision – ‘employed’ or not Assessing employment status is notoriously hard except in the most obvious of circumstances. There has been a plethora of cases over the last few decades which have always been about unclear arrangements, not the obvious ones. Much has been written about mutuality of obligation, direction, supervision, control and so on, and to address these intensely legal and argued over elements would mean this article would end up the size of a book! However in terms of key considerations, a business to business arrangement for a defined project as agreed at the outset is an excellent start. The tax and other ramifications Where the status decision is ‘employed’, you, as the hirer (or a third party, e.g. an agency if involved), are the Fee Payer and have to pay contractor invoices in a specific way. Because HMRC regards the arrangement as deemed employment, the invoice is treated as the salary of the individual. This means that the whole of the invoiced sum, excluding VAT, allowed expenses and cost of materials, must be treated as employment income subject to normal PAYE and NIC deductions. The company invoice must be paid net of PAYE and NICs and the Fee Payer must account to HMRC for the PAYE and employee and employer NICs on the invoiced sum. The result – a cost hike for you of some 13.8%, increased payroll admin for what was previously a simple supplier payment, and a lower net income for the contractor. It’s not surprising therefore that some trade associations are warning that there may be a drop in available locums and contractors. What can you do regarding temporary contractors? First, recognise that individuals who put themselves out to work temporarily will still be around. Whilst some may start to look for regular employment, finding it may be easier said than done! Also not everyone is determined to minimise tax payments as before. Some may be happy to work through agencies on their payroll or sign up to temporary employment contracts with you. If the engagement is for a period of time rather than specific tasks, and the contractor still wishes to operate through a PSC you can either accept the cost of employer NICs or negotiate a new rate. The contractor could work for you as self-employed without any PSC involvement, and you could keep the same rate of pay; however in this case you run the risk that HMRC (as above), or indeed the contractor, could argue that the arrangement is actually one of employment. Normal Employment Tribunal limitations apply to claims by the contractor. For those you assess as not ‘deemed’ employees it is critical that the contract you use is properly formulated and that the specified work to be undertaken is fully and properly described. The actual working arrangements throughout the assignment should be in line with the contract, so discuss with line managers to ensure there is no conflict. You should also keep a note of how and why you concluded there is no deemed employment in case HMRC investigates as the risk of an investigation exists for up to 6 years after the event. Conclusion This is a proposed invasive new method of taxing contractors that will affect hirers and those in a worker supply chain.
Florence tackles the social care staffing crisis head on
Florence tackles the social care staffing crisis head on with the addition of carers to its recruitment marketplace London pilot expands on Florence’s promise – helping carers to find work and nursing homes to fill temporary shifts Florence, the recruitment marketplace where care and nursing homes can find qualified staff to fill temporary shifts, today announces it has expanded – adding carers to the pool of qualified healthcare professionals working through its innovative platform. By cutting out the costly fees associated with traditional recruitment agencies, Florence has been successful in helping care home providers to recruit nurses since its 2017 launch. With a focus on quality and continuity of care the platform now also features a pool of carers, available to work shifts in London as part of a pilot scheme in the area. There are plans to expand countrywide with its carers service within the next 12-months. Commenting on the introduction of carers to the platform, Charles Armitage, Co-founder and Managing Director at Florence said: “We’re a nation at crisis point in terms of the future of our social care system and we can no longer hide from the endemic problems around staffing and recruiting in the social care sector. With an aging population on the rise, we need to find real solutions to address the ever-widening workforce gap. The addition of carers to the Florence marketplace signifies our commitment to being part of that solution – offering healthcare professionals greater access to high-paying shifts across the UK, not to mention saving care and nursing homes money while boosting the quality and continuity of care throughout the sector.” Florence puts a pool of qualified nurses, and now carers at the fingertips of care and nursing home managers. The manager has the option to add a nurse or carer to a list of ‘favourites’, allowing them to easily select individuals for future shifts which helps to achieve continuity of care. The platform also includes a reviews section, where managers can leave feedback on the nurse or carer – a feature which has proven to foster a greater sense of accountability. From a nurse or carers’ perspective, Florence provides easy access to and true transparency over the temporary shifts on offer in their local area. Similar to the experience of the care home provider, a nurse or carer can read feedback about the home setting so they can decide if they feel it is a good fit. Florence also encourages homes using the platform to pay carers the national living wage. With Florence now being used by many care home operators, extending the marketplace to host carers was a natural next step. The platform has the potential to act as a one-stop shop for care providers to recruit both nurses and carers in one integrated solution. In some cases, eliminating the need for them to use recruitment agencies at all, thus saving on the fees which drain resources from the social care system. The onboarding process consists of two references from either a manager, nurse, midwife or agency representative, as well as a background check, DBS, and full spectrum of mandatory training certificates. The carer is also expected to have at least 1 years’ work history as a carer and to provide proof of indemnity insurance. On average, the compliance process for Florence takes around 20 days, versus three months through a traditional recruitment agency. Care and nursing homes, and carers, in the London area are now invited to join the pilot.
Improving residential care through digital transformation
Colin Yates, chief support officer at WorkMobile – an award-winning mobile data capture solution – discusses the links between going paperless and the quality of residential care. Over the past few years, digital transformation has become an increasingly hot topic in business circles. There is a very good reason for this: done well, digital transformation drives efficiency and improves productivity, saving a business both time and money. Enterprises in almost all industries stand to benefit from their own digital transformation projects, and the residential care home sector is no exception. The question is, what would this look like? At its most basic level, digital transformation is the use of digital technologies to solve traditional problems. So, there is a need to identify which areas of a business have historically proved challenging and could be improved by incorporating new technology such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. Residential care homes are often very reliant on paper-based processes. From care plans and risk assessments, to safeguarding reports and health assessments, there is inherently a lot of paperwork involved in the day to day running of a care home business, and given that there didn’t use to be an alternative to physical documentation, many have continued to operate with traditional processes. However, a heavy reliance on paper can cause significant problems. If essential paperwork is not completed and filed in a timely and correct manner, this can lead to standards of care slipping and concerns being raised by the CQC. As a result, some forward-thinking care home operators have begun their digital transformations by implementing cloud-based electronic care record software. This type of software has the ability to completely eliminate the need for paper, with all documents being completed digitally instead, often via an app on a mobile device or tablet. The information in these documents can then be saved automatically to a central reporting platform, that can be accessed instantly by all authorised members of staff, wherever they’re based. Modernising care home businesses by going paperless can have a host of wide-reaching benefits for all of those involved. Care workers For staff working on the front lines, outdated paper-based processes create an unnecessary administrative burden. Completing all paperwork by hand takes time, and each document must then be filed away carefully. In some cases, the information in this paperwork is also manually inputted into a digital database, taking up even more time and being open to errors. With digital alternatives, documents can be accessed much more easily and filled in much more quickly, with no need for any time to be spent on filing. Information can be recorded in real time as staff go about their duties, meaning that data held about residents is more likely to be complete and accurate. Where appropriate, certain sections can also be pre-populated to save time and unnecessary repetition. This means that care workers don’t have to worry about having to stay late after their shift to complete outstanding admin tasks, offering them a better work-life balance and giving them more time to concentrate on providing the best possible service to those in their care. Residential care home operators For care home operators, one of the main benefits is a significant reduction in operational costs. Relying on paper-based processes is expensive, with one study suggesting that it can cost even a very small business as much as £14,616 each year. Implementing a digital care record solution can greatly decrease ongoing expenses, by minimising or even eliminating the need for paper, printers and physical storage. One major problem caused by relying on paper-based processes is that it can be difficult to ensure the confidentiality of patient information. Digital solutions can allow management to set permissions dictating who has access to which levels of information saved on the system. For care homes that experience a high turnover of carers, or rely heavily on agency staff, this is an easy and effective way to protect patient confidentiality. It can also be extremely difficult to keep large amounts of paperwork organised. This makes it much more likely that important documents will be filed incorrectly or misplaced altogether. Missing paperwork puts patients at risk, and leaves care providers vulnerable to compliance issues which could negatively affect their CQC rating. Digital systems eliminate this issue, while also making it much easier for staff to interrogate previous reports and see any outstanding tasks. With this additional safety net, care home operators can feel confident that they are providing the best possible quality of care and meeting the CQC’s high standards. It’s clear that embracing digital transformation is a relatively simple way to overhaul a care business. Just by going paperless, it’s possible to improve working conditions for staff, reduce costs, and increase CQC compliance, making it worth serious consideration for care home operators looking to improve their excellent standards of care. For more information on Improving residential care through digital solutions, visit www.workmobileforms.com
New Evaluation Indicates A Digital-First Approach Is Key
New Evaluation Indicates A Digital-First Approach Is Key To Long-Term Quality And Sustainability In Delivery Of Social Care everyLIFE Technologies UNVEILS FINDINGS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOCIAL CARE INSTITUTE FOR EXCELLENCE AT THE NATIONAL DEMENTIA CARE EXPO TODAY The new evaluation of the PASSsystem digital care platform carried out by everyLIFE Technologies with SCIE and York Consulting, highlights that going digital will be a key factor in a sustainable, ‘fit for the future’ service. SCIE’s chief operating officer, Ewan King, says: “The evaluation results of everyLIFE’s PASSsystem evidence that: care providers can better manage risk by adopting the PASSsystem; the PASSsystem can help care providers deliver high quality care; the PASSsystem enables care providers to demonstrate accountability to the people in their care, their families and to regulators; care providers can realise business efficiencies by using the PASSsystem. “Our evaluation also reassures us that everyLIFE’s commitment to continuous improvement is valid as they have already implemented many of our early recommendations.” Bruce Hiscock, CEO of everyLIFE Technologies, will say today at the national Dementia Care and Nursing Home Expo (NEC, Birmingham): “When Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, nailed a digital agenda firmly to his policy mast, he acknowledged the pivotal role technologies have to play in delivering safer and more accountable care. “The reality is, we hear a great deal more about digital health than we do about the digital transformation quietly taking place in social care. “Few sectors are as central to our national identity and integrity as those that care for our vulnerable, frail and elderly. Their place should not be on the side lines. That view played a pivotal role in our decision to throw out the rule book back in 2014 and look at how smart technologies might transform the provision of home and residential care. “Today, everyLIFE Technologies is a recognised sector leader, primarily known for the PASSsystem, a sophisticated digital care platform that has been adopted by more than 700 care providers across the UK. “Our early belief in ‘better’ was instinctive, based on our own experiences of care provision but we lacked independent evidence. In 2017, we commissioned SCIE, in partnership with York Consulting, to undertake an independent evaluation of the PASSsystem. Bruce Hiscock will conclude: “Mr Hancock is emphatic that the way forward is not to curb technology but to keep improving it, in a way that works for everyone. That reflects our mission: to shape and support a system that enables the best possible care for our loved ones and, at the same time, improves business efficiencies. It is my firm belief that if we want to advance this so-called Cinderella service – and position it at the centre of much-needed social change – we must digitally underpin what we do. The many challenges faced by those involved in the provision of home and residential care are all too real. And there are real and proven solutions, available today, that have the potential to deliver a happier outcome.”
