Smart Home Social Care
As the population ages, the demand for high quality carers rises. By 2026 it’s predicted that the UK will need around 420,000 more carers, but with the current vacancy rate high and the amount of those showing interest in the care sector diminishing, it’s important that technology is utilised in order to help fill the gaps and provide the best social care possible. Some countries are already embracing technologies in their infancy such as smart home devices and robotics in order to enhance their care levels. Japan, for example, has made care bots prominent in its Shin-tomi nursing home and has committed to funding the development of more devices. The UK has been slower to adopt technology into its healthcare system but changes are starting to be made. For example, in 2017 Southend-on-Sea was the first council to employ a humanoid robot to assist older people with certain tasks. Is this just the start? Could the future see each elderly or vulnerable individual accompanied by humanoids? It’s clear we’re not there yet, but in the meantime what else could be done? Helen Dempster, Chief Visionary Officer, Karantis360, discusses how human and bot could soon work together to improve domiciliary care. More than a Bandaid Rather than being seen as a bandaid for stretched resources, digital solutions should lead the way to a better type of care. This year the Social Care Digital Innovation Movement has allocated ten authorities to receive up to £30,000 to design a digital solution to address a specific issue within their service, and eight will be receiving up to a further £90,000 to support implementation. This level of commitment to digital progress shows just how seriously the industry is taking the potential impact of digital solutions. The use of smart home technology is rising and with this comes wider levels of acceptance. The changing attitudes towards devices such as the Amazon Alexa are enabling these technologies to be used in all different sorts of ways. One council even recently started to use Alexa as a way of reducing the levels of isolation felt by its elderly constituents. As people start to live more regularly with these devices and consider technology more friend than foe, they are becoming more accepting of adopting other devices. This is not to say that cared for and carers alike want to be subjected to constant CCTV or biometric scanners, but unobtrusive technologies are more welcomed. IoT sensors can unassumingly monitor movement, humidity, and temperature across a home enabling a care organisation to rapidly gain a picture of each individual’s day to day routine – information that is then key to flagging changes which could reveal a problem. These AI based tools arm carers with better information and enable them to intervene at the right time and create a care programme that best suits the needs of the individual. This information also provides a platform for the end to end digitisation of healthcare, co-ordinating the ecosystem of local authorities, healthcare providers, NHS Trusts, GPs, registered nurses and care homes, inspiring a more proactive and interlinked approach to care. To Bot or Not to Bot? So what about robotics? Although it may feel a world away, humanoid robots are making real inroads within social care in other countries. When it comes to the UK however there’s been hesitancy. In part, this is due to budget restrictions, with the initial costs appearing eye-watering. On the other side of the problem is the perception of droids. The numerous sci-fi depictions of robots gone rogue, the uncertainty as to whether human jobs would be at risk, and the worry that the elderly would be afraid of the devices, all stack against introducing humanoids into the care system. In Tokyo’s Shin-tomi nursing home, 20 different models of robots are used to help care for residents, but how could they best be used unsupervised and in an individual’s home? These devices aren’t meant to be intrusive, they are meant to be inclusive. They can give prompts to the individual, help them complete tasks with step by step instructions, play games with them and even connect them via video calls with their families. This video connection could also be used as a real-time feed should a warning alert be triggered. In this case, care providers monitoring for any issues could then use the two-way communication feed through the droid to ask the individual to confirm if everything is as it should be. If a response doesn’t come through, the provider would then be allowed to remotely check the camera feed in order to assess the initial situation and enable them to respond faster to any issues. Presently droids can’t be seen as 24/7 care monitoring systems, they need time to charge and there are also still issues with them navigating some of the daily aspects in life, such as stairs. It’s also reasonable that individuals may want time alone, for example, when going to sleep. This is why a combined approach of droids and sensors would be the most beneficial strategy for all parties. When combined with IoT sensors they can also give a constant and fuller picture of the physical health of the client. Together these technologies can better monitor the physical movements of a person to help diagnose conditions earlier, from smaller problems such as urinary tract infections to identifying early signs of dementia. Alerts via these devices can then help carers and family members to ask the right questions and get to the heart of any problem faster. The Smaller Details Bots still have a way to go before they become widely adopted as a domiciliary care tool, but the technological solutions needed to start improving levels of care today may prove to be simpler than some think. Ultimately what any solution should aim to do is allow carers to focus on their clients and improve the wellbeing of the individual. There are solutions available that can have an immediate effect. By leveraging IoT sensors to provide a real-time view
Society’s social care training benefits residents and staff alike
Anne Kasey, Home Manager and Clinical Lead for maritime charity, the Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society, discusses the importance of investing in training in the social care sector and how it benefits residents… It doesn’t matter which sector one operates in – having the right staff for the job is paramount to the success of any business. In the social care industry, this is more important than anywhere as staff are fundamental to the health and wellbeing of residents and have a duty of care to fulfil. The social care sector is currently facing difficulties recruiting and retaining qualified staff – in fact 15% of vacancies across the entire UK economy are in the health and social work sectors according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). To combat this, up-skilling employees is part of a solution that contributes to the smooth running of a care home. Here at the Royal Alfred we have an in -house trainer, allowing our staff to have consistent one-on-one training on site. This helps to ensure all staff are working to the same standard and addresses any gaps in knowledge, it also demonstrates to employees that they are part of a supportive workplace. Having staff that are equipped with the necessary qualifications, skills and training not only increases job efficiency, but can drastically improve morale and enables staff members to feel empowered and valued in their roles. All of this helps to achieve a better experience for residents as well as complying with Care Quality Commission standards. As a charity serving former seafarers, we understand our residents’ individual needs and recognise the people who call Royal Alfred home are deserving of the best standard of care. Earlier this year we commenced specialist training with our pioneering Maritime Acquaint Training programme to provide staff with a knowledge of the maritime industry. Funded by a close supporter of the Society, our staff took part in a training day hosted on a P&O cross channel ferry from Dover to Calais. This now annual programme was created by our CEO, Commander Brian Boxall-Hunt, to help staff better understand residents’ physical and psychological needs and the care required for each individual. This training session allowed our staff to fully immerse themselves in how life would have been like at sea, and the understanding of how large vessels operate at sea, often in treacherous weather conditions and across long journeys. This is key for us to help employees understand our residents’ past experiences and is what makes our residents’ stay truly unique. Benefits of such in-depth training within the care sector are not just experienced by residents. At Royal Alfred, we provide not just a job, but a career. We think training improves staff morale, which is key to the smooth running of any care home and boosts staff retention. Recently we commended five members of staff with long service awards for dedicating ten years of their working life to the home to make them feel valued and supported in their roles – just one example of a success story at Royal Alfred. We have many long-serving staff and I myself having been with Royal Alfred for over 30 years and Margaret Brazier (Executive Assistant to CEO Brian for over 50 years). It shows that people really do invest their careers with us due to good training, career progression and opportunity. For the Royal Alfred, training creates better experiences for our residents that depend on the expertise of staff for their day-to-day care, while staff develop their careers at the same time. At a time when social care recruitment is proving difficult, the time has come to consider training to help plug the gap and we urge any care home to consider investment now for sustained success. For more information on the social care which Royal Alfred offers, see royalalfredseafarers.co.uk
Autumn Budget 2018 – what it means for healthcare
Chancellor Phillip Hammond has announced the government’s Autumn Budget. He promised: “A budget for hard working families who live their lives far from this place and care little for the twists and turns of Westminster politics.” Over the past year, Brexit has affected the workforce as many European staff feel their future is uncertain, and the number of EU nationals registering as nurses in England dropped by 92% following the 2016 referendum (see https://www.theguardian.com). As NHS leaders called for more funding to end the healthcare crisis, and the Prime Minster recently told the country that “austerity is over”, we decided to take a look at how the budget will affect healthcare in 2019//20. ’NHS is our No.1 priority’ Mr Hammond announced that public sector net borrowing is set to fall to its lowest in a generation by 2024, which is set to hit the NHS where it hurts in terms of funding. He said that in June the “single largest cash commitment to our public services ever made by a peacetime Government” in the form of an £84bn five-year deal for the NHS had already been announced. Such boosts in funding have been facilitated by moves including a change in the Personal Allowance and Higher Rate Threshold taxes, and the scrapping of Entrepreneur’s Relief. My Hammond said this was “half as much again as the increase Labour offered the NHS at the last election”. He added: “Let me be clear: We are delivering this historic £20.5bn real terms increase for the NHS in full over the next five years. So, in a very important sense, we made our big choice for this budget, four months before it was delivered. And this was the right decision: our NHS is the number one priority of the British people; and as we approached the 70th anniversary of its foundation, they had a right to know the scale of our commitment to it.” But Anita Charlesworth, Health Foundation Director of Research and Economics, tweeted in June after the funding announcement was made: “Most important take home about NHS spending announcement – it’s enough for standstill service quality, it’s NOT enough for a shopping list of improvements. It excludes capital, training, public health and social care – all must get extra funding in the Autumn Budget.” Mental health funding Regarding mental health, Mr Hammond said: “There are many pressing demands on additional NHS funding, but few more pressing than the needs of those who suffer from mental illness. And today I can announce that the NHS 10 Year Plan will include a new mental health crisis service, with comprehensive mental health support available in every major A&E, children and young peoples’ crisis teams in every part of the country, more mental health ambulances, more ‘safe havens’ in the community, and a 24-hour mental health crisis hotline. “These new services will ensure that people suffering from a crisis, young or old, can get the help they need, ending the stigma that has forced too many to suffer in silence and the tragedy of too many lives lost to suicide. “We are proud to have made this extraordinary commitment to funding our NHS – a precious institution that has been nurtured for most of its life by Conservative Governments.” Social care funding As the Chancellor said the Social Care Green Paper was due to be published “shortly”, he vowed to build on the £240m for Social Care winter pressures announced earlier this month, with a further £650m of grant funding for English Authorities for 2019-20 and an additional £45m for the Disabled Facilities Grant in England in 2018-19. Richard Murray, Director of Policy at The King’s Fund, said: “The social care system cannot continue to get by on last-minute, piecemeal funding announcements. Adult social care in England needs at least £1.5 billion more per year simply to cope with demand meaning that the funding announced today, which will also need to cover children’s social care, falls far short. This highlights the need for a long-term plan for how social care will be funded and structured so that it can meet increasing demand. Successive Governments have dodged tough decisions on social care and the forthcoming Green Paper must now ensure social care gets the long-term plan it so desperately needs. “Two billion pounds for mental health confirms the early signals that this would be a key priority for the forthcoming NHS long-term plan. But years of underfunding have taken their toll and this is no more than a small step on the road to parity of esteem. Mental health services need more than money to meet demand. A chronic shortage of mental health staff means that, despite the new funding, the service won’t improve until the Government and the NHS provide a plan to increase the workforce.” Jonny Bottomley, Co-Founder & CEO at Edyn.Care, a company which provides tech-enabled solutions for the care sector, said: “We watched the Budget announcement closely today and even though we were hoping to see some money set aside for an independent body tasked with modelling the amount of funding needed by social care in the future, a £650m investment for councils is still welcomed. However, it fails to close the funding gap of £2.2 billion. We think it will continue to enable the home care industry to survive but not flourish.” Read the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget speech in full here. Photo credit: Twocoms / Shutterstock.com
What a No Deal Brexit would mean for social care
Care England, the largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care, has submitted evidence to the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s inquiry into the impact of a ‘no deal Brexit’ on health and social care. Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England says: “The prospect of a No-Deal Brexit only accentuates the fragility within the social care sector. It magnifies potential uncertainties in the recruitment and retention of foreign workers upon which many independent community care providers depend, currently the sector includes 233,000 employees that have foreign nationality. With vacancy rates running at around 90,000 at any one time, this dependency is significantly important to the sustainability of the sector – particularly as it is predicted that by 2035 an extra 650,000 social care jobs will be required to keep pace with rising demand”. “Not withstanding the potential impact of Brexit upon the sustainability of social care, the sector is already at crisis point. Relentless pressures on funding, increases in the level and complexity of need and widespread challenges in the retention and recruitment of the workforce required are compounding at an exponential rate thus endangering the continuity of care of thousands of vulnerable people. The Government must address the immediate funding gap, estimated at£2.5bn by 2020, alongside putting in place arrangements that secure access to this highly skilled and valued workforce as an integral part of its Brexit negotiations”. Care England has produced a briefing for its members regarding Brexit. The main focus is the recruitment and retention of foreign workers, including Registered Nurses, with particular reference to areas of the country that may be most at risk; for example in the South East of England 23% of the social care workforce is non-British, with regional unemployment at 3.7% compared with the North East of England which has only a 4% dependency on non-British social care workforce and has an unemployment rate of 4.4%. Martin Green continues: “In a sector characterised by low pay and negative stereotyping we are worried that a No Deal Brexit would cut off, or restrict, the foreign workers that we need and depend upon”.
The power of networks in adult social care
Good managers and leaders in social care are committed to embedding best practice through engaging with their peers, sharing information and growing their knowledge. The importance and value of networking shouldn’t be underestimated. Skills for Care facilitates registered manager networks, covering every local authority area in England. They offer registered managers the chance to meet locally with other like-minded managers who often face similar, everyday challenges. These networks are a great source of information and support for registered managers who can find themselves isolated in this pivotal role. They are led by network chairs, who are themselves registered managers and who understand the daily pressures of working in social care. Local networks meet at least three times a year and ensure topics are relevant to the attendees. Case study: a registered manager network in action Sam King is registered manager at Hightown Housing Association and also a network chair for Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. She talks about the many benefits of registered manager networks. “I’m really pleased with how the network has grown and the feedback I hear after each meeting. If a network can help even one manager feel more supported and less isolated then that’s great. Most of the registered managers in my organisation attend network meetings now – and I often hear my colleagues refer to it in other meetings – that’s a good sign! “Networks empower managers and are one way of helping them recognise just what an important part of the social care workforce they are. Some of our attendees are new managers and attending network meetings has increased their confidence. It’s a role that can feel lonely sometimes, but through attending they can see that everyone has the same sort of issues. Every manager attending also learns from the opportunities to share best practice that the network provides. The network has also been a good way to engage with stakeholders – everyone faces the same issues and sometimes having a group of people as a collective ensures that stakeholders receive one, consistent message. “Our network attendees have benefitted from hearing from local Care Quality Commission (CQC) representatives, the chance to raise issues and having a better understanding of CQC processes. This also supported relationship building; the inspector speaking to us was clear about wanting to work in partnership with us. “One of the things we are working on, as a network, is a list of the speakers we want to hear from in the future. We have National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) speaking to us soon about medicines management and we also want to ask our local authorities to attend the network to talk about local changes they are making. “Finally, thinking about what the network gives us as managers – I think it’s important not to underestimate the benefit of protected time away from a busy workload and service; every manager needs time to stop and reflect on things.” Join your local registered manager network Find out more about joining your local registered manager network here.
