At Nourish Care we’re committed to continuously improving the accessibility and inclusivity of our technology, working towards our goal of developing a solution which truly works for everyone. We spoke to our Head of Product Design, Kate Horn, to learn more about our approach to embedding accessibility and inclusivity at the heart of our product design process.

“Accessibility and inclusivity have accidentally become a bit buzzwordy in the design world recently,” explains Kate, “and most definitely in health tech design. Why? Finally, we are all talking about ensuring that anyone can access the products we are creating. At Nourish these are not just words, they form the basis of design values that go right to our core, we are person-centred. We believe in a better life for everyone. To achieve this, we need to make sure anyone and everyone can use Nourish.”

“Honestly? They mean quite a lot of different things! 

“It is a common misconception that when we talk about accessibility, we are only talking about how we apply colours to designs and how we can make it high contrast. This is a factor, but it barely scratches the surface of the work to be done to make a platform, or an app genuinely accessible to anyone who wishes to use it.  

“Hold on a moment though, we are talking here about using something that is in your hand already. We need to take a step back and think about the technology and very basic level of access first and how, as designers, we can get the app into your hand or onto your desktop in the first instance. Given that you are reading this digitally, this is clearly not a problem for you but consider this; in 2022, 13-19 million people in the UK over 16 lived in a state of digital poverty. That means they did not have the tech, skill, or resources to fund internet access on one or more occasions a week.  

We cannot just build for the latest and most shiny versions of everything. Accessibility means we need to think about making sure what we create is available to everyone. In a way which does not exclude people, starting at the point of access and empowering them to enjoy the full experience of the platform.

“Inclusive” needs to go even further and it is worthy of a blog post on its own. For now, I want to touch on the importance of ensuring that inclusivity extends to individuals feeling genuinely included, seen and represented within our platforms.

First of all, we aim for the highest possible standard. There is a framework for accessibility in digital design for us to follow called WCAG. Within this there are levels, the highest of which is standard 2.2. This is what we strive to achieve. Standard 2.2 covers everything from the use of text, audio, layout, contrast, colour, platform adaptations, use of imagery, operational considerations, inputs, consistency of design and ensuring the platform is robust. And that’s just to start!

It is a solid start, however, a framework does not go far enough for accessibility and it doesn’t answer the requirement for inclusivity. To achieve this, there are several other elements to consider, starting with words.

Words are a powerful way for us to be both engaging and human, when used correctly. They are also one of the quickest ways for us to disconnect people from Nourish. If we describe areas of the platform or tasks using inhuman or technical language you first have to understand what we really mean and then have to choose if you really want to do it. We’re to make things simpler for you, not more complicated! So, step one for us is to speak in common English and start to create a comfortable experience.

Next on that list is understanding who we are designing for. This requires us to become so embedded in the health and care sector that we are a part of the furniture. Great insight means we understand the everyday challenges the people who are using our platform experience. This ensures we craft experiences for our platforms that work to solve these problems in a way that is comfortable for everyone.  

Throughout this blog I have used the words “anyone” and “everyone”. These are crucial terms for defining our approach. Typically, designers aim to design for the bell curve, that is, the biggest group of users.  

We simply cannot do this in health and social care. We have to step back and design solutions that truly work for anyone. This “flattening” of the curve is really important. It goes to the core of what we work to achieve as a company and the heart of our values as a design team. We want to create technology to truly wrap around the user in a great experience.

As users of Nourish will know, we’re continuously improving the accessibility and inclusivity of the platform, these really aren’t just buzzwords to us. We are working towards our goal of creating a system which can be easily used by anyone. There’s always more that can be done but by keeping these principles and our users at the heart of our design processes we are able to keep our person centred goals firmly in sight. 

Book a demo to find out more about Nourish and how we can work with anyone, and everyone in your community. 

Social care is in a state of change. Care providers tasked with being the steady hand through this change have consistently risen to the challenge. Despite having little control over the changes as they happen. At Nourish Care we are embracing this change by working with our users to develop a social care future we are all proud of.  With increasing standards, new regulations and extended funding availability it is clear now why so many care providers are embracing change themselves and switching to Nourish.  

Care providers have a wealth of options when choosing a digital partner. Under the original standards for the NHS Assured Solutions List (ASL) there are 24 Digital Social Care Records (DSCRs) to choose from. That’s without mentioning the systems who don’t reach these standards. The ASL is enjoying notable success so far, as it continues to work towards its target of 80% of care providers on DSCRs. Digitisation is widespread through social care now. To the point that many care providers are shopping around for a better system to match their service. 

The ASL was always intended as a starting point for the digitisation of social care. The Department of Health and Social Care has announced the second step of this journey, with the recent release of the 14 new standards for DSCRs on the ASL. We are one of the few providers to have achieved all 14 of these standards. You can read about the specifics of the standards here. 

We are the largest software supplier to have achieved the new standards. As well as being one of the first to get listed on the ASL following its initial launch. Our legacy of forward thinking and innovation consistently aligns us with the future direction of the social care sector. We are proud to be working closely with key decision makers in health and social care.  

We support care in a huge variety of settings. Including older person’s care, nursing, home care, learning disabilities, dementia, supported living, assisted living, substance abuse, mental health, children and young people and more. Each care setting is unique, and each care setting requires specific understanding to support effectively. 

Our experienced and understanding customer success and support teams will work with you to make sure our system fits your service. Whatever your needs are, and whatever they may become in the future.  

Once you switch to Nourish, we are with you every step of your journey. Should your journey lead you to new business opportunities we are the best equipped software supplier in social care to support your expansion. Whether you are focussed on a single type of care or support a range of different needs. 

You can also scale your functionality as desired, thanks to our comprehensive partnership programme. The programme unites key best-in-class innovators like Camascope for eMAR, Radar for incident management and PainChek for pain management. All while keeping a finger on the pulse for emerging technologies that will substantially impact the social care sector. 

Additionally, we offer more in-depth data packages called ‘Insights’ and ‘Analytics’. These features provide a much richer insight into the data gathered across your service. Perfect for larger care providers who collect vast swathes of information every day, but have no clear way to transform this potential into insightful, actionable information. 

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) rollout of their new Single Assessment Framework (SAF) is enduring some understandable teething challenges. Initialisms aside the ambition of the project remains clear. The regulator wants to streamline processes and better respond to the needs of the people who draw upon care.  

We facilitate these new developments as effectively as possible. We work with organisations like the Care Software Providers Association (CASPA) to share our voice and insights on the development of digital social care with key decision makers in local and national government. Our work on alignment with #socialcarefuture helps to guide the future of our system as much as they guide the future of the wider care communities. Socialcarefuture are the co-authors of the ‘I/We Statements’ that define the SAF scoring.  

There is always something new to be considered, a fresh function to be explored or a new piece of legislation to be adhered to.  

We cannot know the future; all we can do is prepare for it. We have read the tea leaves, built our houses from stone and made hay while the sun shone. All so we can continue to lead the way in digital social care, through innovation, understanding and collaboration. 

Social Care is in a state of change, and with that ever-present uncertainty comes a great opportunity. Switch to Nourish today and take control of your change, with your team, your service and your community.  

Connection is at the heart of care. We are defined by the bonds that link us to our communities. Bonds that came under intense stress throughout covid. A stress that is slowly easing as we work to rebuild our connections. A new fundamental standard has been established protecting the rights of residents to visitors and accompaniment. The new amendment in question builds upon the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and is a seen as a positive development for the sector by many providers.  

However, it will raise challenges around safeguarding and record keeping for residential care providers. Visitors are fantastic, but all activity in a care home needs to be monitored to some extent, and a sudden influx of guests and requests can swamp any team. Fortunately, there is technology available that can help you manage, monitor and promote connections in your community. 

In effect, the new regulation ensures: 

Crucially, this right is now a fundamental standard for the Care Quality Commission. Which means that they can include it in their inspection framework. This is a welcome development for families and care rights activists. Indeed, the opportunity to promote connections is a welcome development for everyone in care. Though care providers need to ensure that this new regulation is implemented safely and securely. 

Care homes welcoming more visitors will increase the strength of connections in their communities. It will also increase the need for protections for their residents. Policies and procedures are essential to safeguarding the people who draw upon their support. These policies and procedures will need to be consented by and applied to all visitors. Providers ensure the safety of their residents by adhering to this process. 

These are challenges that are made more complex when using a paper-based registration system. Visitors sign in and out in one book, which raises privacy concerns by publicly displaying visitor’s personal information. A book that quickly becomes a litany of GDPR pitfalls and unutilised data.

e-Reception Book offers a safe, secure and simple solution to these challenges. The iPad based system logs all visitors and contractors. A digital login provides a secure and positive experience upon entry, one that guarantees alignment with the relevant regional and personal standards of your service. You can fully brand your login to provide a modern and welcoming first impression of your home to start all new relationships off on the right foot! 

Staff can also sign in through the system. Set up access control fobs or a smartphone applications so your team can easily check in and out of their shifts. This has the added benefit of giving your managers a fully up to date staff attendance record. One that can be easily evidenced to regulators as part of the new single assessment framework. 

The new regulation is widely welcomed by the social care community because it promotes more visitors to care homes. E-Reception Book not only supports and simplifies this process, but it can also be used to encourage it. With e-Reception Book it is possible to register guests in advance of them arriving at your care home. This allows for a more seamless and efficient check-in experience, as all their information will be prepopulated when they arrive.  

Additionally, you have the option to send pre-registered guests an invitation email in your branding, containing information on who they will be meeting, details on the time and date of the meeting, directions and a QR code for scanning upon arrival. You can even set up notifications so that your carers are made aware of when a visitor arrives at the home. 

Enhance your care by utilising the abundance of data at your fingertips. The e-Reception Book dashboard gives you a comprehensive overview of visitor and staff check-in history. It also provides an overview of your visitor history, fire list and site settings. It allows you to export detailed reports, based on your visitor categories. A useful tool for tracking, analysing and evidencing your visitor information. For multi home providers there is also a global dashboard that enables you manage a centralised staff check-in system while still allowing for customisation so you can set up site-specific requirements and visitor experiences as desired. 

The e-Reception Book contains a suite of further features for care homes. Up to date fire evacuation lists, document signing immediately saved to your database, a comprehensive staff companion app to keep them informed and feedback capture when checking out of the care home. All of which is manageable, recordable and evidencable from one simple platform. With roles and permissions to make sure that you only give access to this information to who you want, and not just anyone able to pick up the book. 

Digitisation makes things simpler by design. This is an easier bridge to build when dealing with technical processes. When dealing with something as fundamentally human as promoting personal connections between residents and visitors there is an understandable scepticism. With digitisation the gap between intention and application can be significant when improperly pursued. A gap we’ve seen appear with new social care regulations as well. Learn how you can bridge this gap and promote connections with e-Reception Book.    

Teamwork makes the dream work, though a good partnership is hard to find. At Nourish Care we are committed to working with our users throughout their digitisation journey. A journey that continues beyond tomorrow’s horizon and into the future of care. The results of our partnerships are present for the over 385,000 people who are cared for with Nourish software solutions. People define partnerships, and by putting partnerships at the centre of our approach we ensure that people are always our focus.  

From the moment you first speak to Nourish there will be someone on our side working with you every step of your journey. This applies to care providers of all shapes, sizes and disciplines. 

Digitisation can take time, whether you are looking to reshape systems or just starting off your journey. We make sure all our users have the right guidance alongside them to make this process as smooth as possible for your team and as specific as necessary for your community.  

Project managers are available to help care home groups and large franchises transition to Nourish. They work with your team to ensure an effective digital rollout. We have dedicated customer success managers to work with medium and smaller care providers, as well as being another helping hand for large groups. These managers are adept at supporting the unique needs that emerge when providing care for your community. They know how to guide our users during their set-up process to ensure you receive the maximum benefits from Nourish. 

Our partnership doesn’t end at the onboarding. We continually work with our users. Offering you an open line and a dedicated point of contact for your service, so you can continue to grow the way you want to and flourish with Nourish. You can read more about how Nourish has supported the teams and growth of home care providers Nexus Care and Priory Group’s care homes.

Visit our Case Studies page for more examples.

Expertise is essential to success, and our partnerships with services excel at combining our knowledge with yours. We have researched and developed robust libraries alongside care and clinical professionals with a deep understanding of the sector and needs of the population. Each library contains interactions, assessments, care plan templates and more for managing specific pathways, conditions, needs and day-to-day operational requirements. 

We combine this wealth of best practise and experience with your understanding of your community’s needs. Nourish boasts a depth of customisability. This promotes the individuality of your service in line with the established requirements of commissioners and regulators. The only assets that are not customisable are locked to ensure compliance with a particular protocol or standard. This empowers your coordinators to wrap your system around your service and provide for the specific needs of your community. 

There is a reason we are the largest software supplier for social care in the UK. We do not settle for general. Nourish is filled with functionality that supports the unique requirements of different care types. Including residential, domiciliary, nursing, assisted living, learning disabilities and many more. 

Strong rostering is the backbone of efficient home care management. We built our rostering with over a decade of experience working with home care providers. It can be set up on repeating schedules of up to a month. Our drag and drop rostering and customisable carer rating system gives you the tools to quickly adapt to changing circumstances with your workforce and the people they support. Your rostering can then be simply invoiced and time-sheeted with our comprehensive finance functionality. Ensuring you pay everyone the right amount at the right time.  
 
Nourish’s mobile app for home care is another product of our strong partnerships with care services. We work with providers to keep our app up to date and empowering their care teams and communities. Carers know where they’re going and what they’re doing, while keeping you up to date on how it went through their appointment notes and audit tracker.  Travel times, upcoming schedule, care types, medications and notes are all designed alongside carers and available offline. So your team have everything they need, anywhere they go.

Nourish is designed by care professionals for busy care environments, combining icons, imagery and text to create a smooth, easy experience. Keeping carers informed is crucial in residential settings as well. The care plan summary on our care home mobile app provides a detailed and concise snapshot on mobile for a particular need to ensure nothing gets missed and you have all the information available. Carers have access to all the information on the mobile app which empowers care teams. They can see the handover, review recent and historic appointment notes. A level of autonomy unrivalled by any other DSCR platform. The app also features ‘back’ and ‘save’ buttons wherever you go so no records can be lost when completing a record/interaction. 
 
Data is a hot topic, but one that has burnt the finger of many a service. With Nourish managing data can become a simple part of your daily process. We provide several prebuilt dashboards within our system to provide data oversight to your team. These dashboards can become a cornerstone or a starting off point for your team’s application of data. We have experienced people on our team to help you get what you need from your data in your reporting. So you can focus on providing, responsive, effective care.

All of our success at Nourish has come through collaboration. Collaboration between our teams, between our integration partners and between our users. We believe the best solutions are produced through teamwork. A process without an end, but an enduring, enjoyable journey. We’re in this for the long haul, with true partnerships, the lasting kind.  

Care to join us? 

Digital technology is a key part of the future of social care. A future the majority of care providers have already embraced. Digital social care records are a common sight, and many users are familiar with the benefits and potential of digital technology. Benefits that vary from platform to platform. The decision is no longer about finding a digital platform, but about finding the right digital platform for your service. An increase in digital literacy and skills experienced across the social care workforce has led many providers to reconsider their care management platforms, and shop around for new options before switching digital social care records systems.  

If you are shopping around for a better platform for your service but are concerned about the process of switching to a new digital social care records system, we understand. The change from one digital platform to another is not the same as ‘going digital’ in the first place.  

We put together this blog, based on our extensive experience onboarding users to our platform, to help familiarise care providers with the realities of switching digital platform. 

As with all things in care technology, and all things in care in general, people play the defining role. Switching systems is not going to be seamless. The simple reality of the technology is there is no small combination of clicks that will move your database from one system to another. They are not built for it. That’s why people still define the experience. 

Our user support teams, from onboarding, to client success and support have years of digital care experience. As well as many of us having started our careers in care. We understand the challenges of changing on both a technical and emotional level. 

Switching digital social care records means different things for different providers. Much like when first picking a system, the process is shaped by your unique service. Our experienced teams will take the time to get to know what makes you unique, guiding you through the transition.  

Our focus is on collaboration, throughout all stages of your Nourish Care experience. We are active participants alongside you, to ensure you retain everything you need from your previous records and can apply it appropriately to the features of your new system. This collaborative process helps reduce the impact of the transition on your teams and the people utilising your service, especially for larger providers with multiple branches. 

It is vital you have the records you need, when you need them. Our focus on collaboration means you can highlight the hierarchy of information you need transferred, in a secure, and reliable way. Throughout this process it is crucial your data is kept secure.  Nourish is at the forefront of digital security standards. 

We work with the Professional Records Standards Body to develop standards for social care. We are also fully ISO 27001:2022 certified in line with Local Authority commissioning guidance and Cyber Essentials Plus certified. These certifications reflect our commitment to preserving the confidentiality, integrity and availability of your system.  

Data requires storage and Nourish backs up data continuously to a cloud-based system. We do not use onsite data stores and all our cloud-provided solutions are backed up automatically and built into our disaster recovery plan and testing. This ensures the highest standard of security for the data of our users and the people they support. 

A new system is a whole new world, a new fantastic point of view. You can build upon the processes you have previously developed or create new ones. We have a deep library of resources available for all our users, backed up by our experienced and understanding support teams.  

There is no set way to apply digital systems to your service and community. It is a natural learning process discovering how to best utilise the tools at your disposal. At Nourish we have seen our users come up with creative and innovative applications, specific to the needs of the people who draw upon their support. In fact, some of these ideas have proven so effective we’ve asked to share them with other Nourish users!  

Everything should be as simple as it can be, but not simpler. An adage that proves truer with each new piece of digital technology released in social care. In the past five years we’ve seen simplicity give way to necessity, and now necessity turn into potential. Finding the right digital partner for your service can help unlock your potential for the future. The process can be intimidating at the start, but with the right people, and the right support, you’ll only have to change systems once. 

If you’d like to find out more about the benefits and process of switching to Nourish contact us. 

Digital technology has rooted itself in social care over the past few years. There are a lot of options for care providers looking digital social care software, ranging in size, shape and functionality. Over 60% of providers have some form of digital social care records, with more digitising every month. This shows the adaptability of the care sector as it utilises new tools to address long standing challenges. However, with these new tools come new challenges too, and many providers are starting to realise not just the power of using digital technology, but the potential of using the right digital technology. 
 
Finding the right technology is like finding the right people. You must know who you are and what you want, to get what your service needs. Are you looking for cutting edge innovations and reporting to transform your processes? Do you want to shape your system to your community and improve how you engage with the people you support’s circle of care? Is reliability, in both technology and people, your focus? Your requirements list may include all of these and so much more, your current digital system may meet some of your requirements but might fall down in other areas. It’s important to review whether your current system is working for your service and if there might be a better system out there that truly enhances the important work you do. In this blog we cover why it might be time for you to switch to Nourish. 

Social care is in a state of change. Departed from the old standards but still developing its true form. This can breed uncertainty as much as excitement for digital social care software users. That is why Nourish are always engaging with decision makers, researchers and care sector leaders to make sure our user’s voices are heard. We have consistently led the way for digital innovations in care at both the technical and legislative level. We were the first digital social care records system to join the NHS England Assured Solutions List, as we wanted to make it as easy as possible for care providers to go digital. We are also the first supplier to attain level 3 conformance against Professional Records Standards Body’s (PRSB) standards for personalised care and support planning.  

We lead the discussion about future developments of digital social care through our role with Care Software Providers Association (CASPA). While taking steps to innovate the relationships between existing software suppliers in social care with our Partnership Programme. We accept it is not possible to know for sure what form the future will take, but it is well within our powers to prepare for it.   

One of the major benefits of increased digital system application in social care comes from how we use our data. Every interaction generates data, each appointment, activity and report. Many care providers are sitting on a wealth of information with no way to spend it on the people they support. Nourish’s robust reporting suite empowers users to take control of their data. We give you the tools to identify trends, respond accordingly and review the success of these changes. With more information at their fingertips coordinators and carers can respond effectively to the needs of the people drawing upon your service, in a safe, well led manner. 

We include several prebuilt dashboards within our system, to help our users get what they need. These dashboards can become a cornerstone or a starting off point for your team’s application of data. We want to demystify digital and help everyone in your organisation use a digital system to improve human care.  

Care is human and so are we. That might seem like a strange thing for a software supplier to proclaim. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from years of developing technology, it’s that people drive everything. That’s why people remain central to the Nourish experience. With us, there is always a human on hand to help. From your onboarding stages, through to our comprehensive Customer Success Managers and support teams. We maintain a high standard for user experience and support because we appreciate the people that drive social care. For all the impressive and effective technical advancements we make, there are some things that will always require a personal touch.  

The people who utilise your service require a personal touch too. We know that no two care providers are the same. Geography, demography, psychography, the number of varying factors is off the charts! That’s why Nourish is built to be customisable. You can match your system to your service and ensure it delivers exactly what you need. This customisability empowers your team to provide truly person-centred care, with more information and less effort than ever before! There’s no need to force your community to fit into a box off the shelf. Our team will work with you during your onboarding to make sure Nourish is set up exactly how you want it to be. We can even help introduce you to new features and functionality that align with your service! 

Introductions can be tricky things in fairness. Especially when it comes to those we love. With the increase in digital social care solutions there has been an increase in accessibility. Naturally, interested family members and friends are curious to learn more about the care their loved one receives. Family portals offer a great opportunity to share this insight. However, it can also be a challenge. With Nourish you stay in control. Welcome people into the world of care you provide, while still maintaining control over what they can and can’t see. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution in care, but thanks to our customisability you can easily find the size that fits your community. 

Of course, you only want the people with invitations to have access to your system. Security is paramount to us here at Nourish. With 83 million rostered appointments in last 12 months in home care and 10 million residential data records updated on care plans every day in Nourish we know how crucial security is and we are dedicated to protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of your system. 

Nourish backs up data continuously to a cloud-based system. We do not use onsite data stores and all our cloud-provided solutions are backed up automatically and built into our disaster recovery plan and testing. This ensures the highest standard of security for the data of our users and the people they support. 

We worked with the PRSB to develop standards for social care. We are also fully ISO 27001:2022 certified in line with Local Authority commissioning best practice and Cyber Essentials Plus certified. 

Digital social care systems have come a long way in the past few years. So have the people using them. Digital literacy is at an all-time high, and care providers are experienced enough to ask software suppliers detailed questions they wouldn’t have thought of previously. These are important questions to finding the right system for your service, and ones we’d be delighted to answer if you contact us.  

With so many options available to care providers today, is it time for you to branch out? 

Growth requires reflection. The first step to getting what you want is knowing what you need. Our previous blog went through steps for evaluating your existing system. Once you have a clear understanding of your current processes and needs, you can start to develop your vision for how to satisfy them. As you may be aware, there are a lot of options available. Since the launch of the ‘Digitising Social Care’ campaign in April 2021 the number of social care software suppliers on the Assured Solutions List has grown by 450%. This is a source of great opportunity and reasonable consternation for providers. In a crowded market it can be hard to settle on the right choice for you, but with the right questions and advice you can find the right system. 

Care is a community, and it is in our communities we find the best answers. Speaking to other providers about their experiences with different technologies is a fantastic place to gain a better understanding of what is available on the market. People with first-hand experience of a system can highlight its strengths and weaknesses in the specific context of their service. While your service might not align entirely with theirs, direct experience with technology in a care setting is a valuable insight for your decision-making process. 
 
There are several ways to gain insights or ‘social proof’ from other care providers. The most straightforward route is asking for case studies from existing tech suppliers in care. All suppliers will have a selection ready to go, and most should be able to give you a case study that is similar to your size and structure. However, these will obviously come with a bias towards the company that wrote them.

Social media groups and online care communities are a great source of social proof. There are a number of groups on social media platforms, like Facebook and LinkedIn, which you can join. These range in size and location and are typically filled with like minded care providers looking to support each other. There are also local care associations and paid provider community networks you can join.

Once you have enough examples of the digital systems available to you, you can put together a shortlist of viable choices. Start with key necessities or ‘must haves’ and build from there such as: care type supported, customer experience reputation and interoperability capacity.  
 
This initial list might be very long, it can help to organise the information important to you in a spreadsheet to make it easier to compare your options.

After completing a self-evaluation, you should have a list of questions for potential digital care suppliers that help illustrate how they would address your service needs. These questions will form the backbone of your assessment when engaging with the short list of potential systems. 
 
All digital providers will be happy to give you a free demonstration of their system. These are generally whistlestop tours of the system, highlighting the strengths of the platform and how they relate to your service. Your self-evaluation will help you focus the discussion and direct the person showing you the system to the features most pertinent to you.  
 
In many instances it is possible to record these demonstrations so you can share them with your service. As the new system will impact everyone in your service, it is beneficial to share your insight into the options available with your teams and gain their perspectives as well.

Digital systems can be transformative, but selecting the right one can be time-consuming. It is important to understand the nature of the agreements you are being offered as well. If you are about to enter a two-year contract, all of these evaluations and discussions with other providers will be worth it! 
 
It is also possible that through your evaluation you may conclude that there isn’t a better alternative currently available on the market. If that’s the case, then it’s a good prompt to engage more forcefully with your current provider to influence them to align with your requirements.

Find out more about the benefits of Nourish by contacting our team for a personalised demonstration of our platform.

Digital systems have gone from a ‘nice to have’ to a ‘need to have’ in social care. Most providers have moved to a digital system or are in the process of implementing one. With widespread digital uptake the question has changed from; ‘are you using a digital system?’ to ‘are you using the right digital system for your service?’

Just under two years ago the government launched its ‘Digitising Social Care’ campaign, delivering the three year £150 million investment for digitally transforming adult social care, as was set out in the 2021 white paper, People at the Heart of Care.

This campaign built on a decade of digitisation in Social Care that, driven in part by the pandemic, had seen care providers take on a variety of different digital systems to help them deliver outstanding care.

The driving force of the ‘Digitising Social Care’ campaign has focussed on ensuring 80% of providers, and at least 80% of people in receipt of care, have a Digital Social Care Record (DSCR) in place by March 2024. While it fell slightly shy of this target, there has still been a significant uptake in digital social care records from the 40% of providers using them at the start of the campaign. These positive results have led to the government extending funding for the campaign until March 2026.

Nourish Care was the first system to join the NHS England Assured Solutions List back in 2021. Since then, the list has grown significantly, so how do you choose the right one?

Incompatibility between systems and services is a rising source of operational frustration for providers. ‘All-in-one’ systems can be limited by the applicability and lack the resources to support more complex or person-centred care, while specialised systems can be disconnected, leaving your team to fill in the gaps between them manually.

Routine system evaluations are a great way to uncover and address these frustrations. This process involves identifying the issues with the platform you are using and evaluating the impact of this issue on your organisation. It takes time and effort to establish the best criteria sets for your service. We have included a guide which you can use to help you get started.

Digitisation has impacted everyone involved in care, so it is best practice to include your entire organisation in the evaluation process. Any frustrations caused by your digital system will be felt by carers and coordinators alike.

Your organisation has multiple roles and responsibilities, and it is important to involve them in your evaluation process through interviews and surveys. An example of some common roles are:

If possible, you should also involve the people who utilise your service in this process, such as when evaluating the effectiveness of integrations with other systems like PainChek or GP Connect as well as circle of care functionality like a family portal.

The more experiences you can account for when evaluating your system, the more complete your picture of its impact will be.

Digitisation in Social Care happened at such a rapid pace since COVID that, understandably, some people have been left behind. When evaluating the impact of your system it is important to consider not just the functionality, but also the user experience.

Do your team feel confident not only with the system, but with the support they have around it? Are there resources and training available to help your team improve their understanding of the system? Is there a customer support team they can reach out to for guidance and support?

Many issues with digital systems come from their misapplication. When evaluating your current digital platform, it is vital to consider your team’s comfort with the system. It might be a matter of reviewing and reworking the way you are implementing the system, as opposed to changing your system all together.

To provide outstanding care, you must constantly be reviewing and improving upon your processes in a responsive and caring way. It is natural to expect the same of your system, as you both adapt to the always evolving reality of care provision.

Digital skills develop over time, and with that time it is common to look for more ways to apply your skills to support your care, such as through data reporting and analysis. By routinely reviewing the capabilities of yourself and your system you can make sure you are maximising the benefits of your digitisation journey.

With so many options available to care providers for digital systems, it is the perfect time to review the needs of your service and community. There is a wealth of suppliers eager to explain their system and its capabilities to you. By knowing what you have and what you want from a digital platform, you will be well-equipped to get what you need.

At Nourish we are well versed in helping people to transition from an underperforming digital system to ours. We have resources, guides and team members who would be delighted to talk to you about the process further. If you would like to learn more contact us.

The government has released a ‘What Good Looks Like’ (WGLL) guide for Local Authorities and care providers in England. This guide builds on the ‘People at the Heart of Care’ white paper from 2021. The guidance is aimed at individuals who have responsibility for digital transformation. In both local authorities and care provider organisations. It provides an aspirational framework to help them shape the future of digital solutions in social care.

The paper is focused on England. But it offers good practice and practical advice relevant to care providers across the UK and Ireland. We’ve summarised its key points in a series of blogs. To help Nourish users and others in social care learn from the White Paper.

The new WGLL framework comprises 7 success measures divided into three categories. The three sections are Digitise, Connect and Transform.

“Effective use of digital technology, data and processes can support the delivery of outstanding quality and personalised care and support at the right place and at the right time.”

Ultimately, digitisation is about improving care. The pursuit of this goal lies at the heart of every improvement that digitisation can bring. By saving time and money through digitisation, you can reinvest it in the care your team provides. Improving outcomes for the people who draw upon your service.

Digital care management platforms, such as Nourish Care, can help you to improve your application of the data you are already gathering every day. By examining this data and applying the information it gives you to the continual development of your care. Empowering you to be dynamic, responsive and collaborative in your approach to care provision.

This can be through studying trends that were previously more difficult to recognise. Building case studies over time on specific clients to better personalise their care. Or sharing experiences from different carers with the whole team in easily accessible documents sent directly to each person. There are a wide range of ways to use digital tools to improve the standards of your care.

This benefit is not dependent on spending a lot of money on new technology or hardware. As habits, successes, and even mistakes are all held in the same system, it becomes much easier to track them, learn from them, and adapt your approach.

Of course, it is vital to know where you are starting from. Make sure you record your current practice before making any changes, otherwise you won’t have a record of the improvements you are making!

If you would like to learn more about how Nourish can help you improve your services you can read our case studies on how Quality Home Care made significant savings or how Priory Group improved their focus on outcomes for over 2,300 residents.

“Having good data to understand and plan for the needs of the population (whether at a community level or individual level) means that we can reduce inequalities and improve outcomes for all people.” 

You can change the way you provide care by using data effectively. By monitoring your care, you can gain insights you wouldn’t otherwise get. To ensure effectiveness, it must be balanced with a human approach.

Data security is vital for ensuring the privacy of your team and the people who utilise your care. You must also keep in mind the ethics of data collection. The danger is that when people are reduced to numbers and data points, you start to see them that way.

Co-production offers an effective bulwark against these bad habits. By involving people in the process of shaping their care, and keeping them in control of their own data you empower both the people themselves, and the service they are a part of.

The same rings true for finding the right digital partner. When you work with a supplier who understands your goals, and works with you and your community, you can ensure that together you use data securely and ethically. We have previously discussed the importance of Safe Practise in the What Good Looks Like guide. When considering the health of people in social care both the security of the data and how you apply the information you have gathered are crucial to your success.

We have worked closely with both third party developers and County Councils to develop innovative applications of data in care through our Partnership Programme. The Nourish Partnership Programme (NPP) unites key best-in-class innovators like Camascope for eMAR, Radar for incident management and PainChek for pain management whilst keeping a finger on the pulse for emerging technologies that will have a big impact on the social care sector. 

If you’d like to learn more about the power of data and how we work with providers to help them harness the power at their fingertips you can read our case studies. See how Abney & Baker utilised our Application Programming Interface to improve their service. You can also read about how going digital helped transform Hampshire County Council 16 adult social care services.

The government has released a ‘What Good Looks Like’ (WGLL) guide for Local Authorities and care providers in England. This guide builds on the ‘People at the Heart of Care’ white paper from 2021. The guidance is aimed at individuals who have responsibility for digital transformation. In both local authorities and care provider organisations. It provides an aspirational framework to help them shape the future of digital solutions in social care.

The paper is focused on England. But it offers good practice and practical advice relevant to care providers across the UK and Ireland. We’ve summarised its key points in a series of blogs. To help Nourish users and others in social care learn from the White Paper.

The new WGLL framework comprises 7 success measures divided into three categories. The three sections are Digitise, Connect and Transform.

This guidance builds on the NHS What Good Looks Like framework and can be applied alongside the What Good Looks Like guidance for nursing. The DHSC page also contains a range best practice guides for digital working, and further supportive resources here.

In our second blog we are focussing on the ‘Connect’ category.

“Supporting your workforce means developing a skilled, capable workforce who can confidently identify, recommend and use appropriate technology safely and effectively for people drawing on social care.”

When it comes to supporting your workforce, it’s about trusting them and empowering them to use the digital tools available to them and to those who use your services.

When supporting your workforce it is important to keep in mind that digital literacy is commonplace in today’s society. Almost everyone utilises some form of digital technology each day from Facebook, to Whatsapp, Fitbits, alarms and even banking. We live in a world of digital technology, to the extent we often overlook just how skilled we are with digital tools.

Care Roadshows invited us to take part in a series of panels on Balancing Technology and Human Connection. In Glasgow, Quality Compliance Systems Head of Social Care Content Lindsay Rees discussed the importance of understanding ‘Why’, and how the purpose of digitisation must be understood by all in your organisation.

In spring of last year, in response to Sajid Javid’s comments on digitisation in social care, we examined digital literacy in social care. Our analysis of the Ipsos Mori Polling revealed there is far greater understanding and use of digital tools in social care than was being openly discussed, especially in domiciliary care settings.

Time and again we have seen that the social care workforce is highly capable and adaptable to change. With support to learn new skills and clarity on the benefits of doing so, carers will excel in utilising digital tools in their provision of care.

You can read about the experience so many of our own team have working in care here. Experience that shapes the way we approach digital social care every day.

“A person-centred approach to the design and use of digital technologies can improve people’s quality of life and wellbeing and support independence.”

We believe that the Local Government Association said it best when they defined empowerment as ‘treating people as equal citizens’.

True empowerment comes from partnership, not dictation. Where people, services and systems work together to realise the ambitions we all share for better care. Our ability to understand each other and the challenges we face is much greater when we work together.

Care is based in community, and digitisation should be approached in the same way, as a communal undertaking. This means co-producing care with both the people who will be providing the care, and those who will be utilising it and co-producing your digitisation with partner who works alongside your team to build the most effective solution.

We specialise in working with care providers to create the best digital solution for your service, if you would like to learn more about this process you can see our case study with: Encompass Care or Winserve Care, or reach out to us directly.