Future-proofing social care is crucial for keeping up with and adapting to the needs of our communities. And it’s clear that many care providers are acutely aware of the importance of digital social care, with rapid progress having already been made.
However, challenges such as staff shortages, rising cost of care, lack of resource and subsequent competitive pay makes it harder for many providers to deliver the high-quality care they work tirelessly to provide.
Insufficient processes is another important part of this list; in our latest Care Trends Report 2024, 41% of care providers told us they currently have insufficient modern technology to support the running of their organisation.
In this article, we’re exploring some key things you may want to consider as you look for software that can support you for years to come.
Moving to a Digital Social Care: What To Look For
Dedicated software can help alleviate some of the key challenges that continue to muddy critical processes, offering functionality that simply wasn’t possible with traditional methods that many providers rely on.
Here are 3 key things you may want to look out for on your digital journey:
1. Interoperability and anytime, anywhere access
According to the Department of Health and Social Care, 1,300 providers who have introduced Digital Social Care Records (DSCRs) can access client GP records, with this integration being ‘a requirement of all assured suppliers next year and a major step forward in our work to join up systems between the NHS and social care.’ Having this immediate access to real-time information will mean your care teams are better able to provide joined up, holistic care to those you care for (so make sure your software provider has this on their development plan).
Plus, flexible working is often commonplace throughout the care sector. Whether you have office teams working remotely or care workers on the go, look out for cloud-based software with dedicated mobile applications. That’s because it becomes easier than ever for your staff to self-serve and have access to vital information at the click of a button, even without an internet connection.
2. Scalability
Part of futureproofing your digital journey is having secure software that adapts to your changing needs. That will mean moving away from rigid spreadsheets or paper-processes that are slowing you down. Instead, Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions are scalable to you, with updates managed entirely by your software provider. So not only can you access records from anywhere at any time, but you also gain seamless, centralised data management that keeps up with you.
And this means you can get clear, standardised data from across your entire organisation, putting you in a better position to make more informed decisions, provide evidence during inspections and see exactly where your focus needs to be.
3. Tackling your key challenges
The future of digital social care will likely go beyond just digital care records. We know this because in our own Care Trends Report 2024, 50% of care providers told us they are considering adopting payroll software, 45% are considering an invoice management solution, 42% are looking towards cloud finance and 39% would adopt risk management software.
So, as part of your future digital transformation, you may well want to focus on tackling the challenges your organisation faces in different service functions and operations. Perhaps you’ll be looking to introduce an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution so you can efficiently run your core operations, maybe you want to get control of your time and attendance to manage those complex rosters, or streamline manual financial processes.
The Future of Digital Social Care
Digital transformation is just one important part of shaping the future of social care. Sector-focused software can offer vital support to care organisations looking to enhance their current processes and build a stronger foundation to care for our communities for years to come.
Care Cloud is our DSCR Assured care business management solution for all types of care providers.
And you can check out our portfolio of solutions for the care sector here: Social Care Software