Local authorities are struggling to make the investment case for preventative digital care, according to a commission looking at proactive care services.
Led by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), the commission found the majority of the 50 social care leaders it heard from said that ‘a lack of evidence, guidance and best practice’ was hindering the adoption of technology enabled care.
Also led by the TEC Services Association (TSA), the most common issue heard by the commission was a focus on getting investment to purchase technology solutions, without a wider focus on how to transform care services.
ADASS and TSA have created a free-to-use blueprint for planning, implementing and scaling digital proactive and preventative care services.
Melanie Williams, ADASS president, executive director for Adult Social Care and Public Health at Nottinghamshire County Council, and co-chair of the commission said: ‘This work is a great example of how councils, TEC providers and people with lived experience can work together to develop a practical approach to support directors of adult social services to make the argument for introducing proactive and preventative services at a local level.’
