Transforming Adult Social Care: The Role of Technology in Budget Planning
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ADASS Sponsored Content November 2023
Content written by The Access Group
As we are less than half a year away from the new financial year, updating budget plans to commission care and support to meet the needs of local people is crucial to improving quality of life, and delaying or preventing future care needs.
Budget planning undoubtedly can get more complex each year especially as our social care market is getting more stretched. Many regions are struggling with different social care challenges. Whether it’s discharge delays or staffing issues, the majority of local authorities have suffered in some way.
One way this process can be made more streamlined is through digitally transforming processes so local authorities can plan and navigate challenges accordingly.
What are the challenges of budget planning in social care?
There are a number of challenges when budget planning social care for the next financial year, some of the main ones include:
- Increased levels and complexity of need
- Staff shortages
- Budgeting and funding constraints
As we are all aware the increasing need for social care is stretching budgets further increasing the risk of both the quality and availability of care reducing.
The limited budgets make local authorities apprehensive about investing in new technologies. In fact, in a recent survey, we found that nearly a quarter of respondents put software not meeting all their needs as their primary concern when investing in new technology to overcome commissioning challenges.
How can technology help streamline budget planning in social care?
To budget effectively for the next financial year your local authority must evaluate how effective the last year has been to identify gaps and room for improvement.
Technology is another great way to help you budget plan effectively. Digitally transforming processes helps local authorities have more flexibility, making it easier to meet need, achieve your objectives, and deliver better person-centred care.
- Care Management
Through using care management solutions both early planning and contingency plans can be made well in advance to assess potential challenges, allocate resources, and coordinate efforts with relevant partners.
Contingency planning enables care providers and care homes to prepare for severe weather events, transport disruptions, and other potential emergencies that may occur to ensure staff can still deliver the care and support needed with minimal disruption.
Care planning can become more flexible and adapt in real-time as care needs change as well as allow support workers to be notified of these changes through mobile apps so visits can be consistent and prevent the continuity of care from reducing.
Demand Modelling technology can make early planning easier by allowing local authorities to monitor their activity levels more closely and predict future levels of need with up to 99% accuracy.
- Prevent risk
Being able to prevent risks helps local authorities prepare for the next financial year. Risk Profiler solutions bring together a range of intelligent data sources to highlight providers at various stages of risk.
These data insights help local authorities keep a watchful eye over the provider market to minimise user disruption and allow your local authority to monitor risks across different care types and locations consistently.
- Better Continuing Health Care
Investing in commissioning solutions is a way to offer a full end-to-end process for ICB’s continuing healthcare commissioning activity.
This can help local authorities manage demand better by streamlining processes so patients can receive the care packages needed based on their needs.
- Preventative measures
Finally, investing in technology to deliver better preventative measures can help local authority’s budgets stretch further in the long run by reducing future care needs.
Investing in technology enabled care and assistive technologies for example increases independence by allowing individuals to remain living at home knowing support is there when they need it.
Having digital telecare that offers both reactive alarms as well as digital insights can offer your local authority better proactive and preventative care. Families can be reassured from afar about their loved ones’ wellbeing, and both GP attendance and hospital admissions can be reduced.
Equally investing in digital social prescribing can help reduce demand by managing the wider social determinants of health better so communities can live happier and healthier lives without increased anxiety exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis.
It is essential when investing in digital technology that your local authority knows and understands the needs of their community to get the best return on investment. We welcome all ADASS members to explore the variety of local government software that is available to help your community deliver better proactive and preventative care both now and in the future.