Innovation journey inspires at NCF Conference

Over the past two years, Community Integrated Care have been exploring how we can utilise the power of technology to transform lives by giving people full control on how, where and when they want to be supported, through our landmark Technology Enabled Care (TEC) project. Our Managing Director for Technology Enabled Care, Joanna Scammell, shares an update on our journey so far in TEC, and being invited to share our work at the National Care Forum’s CEO and Director’s Conference:-

“After hearing about the exciting work we’ve been doing at Community Integrated Care to drive sector reform, the National Care Forum wanted to know more to share it with their members.

The National Care Forum (NCF) is the leading association for not-for-profit social care and support organisations, and this year’s conference titled ‘Reform to Reality’ focussed on six themes that encompass the big hitting issues facing social care, including levelling up social care; real people, real experiences; digital innovation; among others. So, I was thrilled when I was asked to take part in this year’s CEO and Director’s Conference to talk about our exciting work on Technology Enabled Care.

In a room full of senior leaders from around the care sector, I was able to share the story of our journey so far, the challenges we’ve had to overcome, what’ve learned along the way, as well as the successes we’ve started to achieve!

It was great to also hear what other organisations were doing, to learn from others, as well as being able to talk about the development of our connected care platforms.

Our journey so far

We’re working towards creating a solution that links together all elements of a person’s care.

With our solution, scheduled wellbeing calls provide company and a friendly face, while curated content provides safe entertainment and fun. Discreet sensors and smart devices give the support teams a fuller picture and patterns of behaviour, and triggers in the programme will quickly match the most appropriate response.

Instant contact can be made over video calls allowing support staff to assess the situation and respond accordingly. We’re able to keep everyone up to date, with notifications for colleagues within the team, and are able to record this instantly in their Nourish digital care plan.

Since we launched our first pilot in 2020, we’ve been trialling different ways to use technology to improve the lives of the people we support to increase their independence, choice and control. It’s been incredible to see the impact this approach has started to have on people’s wellbeing and confidence. Through the right blend of direct physical care and care delivered virtually, confidence can increase, people feel freer to choose the activities they want, while still having the interaction and in-person physical support that they need.

I am proud of everything we have accomplished so far, and I’m excited by the prospects ahead. It was my pleasure to share our approach with the care community and I hope it serves to motivate the sector to consider the incredible possibilities that open up when you combine innovative technology with high quality support.

With the government essentially putting social care reform on the backburner, after delaying the cap until at least 2025, it is more important than ever to find new ways that we can bridge the chasm between funding and the need for high quality care. I truly believe Technology Enabled Care can be an integral part of the solution to achieve this and much more.”

Joanna Scammell is the Managing Director of Technology Enabled Care at Community Integrated Care.