If you need funding to set up digital social care records, contact your local Integrated Care System (ICS). ICSs are partnerships of organisations that come together to plan and deliver joined up health and care services in an area. They have replaced Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).
Each ICS sets their own priorities and processes for applying for funding. To find out more, find your local ICS contact:
North East and Yorkshire
Contact Information
Digital Records Enabling and Management Support (DREaMS) Team – dreamsteam@eastriding.gov.uk
Overview
The programme has a place-based approach and funding will be used for delivery and care home digitisation. The funding will support increasing digitisation within social care by enabling the adoption of care technologies such as digital social care records that will enhance the quality, safety, and efficiency of social care.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
We will use a proven grant funding approach, which will involve robust processes. This process is through an online grant system, whereby a provider will submit the request for a product, supplying quotes to ensure validity. This will then be reviewed by the locality groups and the Digital Ops Forum, following the governance structure included in the plan. All approvals will then be made on the system. The provider will have to sign the contract before any funding is released. The contract has a clause to ensure an invoice is submitted after implementation, to prove appropriate spend and also a commitment to contribute to any benefits realisation work. This will provide transparency and auditable trails of expenditure and outcomes.
Contact Information
All enquiries should be directed to: syicb-sheffield.disc@nhs.net
Overview
Our local priority is to support our CQC registered adult social care (ASC) providers who are currently reliant on paper-based systems to move to assured digital social care record systems.
In year two we are:
- continuing to contact all providers (care homes and domiciliary care)
- surveying domiciliary care providers about digital maturity
- opening our grant offer to domiciliary care providers who are using paper records
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
To access the funding CQC registered ASC providers need to complete our baseline survey and then complete an expression of interest form, which will be assessed for eligibility and to determine the amount of funding that can be provided. Successful applications will then be required to sign up to a memorandum of understanding before the funding is released.
Providers will need to:
- contact suppliers and agree costs for their specific care setting (only assured suppliers will be supported) - exact costs and the supplier do not need to be known to complete the EOI
- identify their organisations matched funding contribution (in-kind, time / existing costs)
- confirm their commitment to implement and share their experiences to support wider adoption across South Yorkshire
ASC providers already using a digital system are not eligible for funding.
Contact Information
Please contact your relevant local authority representative for any queries or to progress with implementing a DSCR or falls prevention technologies
- Bradford District and Craven – asc.systems@bradford.gov.uk
- Calderdale – DSCR@Calderdale.gov.uk
- Kirklees – Chris Porter, Service Development Manager - Chris.Porter@kirklees.gov.uk
- Leeds – DSCR@leeds.gov.uk
- Wakefield – Zoe Carney, ICT Business Transformation Manager – zcarney@wakefield.gov.uk
Overview
Digital social care record (DSCRs) solutions play an important role in joining up the NHS and social care. They have the ability to free up time spent by care workers on administrative tasks, releasing more time to care and equipping them with the information they need at the point of care.
In West Yorkshire we are focusing on implementing DSCRs for those care providers who are already capturing data electronically or who have local plans to implement a DSCR in the first instance and then scaling out to other care providers. We also see falls prevention as a priority, so are keen to work with care providers to implement acoustic monitoring solutions for falls prevention.
We would like to support our care providers to implement and gain the most benefit from these digital tools. We will work in partnership with the care providers to progress this work.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
The provider or group of providers will be supported to follow the dynamic purchasing system (DPS) process of:
- identifying needs and developing local level specifications
- finalising specifications
- completing mini-competition documentation
- issuing mini-competition documentation to approved suppliers
- evaluating responses
- Awarding the contract to the preferred supplier
- reporting and completing the contract
Once a preferred supplier is selected, a grant application will be required from the provider wishing to access funds. This is expected to follow an existing local authority grant application and agreement documentation used across social care provision. This will mean grant funding will only be released to contribute to the costs of framework approved suppliers.
The purchase of falls technology will be led by the local authority and any providers interested in progressing with falls prevention technologies should contact their appropriate representative.
Contact Information
In the first instance, interested providers should contact necsu.nenc.dscr@nhs.net
Overview
North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS), covers 3.2 million citizens, 13 Local Authorities, 10 NHS Trusts, 1 Ambulance Trust and more than 400 GP practices. Also forming a key part of the region are 1276 adult social care providers. To support the region, the ICS will implement the 'Social Care Digital Support Service' (SCDSS) to provide end-to-end support facilitation to adult social care providers, in all aspects of implementing a digital social care record (DSCR) and accessing relevant funding.
The remit of the team includes targeted outreach to care establishments, to inform and educate on funding and support available and providing support and guidance throughout the lifecycle of implementation.
Using an established process of grant funding, the team will provide funding contribution for care providers to procure and implement DSCRs within their settings.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
Settings and providers will be required to submit expressions of interest to access funding.
Expressions of interest will consist of care establishments completing an EOI form answering key questions, such as details on the benefits the funding will provide and other key information. This will provide assurance that the required level of digital maturity has been achieved.
This information will be reviewed against documented criteria and support will be provided.
North West
Contact Information
Our email address is healthierlsc.digitalregcare@nhs.net
We look forward to hearing from you!
Overview
Lancashire and South Cumbria are committed to increase the digital maturity of all adult social care providers who deliver care in our area. We have already provided grants to over 120 care providers who wish to move from paper to digital social care records and installed 136 falls detection sensors in 12 local care homes.
If you are a regulated care provider operating in Lancashire and South Cumbria, and recording your care plans on paper, we have funding available to support the move to digital social care records.
We are a friendly and approachable team who will support you on your digital journey.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
You must:
- have the willingness and enthusiasm to “go digital”
- be recording your care plans on paper, or have purchased a digital social care record within the last 6 months
- be working towards approaching standards on the Data Security and Protection Toolkit
- complete an expression of interest form
Please note - completing the expression of interest form is not essential in the early stages, but it helps.
Contact Information
For any questions about the DSCR funding in Greater Manchester please contact dscr@healthinnovationmanchester.com.
Overview
NHS Greater Manchester and Greater Manchester Associate of Directors of Adult Social Services have secured funding from the Digitising Social Care programme to support our four ambitions:
- supporting people to live well at home
- supporting workforce and capacity management
- supporting adult social care reforms
- improving the provider market, development and commissioning approach
Within this framework, grants are available to support the adoption of digital social care records (DSCR) from this funding.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
Funding for the DSCR adoption grant is available for 84 CQC registered adult social care settings in Greater Manchester and you can apply via this expression of interest form
Contact Information
Cheshire East
- Stephen Clews – stephen.clews@cheshireeast.gov.uk
Cheshire West and Chester
- Rebecca Cooke – rebecca.cooke@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
Halton
- Damian Nolan – damian.nolan@halton.gov.uk
Knowsley
- Verity Price – verity.price@knowsley.gov.uk
- Steven Hill – steven.hill@knowsley.gov.uk
Liverpool
- Ian McConville – ian.mcconville1@liverpool.gov.uk
Sefton
- Diane Clayton – diane.clayton@sefton.gov.uk
St Helens:
- Julie Westlake – juliewestlake@sthelens.gov.uk
Warrington
- Ashley Chadwick – achadwick@warrington.gov.uk
Wirral:
- Michael Hanrahan – michaelhanrahan@wirral.gov.uk
Overview
For year 2 of the programme (2023/24) Cheshire and Merseyside will prioritise awarding funding to 88 CQC registered care providers from residential and nursing care homes, domiciliary care, extra care housing and supported living on a first-come-first-served basis.
Care providers who are currently using paper to record care planning and related activities will qualify for funding. However, care providers looking to upgrade an existing digital social care record will not qualify for funding.
To qualify for funding, care providers must:
- select a supplier from the assured supplier list
- meet or exceed Data Security Protection Toolkit (DSPT) standards or be able to provide evidence of working towards these
- have, or be in the process of setting up or using an active NHSmail @nhs.net or @gov.uk account or an accredited email confirming to DCB1596
- show a commitment to share benefits reporting, post implementation
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
Care providers who are interested in being considered for funding need to contact the relevant local authority lead for more information.
Midlands
Contact Information
Please note this email account is monitored Mon-Fri 09.00 – 17.00. Our aim is to respond to you within 2 working days of receipt.
Overview
Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland (LLR) ICS have shared a collaborative digital group for many years. This has led to close working relationships between health and social care digital leads.
The digital leads will be inviting all CQC registered adult social care providers to apply for funding, via the Digital Transformation Fund, to implement the following technologies:
- digital social care records (DSCR) - allowing the digital recording of care information and care received by an individual
- sensor-based falls prevention and detection technologies in care homes – identify and support people with high risk of falls
The priority for deploying these technologies is to allow adult social care providers to realise the benefits of enhancing their care provision with digital technologies.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
Digital Social Care Records
Grant funds can be accessed via an expression of interest. We are inviting eligible CQC registered adult social care providers to apply for a grant. Eligibility criteria for these grants are:
- the DSCR system must be from the social care assured supplier list
- new technology must have been implemented after 1 April 2022
- providers must have a defined list of measurable benefits
- Data Security and Protection Toolkit accreditation of standards met or higher is required
- confirmation that LLR is the only point of access to the DTF fund
- financial commitment to match fund the grant by the care provider
Grant applications will then be reviewed and, if successful, a memorandum of understanding will be provided to be signed by the care provider to secure funding.
Sensor-Based Falls Prevention
In LLR sensor-based falls prevention will be a small pilot programme to prove the technology. There is no opportunity to apply for funding at this stage.
Contact Information
For more information, then please contact the following:
Programme Leads: Claire Morrissey/ Griff Evans on bcicb.digitalsocialcare@nhs.net
- Quality Nurse Advisor Leads: bcwbccg.qualitynurseadvisorteam@nhs.net
- Care Home Quality and Safety Senior Manager: Molly Henriques-Dillon
- Quality Improvement Lead Nurse: Sarah Sherwood
- Dudley: Sue Share
- Sandwell: Shalini Bicrant
- Walsall: Dawn Rowley
- Wolverhampton: Tracey Jones
Local Authority Leads:
- Dudley: David.winter@dudley.gov.uk
- Sandwell: Jon.hanney@sandwell.gov.uk
- Walsall: Frank.botfield@nhs.net
- Wolverhampton: Suzanne.cash@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Overview
The Black Country ICS will support CQC registered care providers to understand the benefits of adopting digital social care records and other technologies such as sensor-based falls prevention and detection technologies. We will support our care providers to implement an accredited solution that meets the needs of the people they provide care for.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
We have dedicated web pages, and other materials with key information regarding the programme and will be hosting local engagement events, along with lunch and learn sessions on MS Teams.
Digitising Social Care Black Country (wmca.care)
Digitising Social Care (DISC) in the Black Country: Black Country ICS
Alternatively, please contact any of your Quality Nurse Advisors or the Digitising Social Care Team for more information.
Contact Information
To express your interest, please email with the subject heading ASC DTF EOI, to:
West Midlands Care Association:
Although we ask that you firstly please complete a formal expression of interest (EOI) for your care site(s) using the link provided below:
Overview
Across the Birmingham and Solihull ICS we are continuing to work with all CQC registered care providers and are inviting them to apply for funding to support the implementation of digital social care records to support individual care delivery.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
Care providers will be supported to assess their digital capabilities and understand how they can utilise digital social care records in order to realise the benefits for people that they support.
All care providers will be contacted to establish digital capabilities, their vision for digital social care records moving forward and to discuss whether funding is available to them.
Birmingham and Solihull ICS, Birmingham City Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council have appointed the West Midlands Care Association (WMCA) as its digital social care partner.
Care providers will be contacted by the WMCA, but should you have any questions about digital social care records you can find further information at https://www.wmca.care/disc
Contact Information
All enquiries should be sent to the following email address, regardless of the type of care provision: Hwicb.digitalsocailcarerecords@nhs.net
Overview
Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICS is committed to supporting adult social care providers make the most of digital innovation to deliver better, safer care.
The Care Home Digital team at the ICB is keen to support care providers who are still using paper and wish to switch to a digital social care records (DSCR) solution. The team will provide all the support you need to complete the application and help you through the entire process.
CQC registered providers are eligible to receive 50% of the costs to implement a DSCR system and 50% of the licence costs in the first year.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
Care providers need to register their interest first by emailing: Hwicb.digitalsocailcarerecords@nhs.net
Once registered, a member of the team will be in touch with the care provider to discuss what support is needed and to offer help with completing the steps in the application process. This could be done either via a Teams or face-to-face meeting.
The Care Home Digital team will require a completed grant form and a copy of the invoice or quote provided by the DSCR supplier. In addition, some baseline data is being collected for monitoring purposes.
Contact Information
Care providers across Joined Up Care Derbyshire (JUCD) who wish to access funding to support the implementation of a digital social care record or explore technology that will support falls prevention should contact:
Melissa Deighton – Senior Project Manager, JUCD melissa.deighton@nhs.net
Overview
Our vision across Joined up Care Derbyshire health and social care system is as follows:
- all providers have access to and use digital technology for all customer records including care plans, observations, monitoring of nutrition, hydration and falls, onward referrals to health and social care for additional assessment of needs
- use of NHSmail for secure information exchange – independent providers
- access to medical records and ability to directly message GP and other professionals who will be able to see real time recording
- a common digital platform in use across care homes/nursing homes, enabling records to move with customers easily
- digital platforms to have a common dataset to enable matching with health and social care systems
Digitising social care records is a key priority and enabler to realising our vision. Our priority will be to support care providers with implementing a digital social care record from the assured solutions list and exploring sensor-based technology that supports falls prevention/detection.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
Please contact Melissa.Deighton@nhs.net. We will help you navigate your way through choosing, buying and implementing your system, and support you to apply for the grant towards your 1st year costs.
Contact Information
Contact LinCA, email helpdesk@linca.org.uk
Overview
The Lincolnshire ICS will support social care providers by guiding providers through the purchase of assured suppliers for digital social care records (DSCR), supporting the selection and implementation of the software and hardware. The ICS will match fund up to 50% of the purchase and first year of use of the system. We will also support Pilots of other technologies to support the delivery of social care. This may include communications tools, remote monitoring tools or software applications that help people to remain well and independent in their own home. The ICS will fund the technology costs of the pilot.
Applications are welcome from all Lincolnshire CQC registered social care providers.
Applications will be reviewed by a ‘panel’, who will consider bids from care providers. The panel includes Lincolnshire Care Association (LinCA), Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) and NHS organisations.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
The criteria for DSCR funding are:
- a completed application form
- meeting current Date Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) requirements
- setting up an NHSmail or secure email account
- choosing an assured DSCR supplier
- being CQC registered
- Located within Lincolnshire
LinCA and Lincolnshire County Council will verify that the criteria have been met and fully support the application process through to implementation with the provider.
Contact Information
nnicb-nn.digitalsocialcare@nhs.net
Overview
The priorities for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICS are the increased uptake of digital social care records across the local care sector, and the wider use of sensor-based falls prevention and detection technology.
We are currently offering a matched funding contribution towards care providers’ first-year costs of implementing a digital social care record, providing that:
- you are thinking about moving (or have moved recently) from paper-based care records to digital social care records
- that you have purchased recently or are thinking about purchasing a digital social care record solution from the assured solution list
- that you have published your progress in achieving the standards of the Data Security and Protection Toolkit
The value of the financial contribution we can make is based on the number of people you are currently supporting, up to a maximum of £8,000, providing this represents at least 50% of your first-year costs before VAT.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
Contact us at nnicb-nn.digitalsocialcare@nhs.net and we will send you a care provider pack and an expression of interest form to complete.
As well as explaining the matched funding offer, the care provider pack also gives advice about how to go about choosing the right digital social care record solution for your organisation.
Once we have received your completed expression of interest form, we will be able to support you through the process from there.
Contact Information
For further information and for any provider keen to be an early adopter, please do email CommissioningAdults@telford.gov.uk and title your email Digital Social Care and our project team will get back to you.
Alternatively call Sarah Bass on 01952 382470
Overview
We want to support the growth of digital skills and the use of technology to enhance social care delivery. We will support our care providers to adopt a digital social care record solution that will reduce administration for the providers and enhance the care experience, enabling individuals to only have to tell their story once and their information and personal requirements being available in real time for the professionals to support their outcomes based care.
We will also support our care homes to adopt sensor-based falls or acoustic monitoring systems to help prevent falls and avoidable admissions to hospital. These systems facilitate proactive intervention as they remove the need for disruptive room checks throughout the night, leading to restful sleep and calmer residents. They also free up time for night staff enabling them to focus on other caring tasks.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
The ICS digital team will be holding a launch event in conjunction with Shropshire Partners in Care in September 2022 where we will share our plan and approach and take your questions. We will explain how the funding will be allocated and you can express an interest for an informal interest at this stage. We will also write to every CQC registered provider in Shropshire Telford and Wrekin explaining how this project will work and invite you to submit a formal expression of interest. Don’t worry if you are not able to express an interest at this time, we will write to you again.
Contact Information
DigitalFundingEnquiries@Staffordshire.gov.uk
Overview
The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System (ICS) operates in collaboration alongside local and neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities, and the voluntary sector. The partners have a clear shared ambition to work with local people, communities, and staff to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and to use their collective resources more effectively.
In recent years, our ways of working have needed to be reviewed and updated, to ensure that they remain relevant and appropriate for the challenges that we face. The recent pandemic accelerated our partnership working and changed some of our priorities. These include increased use of digital services and technology, with a focus on integrated digital social care records (DSCR) management systems and sensor-based falls prevention and detection technologies in care settings.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
To find out more, for both Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent, please submit an expression of interest to the email address below.
This should contain, as a minimum, your full provider name, your full registered mailing address, a contact name, telephone number and email address, what aspect of the funding you are interested in (DSCR, sensor-based falls prevention and detection technology, or both) and whether you currently use a DSCR or any sensor-based falls prevention and detection technology in your care setting(s).
Contact Information
For expressions of interest, Clearly marked “DSCR EOI” to include the following:
- provider name
- CQC registered mailing address
- contact name, telephone number and provider email address
Please contact either Council on:
North Northamptonshire:
commissioningteam@northnorthants.gov.uk
West Northamptonshire:
Commissioning and Performance Team – for the attention of Hayley McKagan Commissioning Manager - contractsteam.ncc@westnorthants.gov.uk
Overview
Digitising Social Care
In partnership with:
- Northamptonshire Integrated Care System
- West Northamptonshire Council
- North Northamptonshire Council
Northamptonshire will be focusing on accelerating the adoption of digital social care records by supporting care providers to adopt an assured solution across the ICS. The adoption of digital social care records will enable more person-centred care due to timely access to better quality information and better-informed care decisions by having the right information available at the right time.
Northamptonshire plan to develop a proof of concept for acoustic monitoring across a number of care homes to reduce the number of falls in adult social care settings.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
Initially, all CQC registered providers across Northamptonshire will need to complete a short survey that asks some key information which will be used to establish baseline data across adult social care in North Northamptonshire. This information will include:
- whether you currently use digital social care records (DSCR)
- what other technology is in use
- the current position on digital skills and plans to improve digital literacy within their service, including staff
- the current position on Data Security and Protection Toolkit accreditation
- the presence of an NHSmail address
Following this, all interested providers will be required to submit an expression of interest. As part of the application form, a commitment will be required to ensure all technical and data governance requirements are met (e.g. appropriate wi-fi connections, DSP toolkit) in order to ensure eligibility and successful roll out.
Contact Information
For more information, then please contact the following, marking your email with Digital Transformation Fund as a reference:
- Coventry City Council: SocialCareCommissioning@coventry.gov.uk
- Warwickshire County Council: nigelexell@warwickshire.gov.uk
- Coventry and Warwickshire Digital Transformation Officer: lindon.laytonbest@coventry.gov.uk
Overview
Coventry and Warwickshire ICS will support CQC registered adult social care providers to adopt technologies that can transform care. The fund will support the adult social care sector across Coventry and Warwickshire to:
- adopt digital social care records (DSCR), also known as digital care plans, to ensure care teams have the most accurate, timely information at their fingertips to provide outstanding care
- roll-out sensor-based falls prevention and detection technologies to support those at risk of falls, reducing the frequency and severity of falls-related injuries and preventing hospital admissions
- test other care technologies based on local needs to further develop our understanding of what works well
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
In order to access funding, providers will need to complete online forms that will be made available through the West Midlands Care Association website on a quarterly basis.
These forms will allow people to apply for both sensor-based falls prevention and detection equipment and for DSCRs on a grant basis.
Upon submission of these forms, providers will be informed of the value of the grant to be offered, along with grant agreements for them to sign.
East of England
Contact Information
If you’d like to find out more or express your interest in any of our projects, please email the team at blmkicb.digital.socialcare@nhs.net
Overview
The Digitising Social Care Programme is divided into three areas: digital records, falls prevention and remote health monitoring.
- Digital social care records allow health and care professionals to securely view and share relevant information in a person’s health and care records to give them better, safer care.
- Acoustic monitoring uses a Wi-Fi enabled device to recognise unusual sounds or movements in a person’s room and alert staff to investigate. It can check on residents throughout the night without invading their privacy or disturbing their sleep.
- The Whzan Blue Box contains everything care home staff need to make regular health checks on their residents and spot early signs of deterioration before they need to go to hospital.
- ‘Monica’ the virtual assistant checks on people’s wellbeing and daily routines to help them to stay well. It’s supporting people at risk of falls or urinary tract infections, or who have recently left stroke or rehabilitation units.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
We have developed several projects that save our care homes time, effort and resources. These enable teams to spend more time caring for the people who use their services in the environment they see as home.
Each local authority area has a dedicated Digital Lead who can support care market providers to access the information and funding they need to implement the innovations.
We can support care providers with the Data Security and Protection Toolkit including advice for data protection and cyber security.
We’re supporting our care providers to move to using Digital Social Care Records. If you’re a CQC-registered provider, please complete this short survey and expression of interest form
Details of all the projects including videos and testimonials can be found on our webpages
Contact Information
Please direct queries to dscr@essex.gov.uk
Overview
Essex County Council is working alongside the Mid and South Essex ICS (MSE), Thurrock Council and Southend-on-Sea City Council to deliver this project.
Moving into year two of the funding programme, the priority is to help digitise our social care market as much as possible.
We will help care providers adopt a digital social care record (DSCR) system by funding 50% of their first-year implementation costs, up to a maximum of £10,000 upon receipt of a full application and supporting evidence.
As the project progresses, MSE are interested in exploring the benefits of acoustic monitoring systems following successful pilots and will continue to explore additional technologies to support care providers in future years.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
To be eligible to funding, providers must:
- have a CQC registered location within Essex.
- choose to purchase a system from the NHS assured supplier list.
- not have had any DSCR system prior to 1 April 2022.
To access funding, please download an application from via the Essex Provider Hub and return to dscr@essex.gov.uk.
All providers interested in receiving funding will be contacted to establish:
- their current position on Data Security and Protection Toolkit
- their current position on Digital Skills Framework including plans for IT upskilling of staff
- the financial commitment to cover annual charges
- the financial commitment to cover matched funding as required
- details of any relevant digital technologies already in use or being considered (compatibility assurance)
- details of any projects that are in train to deliver any relevant digital technologies (compatibility assurance)
- contact details of the Project Lead for the provider
Contact Information
For more information care providers should contact nwicb.digitalsocialcare@nhs.net
Overview
The plans in Norfolk and Waveney are to support the implementation of digital social care records (DSCR) with care providers to enable more relevant and timely data to be available to clinicians and care staff.
The Digital Health and Social Care Team (part of the Norfolk and Waveney ICB Digital Team) will provide digital change management expertise to lead this project. It will work collaboratively with provider organisations (Norfolk and Suffolk Care Support, Norfolk Care Association) and both Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils, who are also part of the wider ICS Digital Transformation programme to deliver the expected benefits.
The Digital Health and Social Care Team, in collaboration with our ICS partners, have developed a resource of information for care providers to access. There are opportunities to evaluate the digital solutions from assured suppliers for functionality, ease of use, interoperability, and cost effectiveness.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
Care providers can now submit expressions of interest for grant funding to support the implementation of DSCR by contacting the Digital Health and Social Care Team on the email below.
To access the funding, care providers must be CQC registered, Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) compliant, have NHS mail and be looking to procure a digital social care record solution from the Assured Solution List. Support for DSPT and NHS mail is also available from the Digital Health and Social Care Team.
For DSCR applications, we are prioritising care providers who are currently using paper records. Funding is finite and grants will be made on a first come first served basis. We may consider applications for retrospective grants from those providers who signed a contract for a DSCR after 1 April 2022. The aim is for a review of the funding to take place when the programme ends in April 2025. If there are funds available, this will be when any consideration will be taken regarding retrospective claims.
Funding is not currently available to support sensor-based falls technology.
Contact Information
Please contact dscr@hcpa.co.uk if you have any questions regarding this fund. Alternatively, call HCPA on 01707 536020 and you will be directed to a member of the digital team.
Overview
Hertfordshire and West Essex are committed to improving the digital literacy of the social care sector and uptake of safe and effective digital transformation. After spending year one of this project scoping the current digital landscape of our local providers, we have a clear understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing the sector.
Based on our findings, we are spending the fund on supporting providers to implement digital social care records by supporting with funding towards licences, hardware and resource. This will ensure staff have the time and dedication to upload quality care plans.
We believe that supporting your workforce is paramount to the success of using these technologies. This is why we will be organising webinars to provide our top tips for implementing these technologies and how to complete our application forms. Alongside this, Hertfordshire Care Providers Association (HCPA) are developing a care planning toolkit focused on digital care planning, sharing best practice for person-centred, quality care plans.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
Any CQC Registered Provider who is currently using paper-based recording,or were using paper-based recording on 1 April 2022, are eligible for up to 50% of year one implementation costs for digital social care records.
Hertfordshire and West Essex providers can learn more about how to access funding, and find the application form on HCPA’s Digital Funding and Trials page. The funding will be sent in two parts. 80% of the funding will be sent to the provider within 45 days of the approved application to allow the start of implementation. The remaining 20% will be subject to the provider being able to evidence implementation, having their Data Security and Protection Toolkit published to Standards Met and completing a short questionnaire on the benefits of using these systems.
Contact Information
Providers can contact our provider liaison on:
Email: georgina.trimble@nhs.net
Telephone: 07874 795569
Overview
In Essex and Suffolk Counties we are offering care providers 50% of their first-year costs to implement a digital social care record (DSCR), up to a maximum of £10,000. This can include
- purchase and installation costs
- first year’s subscriptions
- devices needed to use the DSCR
- training to use the DSCR
- overtime costs for staff to input data to the DSCR.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
For locations in Essex County, providers need to download the application form from the ECC portal
This portal also contains full guidance documents and contact details, and the chance to receive a £25 Marks and Spencer voucher by completing their baselining survey.
For locations in Suffolk County, they can find further information and how to apply on the provider portal
South East
or contact:
- Kent County Council: innovationdeliveryteam@kent.gov.uk
- Medway Council: adults.commissioning@medway.gov.uk
South West
Contact Information
If you’d like to get in touch or if you have any questions, please contact the Programme Lead by emailing sian.bunce@nhs.net
Overview
In Devon we are rolling out funding through a digital offer that will provide discounts and, in some cases, free packages (up to 1 year) to CQC-registered providers, that are currently not using a digital social care record (DSCR). To be eligible for funding, you must also either already have, or be prepared to gain Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSTP) certification and NHSmail.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
To be eligible for funding, your organisation must be CQC registered. You must also either already have, or be prepared to gain DSTP certification and NHSmail. If your organisation does not currently have DSTP or NHSmail, our project will support you in attaining these.
If you would like to be added to our expression of interest (EOI), check your eligibility for funding, or discuss becoming digitised with a DSCR. Please use the below contact details for more information.
Contact Information
Overview
The local priority is to develop a digital offer that enables Gloucestershire care providers to deliver better care due to increased efficiencies and reduced administrative tasks. This will be achieved through the digital recording of care records, the ability to hold remote meetings with health and care professionals and, in care homes, use of sensor-based falls prevention technology.
Funding has been allocated to resourcing a programme that achieves these specific aims within an overall vision of helping care providers see digital as being a core enabler to stable, sustainable provision of care, connected to and supported by health and social care services to best serve their residents and the population of Gloucestershire.
The Programme approach is designed to improve coordination with care providers across the many health and care interactions (clinical, workforce, training) in a manner that supports the long-term sustainability of the many small providers within the local market.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
We are underway with funding digital social care records in Gloucestershire and welcome care providers to engage with us – please contact the team via the contact details below.
Contact Information
To access the Digitisation in Social Care funding please send an expression of interest to digitisationinsocialcare@somerset.gov.uk
Overview
Somerset Council and NHS Somerset are working in partnership to lead the Digitisation in Social Care programme. We are offering several initiatives to CQC-registered adult social care providers to implement digital social care records (DSCRs), sensor-based falls technology and other future technologies.
Funding will be released by Somerset Councils grant system.
The objective of this programme is to:
- increase the uptake of DSCRs across Somerset
- prevent falls through the implementation of sensor-based falls technologies
- capture and share the benefits of digitisation for people and social care providers
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
To register your interest in accessing this funding, care providers across Somerset are invited to contact the DiSC team at Somerset Council or the NHS Somerset Digital Outreach Team, and we will help them on their digital journey.
Contact Information
Debbie Cox - BNSSG Project lead
One Care Team
digital.carehomes@onecare.org.uk
Overview
BNSSG is identifying and contacting care providers who are not currently using digital social care records (DSCRs). We are also providing funding for DSCRs (from approved suppliers) that have been implemented since April 2022. The offer is to provide £140 per bed in care homes or per service user in other settings to help support the implementation of a DSCR in the first year, including training, licences and other costs.
BNSSG also has an ambitious plan to deliver a centrally monitored sensor-based falls detection service to at least 15% of care home providers across the three local authorities. We will be rolling out an acoustic monitoring pilot to enable care homes to closely monitor their own residents’ night needs, throughout 2023/2024.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
If you are a care provider in BNSSG who has implemented an approved DSCR since April 2022, or are looking to implement an approved DSCR in the coming months then please contact us at the email addresses below and we will provide you with further information.
We will be in touch with eligible care homes about the sensory-based falls prevention technology in late 2023.
Contact Information
Paul De La Haye - Digital Implementation Lead
Email: paul.dlh@wiltshirecarepartnership.org.uk
Overview
Having started the DTF project in November 2022 the decision was made to focus our efforts primarily on the implementation of digital social care records (DSCR) in the Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire ICS.
A process was developed to engage with care providers to raise expressions of interest, then continuing through the process of the Grant Fund application. This was successful and we were able to meet the target of 66 locations expressing an interest in the adoption of a DSCR. The first of the applicants have now received their funding.
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
We continue to focus on the care providers who are still using paper as their preferred method of record keeping, demonstrating to them the advantages of the change over to a DSCR.
Contact Information
Please direct all enquiries around the DiSC Programme to Alexandros Gavriilidis, Strategic Commissioning Lead, Dorset council. alexandros.gavriilidis@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Overview
In year 1 of the DiSC programme, we focused on gaining a deep understanding around the digital maturity of adult social care (ASC) providers within our ICS. Following on from the data that we gathered we will aim to achieve the following in year 2:
- continue funding adult social care providers wishing to introduce a digital social care records system (DSCR). host engagement events (online and physical) and present the various digital tools available to ASC providers
- support ASC providers in upskilling their staff and enabling access to the available digital solutions
- continue exploring the way DSCRs fit within the wider health and social care ecosystem, identify linkages, aggregate collected data points and explore how these can help us shape our future direction based on both population and market needs
What do care providers need to do to access the funding?
For ASC providers to access the available funding, providers must meet the Data Security and Protection Toolkit certification (DSPT) criteria.