Digital Social Care Records (DSCRs) - the ultimate question
Kerren Friend, senior programme manager for Digitising Social Care, outlines how updating your progress with Digital Social Care Records (DSCRs) will support the wider adult social care system.
One of the biggest benefits of going digital is reducing the burden of reporting on hard pressed social care leaders and their teams and freeing up capacity.
We know that around three quarters of the adult social care sector now using DSCRs. As this critical mass builds, colleagues across the system are beginning to reap the rewards.
And like many things in life, you get out what you put in. The more we know about where providers have got to with implementing social care record solutions, the better the Digitising Social Care (DiSC) programme team, and our partners in ICBs, can support them.
Did you know that as well as capturing vacancy information to help spread the load within the adult social care system, Capacity Tracker also includes a question about progress with setting up DSCRs?
We are asking all registered social care providers and their teams to complete this section in Capacity Tracker, so that we can target support most effectively, and help providers experience the very real benefits of going digital, from instant access to up to date care and medical information to cutting time spent updating, filing and finding paper records.
Care homes and home care providers will now see new questions in the Operational Support of Capacity Tracker as pictured in this screenshot.
The questions, which appear on the Provider Update Screen and Provider Bulk Update Template and therefore do not form part of the Monthly ASC Data Collection, are as follows:
- Do you use a DSCR system, or are you in the process of setting one up?
If the answer is yes to the above question, a second question will appear:
- Which system do you currently use, or plan to use?
The answer you provide will enable NHS England to better understand the number of care provider locations which are already benefiting from a DSCR and help us worth with those that need support to implement one.
Regular training sessions on Capacity Tracker are available through the site and the DiSC programme, and our partners offer a range of support including an assured list of solution providers and decision tool.
If you need advice to set up DSCRs, you can contact your local Integrated Care System (ICS).