Successful bids for Adult Social Care Technology Fund announced
We are pleased to announce the successful bids for Wave One of the Adult Social Care Technology Fund.
The Adult Social Care Technology Fund launched in April 2023. The purpose of the fund is to implement and evaluate a range of care technologies used in adult social care. The technologies support the quality and safety of care for people using services, help prevent avoidable admission and readmissions to hospital and enable independent living. Organisations working across the sector are able to apply to the fund.
The fund brings together partners critical to the scaling of digital health technology. These include partners from across the system including adult social care providers, local authorities and Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) as well as evaluation and technology partners.
The successful projects funded as part of our first wave have now been selected. We will be working closely with the successful applicants, sharing learning as we move through their implementation journey.
We are now in the process of evaluating expressions of interest from Wave 2 of the fund. If you are interested in hearing more about the fund, please contact us by email england.adultsocialcare@nhs.net.
You can also read more about the process in our new blog.
The successful bids are as follows:
Name of the project: Improving Medication Administration through Digitalisation
Lead organisation(s): National Care Group
In partnership with (partner type and lead organisations): South Yorkshire ICB and various local authorities and ICB regions in which National Care Group have services, Guided Innovation Ltd and Care Research Ltd
Project details: Over £300,000 to improve the quality of medication management and recording and promote independence in taking medication using an Electronic Medication Administration Record System. This will improve the accuracy of recording medication and improve health outcomes for the people supported.
National Care Group is delighted to be partnering on the rollout of eMAR with South Yorkshire ICB and our regional ICB partners, Guided Innovation, and Care Research. The funding will enable the implementation of new digital technology across our services in England and will be a significant milestone towards enhancing the quality of our medication management and recording for the 1,300 people we support. The innovative new approach will empower our colleagues to not only reduce avoidable hospital admissions but also support more people to live independently.
Karen Lewis, Chief Operating Officer, National Care Group
Name of the project: Virtual Care Delivery Project
Lead organisation(s): Shropshire Council
In partnership with (partner type and lead organisations): Domiciliary care providers, Shropshire ICB, My Home Life England. (Part of City, University of London), Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Suppliers.
Project details: Shropshire Council, in partnership with domiciliary care providers, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB, My Home Life England and TEC suppliers will use funding of almost £1.2m over two years to embed technology in people’s homes alongside a virtual care delivery service to help meet care and support needs digitally. This aims to support independence in the home, help people manage their daily needs and promote self-care.
It is fantastic news that we have secured funding to support the virtual care delivery programme to reach even more people. Shropshire are leading the way in this innovative approach to a service which is under increasing demand.
“The feedback that we have already had from people with a virtual care device in their homes has been brilliant. They can provide reminders for mealtimes, personal care and medication and can connect people to family members at the push of a button.
“It would simply not be possible to provide this level of interaction face-to-face and is a welcome reassurance for people who need a low level of care at home or would like to have other options.
“Using technology to reach more people, more regularly is the perfect solution to delivering domiciliary care services across a rural county like Shropshire. By helping our residents to live independently in their own homes, we can support better health and wellbeing and prevent the need for more urgent care.
Cecilia Motley, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for adult social care, public health and communities
Name of the project: The Independent Living Care Technology Solutions Project
Lead organisation(s): Reading Borough Council
In partnership with (partner type and lead organisations): Voluntary sector care organisations, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) ICB, University of Reading, technology suppliers, care providers
Project details: Reading Borough Council, in partnership with Henley Business School, will use funding of just over £1 million to trial and understand the benefits and potential of technology which uses sensors to monitor any significant changes to a person's daily habits that may cause concern. The aim is to trial systems that support people to live sustained or increased independence, a sense of wellbeing, safety, and security.
We are thrilled to have secured this money which will now allow us to expand our successful Independent Living Technology pilot - a project that has the potential to transform the lives of residents and have a hugely positive impact on our communities.
“By harnessing this innovative pattern-of-life technology, we can help people enhance their independence, well-being, and safety, and help address the evolving needs of our ageing population in Reading.
"Most residents are adamant their preference remains to live independently at home for as long as they are able to safely do so, including after they are discharged from hospital. Because of this, the Council has a ‘home-first’ strategy in place and we now want to develop that further with new technology which have real potential to enhance the quality of life and the independence of vulnerable residents in our communities.
Cllr Paul Gittings, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Member for Adult Social Care
Name of the project: Evaluation of a digital falls prevention programme to prevent functional decline and hospital admissions in community living older adults.
Lead organisation(s): NHS Greater Manchester
In partnership with (partner type and lead organisations): Working in partnership with organisations who are part of the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership (ICP)
Project details: NHS Greater Manchester, the University of Manchester and partners receive almost £380,000 to deliver a project to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of using a digital falls prevention programme for older people living the in the community who receive care and support at home. This enables the user to undertake a personalised falls prevention programme and incorporates health literacy games to improve awareness of activities that promote bone health, diet, safety at home, and hydration.
We are delighted to receive a grant to further rollout the use of The University of Manchester’s Keep On Keep Up app. The app, developed by working with older people, is designed to help improve strength, balance and optimise healthy ageing – supporting our residents in Greater Manchester to take control and reduce the high risk of falls, which in turn will reduce thousands of injuries which are sometimes serious and fatal in our older population.
Nathan Atkinson, Corporate Director Adults and Wellbeing Trafford Council and Digital Lead, Greater Manchester Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and on behalf of the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership
We are now in the process of evaluating expressions of interest from Wave 2 of the fund. If you are interested in hearing more about the fund, please contact us by email england.adultsocialcare@nhs.net.