Digital skills training at Choice Support

Choice Support is a charitable community benefit society that supports nearly 2,000 people across England. With a workforce of approximately 2,600 staff, the organisation felt a need to improve their digital capabilities to achieve the quality of care, staff efficiency, and outcomes for their supported people.

The goal of improving their digital skills, alongside implementing new digital applications, was to simplify processes, eliminate duplication of work, and to reduce time spent on administrative tasks, allowing more time for direct support. In addition to this, the organisation wanted to empower people receiving care by giving them control over their own data, as well as increasing staff engagement and improving communication across the organisation.

One of the first steps taken in this project was developing a business case to establish an internal digital transformation programme which included digital training provision. Getting buy-in from the Trustees and Steering Board was key in ensuring the investment needed was obtained, and that the workforce could be upskilled in line with the programme. To meet this need, one of the first key tasks was to create a core digital skills training programme, consisting of a five-week course, with a two-hour session each week. This programme was built on a comprehensive needs analysis of all support staff. This involved and engaged managers to ensure the training addressed both individual and teams requirements. 

A multi-system training approach was implemented from the start, which included support for Nourish, Choice Support’s chosen digital care system. They offered classroom-based sessions, drop-in sessions for questions, a full suite of training materials and videos, and specialised support planning sessions.  

Training on Choice Support’s Sona e-Rostering app was also provided, with day training sessions available for managers and drop-in sessions, supported by video resources, to help staff navigate the app. The use of this system is expected to dramatically reduce agency spend as it enables instant access to shift availability, allowing for a reduction in the need agency support. A change to internal processes has already seen a 30% reduction in the use of agencies and it is hoped that with the full implementation of the Sona system they will see a further and significant reduction in agency use. This not only sees cost savings, but allows for the provision of consistent and well established person-centred care.  

To further support the programme, Choice Support introduced the role of Digital Champion, where a staff member in each service supports digital tasks and encourages the use of digital tools. They also created the role of Digital Enabler, offering bite-sized training outside regular hours to provide flexible learning for staff and managers. Digital Enablers are paid for training and work within regions, limiting travel to one hour.

Since implementing the training, staff confidence in using digital tools has risen dramatically, with 99% of participants reporting increased confidence. The programme has also helped to improve operational efficiency by enabling staff to better communicate and manage workloads, reduce paperwork, and streamline processes. Feedback from staff highlighted that managers, as well as support workers, are benefiting from the training, which will lead to improvements in care delivery. 

Although there was minimal resistance to the digital skills training, the few staff members who were initially hesitant, quickly became advocates for the programme after seeing its benefits in practice. Spending time engaging staff and providing foundational training helped to create a culture of support and learning in this regard.

Perhaps most importantly, the digital skills training has led to a noticeable boost in staff confidence when using digital tools. This increased comfort with technology not only improves job performance but also supports better care delivery for individuals receiving support, as staff can utilise digital systems to provide more efficient and personalised care. 

Looking ahead, plans are in place to retain a dedicated team of digital trainers to onboard new systems and manage future changes. The organisation is also focused on enhancing cybersecurity measures and leveraging AI to improve service delivery. By continuing to invest in staff development and providing ongoing support, Choice Support aims to further improve the quality of care and outcomes for individuals receiving support.

One participant from a Nourish drop-in training session said:

From the bottom of my heart you have done something great. I remember your words, saying “we will do this together, I will take you along the journey”. 

I was full of fear and could do very little, I was scared. I struggled with everything even my e-learning. 

Now I can use Teams - look at my background, I use my calendar - do you know how good it is to look at my calendar and see my shift and to know what I’m doing. I can use Lili and I couldn’t really before. I’m filled with joy.