News

2018 Social Care Digital Innovation Funding (Wave 2): expressions of interest

The LGA in partnership with NHS Digital is launching the second wave of the Social Care Digital Innovation Programme. Up to £100,000 is being made available for councils to support innovation in adult social care. Approaches will need to demonstrate where digital can make a real difference.

Twelve councils will each receive £20,000 to support an initial discovery phase of work which will assist in helping understanding user need, engaging with staff, defining the specific problem areas to be addressed and identifying potential solutions.

Those 12councils will be invited to present one proposed solution and six of those councils will each be awarded up to a further £80,000 to support local implementation.

Expressions of interest should relate to one of the following themes:

• efficiency and strengths-based approaches: supporting more efficient and customer focused adult social care services that help people in what matters to them
• managing markets and commissioning: supporting more customer focused delivery of care by providers and improving the quality and range of support
• sustainable and integrated social care and health systems: developing approaches to cross-sector working and ways of supporting people in and out of hospital.

The deadline for expressions of interest is 4pm, 1 June 2018.

To find out more, view examples of past projects, and apply for funding please visit: http://www.local.gov.uk/scdip

2017 Social Care Digital Innovation Programme (Wave 1): interim report

In partnership with OPM Group and Bayswater Institute, the LGA has launched the interim evaluation report. Nineteen projects were funded in 2017/18 to support innovation in social care. The interim report outlines the progress of those projects, captures learning to date and highlights some of the challenges and how they have been tackled.

Further information about the 19 projects includes:

• Liverpool and Luton and Central Bedfordshire supporting digital access in care homes and home care
• Hampshire and Barnet using assistive technology to support independence
• Norfolk supporting more effective signposting to community based services.

Lloyds Bank UK Consumer Digital Index 2018

Lloyds Bank hasrecently released its Consumer Digital Index for 2018. It is the largest measure of financial and digital capability in the UK and includes information on digital skills.

The report also includes a regional breakdown (which also broadly aligns with the nine Local Government regions). Headlines from the report include:

• 8% of people in the UK have zero digital skills – 470,000 fewer people than 2017
• The proportion of people with the full five digital skills has plateaued at 21%
• People registered with a disability are four times more likely not to be online
• People registered with a disability are 27% more likely to say the internet helps them feel less alone
• 28% of those over 60 aren’t online and 84% said ‘nothing’ could motivate them to get online
• for one in three over 60, digital skills help them to manage and improve their health and feel less alone.

NHS.UK adult social care discovery: findings and next steps

Work is currently underway to develop the new NHS.UK platform which will replace NHS Choices. As part of this work a user discovery was completed: a 12-week research period to understand the needs of people aged 65+.

Over that 12-week period, 51 interviews with people receiving care, carers, health professionals and social work professionals were carried out. Download the findings as well as anonymised interview transcripts.

The discovery ended in early March and recommendations were presented to commissioners.

The recommendations being taken forward are as follows:

• consider retiring the social care directory of services on NHS Choices and replace with improved signposting to councils
• build a ‘social care navigator’ to help people needing care and support understand the options available to them and the steps they need to take
• improve the existing information on care and support on NHS Choices.

The prototyping of these areas is now being taken forward and a public ‘show and tell’ will be held the week commencing 4 June 2018. To join the webinar or attend in person please email james.higgott@nhs.net.

Social Care Personalised Health and Care 2020

Over the last year the National Information Board’s Social Care Advisory Group has brought together a range of councils, social care provider representative bodies, 3rd sector and national organisations. Co-chaired between the Department of Health and Social Care and the LGA, the purpose of the group is helping shape and influence some of the programmes being delivered through Personalised Health and Care 2020.

The most recent meeting included an update across many programmes that have work underway to support councils and social care more broadly.

The update provides a summary update across key programmes including work on:

• Data and Cyber Security
• NHSmail rollout for care providers
• Health and Social Care Network
• Local Health and Care Record Exemplars

Social Care Data and Cyber Security Discovery Programme

Through the National Cyber Security Programme, the LGA, Department of Health and Social Care and Care Provider Alliance have secured funding to commission a one-year discovery programme to enhance our understanding of data and cyber security risks across the adult social care provider sector and support required to help those risks be managed. 

The discovery programme will be led by the Care Provider Alliance and an external organisation procured to conduct on-site research and deliver practical support (such as supporting completion of the Data Security and Protection Toolkit) to the care provider sector in three local authority regions. 

Following receipt of a number of expressions of interest, three local authorities have now been selected to take part in the programme. These include a London Borough, North Yorkshire County Council and Central Bedfordshire Council. 

The work is due to start in summer 2018 with recommendations on supporting the sector in relation to data and cyber security expected in March 2019.

For more information on the programme or if you have any questions, please contact Abigail.Vella@local.gov.uk

GDPR and information governance for social care providers

The Care Provider Alliance has been working with NHS Digital to provide support to care providers in preparation for the new General Data Protection Regulations which come into effect on 25 May 2018.

The briefing has been provided by the Care Provider Alliance and includes specific guidance that care providers can use in preparation. These materials are available to all care providers (regardless of whether they are a member of the Care Provider Alliance).

We would encourage you to raise awareness with care providers that you are working with in your area.

Local Government Cyber Security Stocktake

The LGA has been granted funding through the National Cyber Security Programme to ensure that councils are as resilient against cyber-attacks as possible. As part of this work, in early June every council in England will receive an invitation to complete an online survey concerning their cyber security arrangements. Each organisation will have until 31 August 2018 to complete this.

By collecting this information, we aim to: 

• capture existing cyber security arrangements in every council
• identify good practice – and those councils delivering it
• identify risks – and those councils at risk.

Findings from this work will inform a plan of support for the sector commencing in the autumn, using tried and tested LGA peer improvement models.

Participation across local government will allow us to develop a clear view of where strengths and weaknesses lie across our sector and deliver the support needed. Please keep an eye out for the survey and encourage your organisation to take part.

Find out more or email helen.reeves@local.gov.uk with any queries.

Integrated Commissioning for Better Outcomes Framework 2018

The Integrated Commissioning for Better Outcomes Framework 2018 is a key tool for council and NHS commissioners to support local health and care economies to strengthen their integrated commissioning for the benefit of local people.

Created in partnership by the LGA and NHS Clinical Commissioners and co-produced with key organisations such as the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) and national provider organisations, the framework is an update of the Commissioning for Better Outcomes Framework 2015 and has been tested by NHS and council commissioners from across England.

It is a practical tool to support improving outcomes through integrated commissioning, with standards setting out what should be in place for strong, outcomes-focused, integrated commissioning. The framework highlights some of the key digital building blocks for integration including population health level data, common health and care record, risk stratification and common care pathways.

Available for download at www.local.gov.uk/icbo

New: LGA care and health digital team blog

The LGA Digital team has recently launched a new team blog. The intention of this blog is to support in sharing good practice from work across the sector, keep councils and local areas updated on key projects and improve transparency of our work.

We intend in future to feature guest blogs from councils as a way of showcasing their work. If you have something you want to tell other councils then please let us know by emailing caroline.taylor@local.gov.uk. Please register to be updated on new posts and comment on what is posted.

Digital technology information cascade: NHS England

The latest Digital Technology Information Cascade from our central NHS England colleagues, as well as news specifically for the Midlands and East.

Events

Local workshop - Technology in Supported Living: early lessons from the Barnet Social Care Digital Innovation Programme

Wednesday 23 May, London

The London Borough of Barnet, one of 19 local authorities participating in the first wave of the Social Care Digital Innovation Programme, is hosting an event to share lessons from its project. Barnet’s project focused on increasing the use of care technology to enable people with learning disabilities in Supported Living facilities to live more independently, with less unnecessary intrusion into their day-to-day lives, and with the consequent reduction in care costs.

The three hour long event will be held at the offices of project partner PA Consulting Group near Buckingham Palace on the morning of 23 May. To find out more and to be sent a calendar invite, please contact Harminder.Sangha@PACONSULTING.COM

Regional workshop - Population Health Intelligence: The Wider Context

Wednesday 6 June, Leicester 10am – 4pm

This event is being led by NHS England to support local areas across Midlands and the East of England in using data for population health. Councils can register here or contact Neil Martin, Senior Population Health Manager on neil.martin6@nhs.net

National conference: Digital Healthcare Show

Wednesday 27 June  - Thursday 28 June, ExCel, London

The annual Digital Healthcare Show will this year feature presentations and panel discussions from Hampshire County Council, Socitm, Leeds City Council and others and will focus on topics such as shared care records, data sharing, use of AI and assistive technology.

National conference: National Children and Adult Services Conference (NCAS)

Wednesday 14 – Friday 16 November, Manchester

The annual NCAS conference organised by ADCS, ADASS and LGA will take place in November in Manchester.