Agenda item

Ms Georgina Walton, Senior Project Manager, Innovation Delivery Team, Adult Social Care was in attendance for this item.

1.    The Chair thanked Ms Walton, Ms Lisa O’Donnell, and Mr Matt Crocker (Technology Facilitators) for demonstrating to Members, prior to the cabinet committee meeting, a range of care technologies that were being used to support people.

2.    Ms Walton introduced the report and provided an overview of the countywide Technology Enabled Care Service which would be in place from September 2023.  She said the service would be outcome focused and contribute to long term sustainability of social care through transforming the way care and support was delivered. The service would bring together existing contracts already in place including Telecare and Kara.

3.    Ms Walton responded to comments and questions from the cabinet committee, including the following:

(a)  Asked whether there was an estimate of how many people would use the service over the 7-year lifetime of the contract, Ms Walton said based on learning from other local authorities who had successfully implemented technology enabled care services and detailed profiling, potentially 35% to 50% of people would utilise the technology, with 50% by the end of the 7 years.

(b)  Asked about the cost for individuals buying the technology privately, Ms Walton said part of the specification for the contract included the option for private pay for people not eligible for social care and this may be at a reduced rate.

(c)  Asked about engagement with partners and the management and implications of data protection, including protection against fraud, Ms Walton said legal advice had been sought and a completed Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) would be updated once the contract had been awarded to reflect the provider’s processes and management of data. In terms of security for individuals, the Empower Care Project digital ambassadors had held sessions to train and support people to use the internet safely.

(d)  Asked about the cost avoidance opportunity figure of approximately £35million, Ms Walton said this figure had been based on learning gained from other local authorities’ technology enabled care programmes. The figure had been calculated based on a reduction of 2 hours per week of care and support in the community and there were also opportunities around residential avoidance and learning and disability.  Potential providers, during the procurement process, would be asked to calculate a cost avoidance figure.

(e)  Asked about demography money being used for this service, Ms Gillivan clarified that demography money was being used for alternative models of care which including this contract. Mr Smith said ways of integrating Better Care Funding (BCF) was also being explored.

(f)    Asked how quickly equipment could be allocated to someone in urgent need, Ms Walton said equipment was usually implemented within a week of a need being identified, however this depended on the complexity of need.  A quick response was important when a hospital discharge was required.

(g)  A Member commented on the potential for less face-to-face contact and the negative effect this could have on individuals, Ms Walton said the service complemented ‘in person’ care and support and the technology had the potential to overcome some financial challenges.

(h)  Asked whether consultation had taken place with social workers, Ms Walton said the workforce had been part of the co-production of the service, and members of the workforce were part of the procurement process.

(i)    Asked whether a single helpline would be accessible for a range of technologies, Ms Walton said one service provider would be a single contact point and that had been built into the specification for the contract.

(j)    Asked what the average payment for a person taking up a service would be, Ms Walton said it was currently a non-chargeable service and financial modelling had been carried out to look at the benefits. 

(k)  Asked how many providers would be interested in bidding for the contract, Ms Walton said twenty providers attended market engagement events to understand the vision and plan for the service. One to one sessions were also delivered with eight providers to explore key questions which helped further develop the specification.

(l)     Asked about the work involved in promoting and raising awareness of the service with Kent residents, Ms Walton said the technology facilitators had carried out demonstrations in communities and worked closely with Digital Kent to support digital inclusion, and the culture change in raising the profile of technology had been built into the specification.

(m)Asked whether the reduction in face-to-face care and support would lead to job cuts, Ms Walton said the 2-hour reduction was used to determine the cost avoidance and the contract would complement the support of care workers. The use of care technology would help deliver care and support in a sustainable way and alleviate some of the significant pressures in the social care workforce where there were issues with recruitment and retention.

(n)  Asked about disparities in the availability of adequate Broadband coverage and the reliance of devices on Wi-Fi, Ms Walton said the Digital Kent programme was driving the issue of digital infrastructure, and officers were working closely with it to identify people who needed support in this area.

RESOLVED to endorse the decision to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health to:

a)       Procure a Countywide Technology Enabled Care Service; and

b)       Delegate authority to the Corporate Director Adult Social Care and Health to take relevant actions, as required, to facilitate procurement activity.