Wiltshire Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Strategy 2023 to 2028
How we will deliver priorities
A detailed look at what we will do in the next five years, with measurable outcomes.
This strategy sets out the vision and outcomes that people have told us are important in relation to Technology Enabled Care (TEC). We know that we have a way to go to make this vision a reality in Wiltshire. However, we have a TEC team to support, raise awareness, and drive these required changes to ensure we work together to achieve excellence. We will co-produce a detailed action plan of how we will achieve these aims and improve outcomes for people.
Achieving our aims and improved outcomes
The following will be reflected within the action plan.
We will raise awareness of TEC across the Council and wider partners by:
- prioritising training to staff and the public. We will regularly run and update in-person and virtual training on the latest TEC solutions and the outcomes they can deliver
- using the virtual e-learning tool to train all staff within social care and as a core component of any induction training
- focusing training on scenarios, alongside product and solution training
- publishing an online catalogue of current TEC solutions to all stakeholders
- developing the TEC Champion role in Wiltshire and upskill them to work with TEC Advisors to raise awareness across teams and organisations
- producing clear information in a variety of formats (including videos) of common TEC solutions, showing how they work and how they can benefit residents, this will include case studies of solutions from around the UK
- increasing the use of TEC to prevent crises (such as falls), not just react to them
- developing an interactive website that caters for staff, residents, care providers and wider stakeholders providing both information and an online referral pathway
We will develop clear pathways for TEC by:
- ensuring that TEC is considered as part of all Care Act Assessments and reviews, so that technology supports care packages wherever possible
- integrating TEC referral pathways with Social Care Case Management System (currently Liquidlogic)
- creating clear signposting for self-funders, providing useful, accessible information about TEC, and ensuring pathways for self-funders accessing reablement are easy to understand
- deciding, as a council, whether to continue the policy of only funding TEC for those that have two or more eligible needs under the Care Act (ee will clearly publicise this decision)
We will develop our TEC offer by:
- ensuring 60% of all social care packages include TEC as a core component by the end of 2027/28. This is a radical but achievable increase - around 2,300 additional care packages with TEC provision
- supporting people being discharged from hospital by providing them with a simple, pre-programmed TEC solution such as a mobile alarm device
- using smart sensors and analytics platforms within reablement and enablement to learn changes in behaviours and activities around movement, hydration, nutrition and provide insights to support early intervention and prevention ahead of crisis
- increasingly moving towards proactive use of TEC, alongside reactive use
- enhancing the current TEC offer at the Independent Living Centre, including supporting people with buying their own products and showcasing what is available / possible
- providing local places for people to view and test equipment
- providing remote and in-person TEC support, including integrated TEC assessment support for practitioners and sourcing support to identify new and innovative solutions
We will continuously test and learn to develop our approach, as follows:
- use data to enrich our intelligence and insights - we will not capture data for the sake of it, but ensure we use it to continuously improve and learn
- develop a structured approach to funding through various sources and application funds
- analyse our Return on Investment (ROI) for TEC
- this will include setting up an Application Programming Interface (API) tool to enable us to report clearly, use and understand data across different systems; and developing a Benefits Realisation approach to track ROI
- test different solutions in Wiltshire, with a view to moving to a "digital by default" approach to new TEC service users, and to move all existing users over to digital ahead of the national switch-off of analogue telephony
- evaluate and use this learning to inform the wider roll-out of TEC
We will provide support to stakeholders, as follows:
- develop a shared language across our networks. We will ensure that the key messages of proactivity and independence are understood and reinforced
- work closely working with the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) Integrated Care System (ICS)
- engage with the ICB to understand joint commissioning opportunities, including pharmacy medication dispensing provision
- engage with the voluntary and community sector to ensure TEC provision is joined-up
- support TEC suppliers to be compliant with Information Governance rules
- work with our Council ICT teams to ensure integration between TEC and stakeholder infrastructure
- support care providers to understand how TEC fits within their care delivery, so that TEC is a core part of supporting people to live independently, and not seen as an add-on
- this will include exploring installing sensors in private and communal spaces, linked fire and smoke detection as well as video door entry
- support informal carers through remote monitoring, respite, medication management which can provide peace of mind and practical assistance