July 18th 2024
Skills for Care highlights the critical role that digital technology and digital skills will play in the delivery of the social care workforce strategy.
A workforce strategy for adult social care – launched today, seeks to set out where the sector is now, the drivers and case for change, and where to make changes to build the workforce of the future.
Digital Care Hub welcomes the strategy and looks forward to working with Skills for Care and sector leaders on its implementation.
Katie Thorn, Project Lead for Digital Care Hub, responded to the launch saying:
“Digital Care Hub welcomes the strong and clear messages about the importance of digital technology, and digital and cyber security skills within the workforce strategy.
“As the care provider led organisation supporting services to use tech safely, we look forward to working with Skills for Care and the sector to ensure care staff have the skills and support they need to maximise the benefits of digital tech.
“For example, we will continue to develop our work on the responsible use of AI in social care, and our programme on data and cyber security (Better Security, Better Care).”
The strategy includes indicative returns for each £1 of investment in technology interventions. The results suggest that investing in any type of digital technology in the adult social care sector would yield significant benefits for providers, the NHS and people drawing on care and support.
For example for £1 of investment in assistive technology, care providers can expect a return of £4.21, NHS can expect £4.10, and people drawing on services can expect £4.87 in return (based on quality adjusted life years).
Key recommendations include:
- Expand digital skills training (2025 scoping and launch): Digitising Social Care should partner with key organisations (Hartree Centre, Skills for Care, Digital Care Hub, TSA, Partners in Care and Health) to expand access to digital skills training across the workforce.
- Pilot care technologist role (2025 scoping and launch): Skills for Care will partner with others to test and roll out support for creating a new care technologist role.
- Expand skills (starting 2024): DHSC and Skills for Care should roll out the Care Workforce Pathway in 2024-25 and, in 2025, review with changing needs (mental health, digital skills and dementia care). All workers should have dementia training aligned to the Dementia Training Standards Framework and roles within the Care Workforce Pathway.
- The Association of Colleges and the Association of Employment and Learning Providers should support the higher education sector to offer programmes on the use of digital, data, technology and AI in social care (plans should be developed early 2025).
- Develop a strategy to improve continual professional development (CPD) and supervision to grow the workforce (2025 scoping) – through degree, enhanced and advanced apprenticeships and maximise the benefits and impact of assistive technology, data and AI through innovation, leadership and training. This could be leveraged through the Health and Care Professions Council’s standards.
Skills for Care has also published their updated report on the size and structure of the adult social care sector and workforce in England. This report reveals a substantial increase in the number of filled posts in 2023/24. International recruitment has played an important role with 105,000 people joining the workforce from outside the UK. Domestic recruitment remains a challenge with the number of posts filled by British people decreasing by around 70,0000 over the previous two years.
Related links
Skills for Care – A workforce strategy for adult social care
Skills for Care – Workforce strategy press release
Skills for Care – Size and structure of adult social care sector and workforce in England
Digital Care Hub – Digital skills and training
Digital Care Hub – Better Security, Better Care
Digital Care Hub – AI and robotics
View all News