Technology and Transformation in Social Care: Insights from Erica Pryce

In this article, we have a conversation with Erica Pryce about the impact of technology on contemporary social care. Erica offers her perspective on how the introduction of systems such as Radar Healthcare has enhanced safety, compliance, and governance in various organisations. She also explores the difficulties and possibilities that come with integrating technology into social care, ranging from ensuring accessibility for those who cannot communicate verbally to addressing the reluctance of colleagues who are apprehensive about technology.

Watch the full podcast episode here ??

Q&A with Radar Healthcare User, Erica Pryce

During the podcast episode, Erica discussed how technology has impacted her career in social care.

In this blog, we will cover the key takeaways from the podcast episode and delve into practical advice for selecting and managing digital systems along with considering what the future may bring for technology in social care.

Erica, what is your background within social care?

I am a certified psychiatric nurse with over 25 years’ experience within health and social care. My professional experience includes safeguarding vulnerable adults and assisting those with homelessness and mental health challenges. I have also been heavily involved in initiatives centred on quality improvement. At the core of everything is a commitment to making a meaningful impact on people’s lives, with a focus on maintaining a cycle of quality improvement.

Which significant contributions and considerations are important when opting for digital systems in today’s social care?

Over the years, we’ve primarily relied on paper-based systems and later moved to spreadsheets. However, there’s been a consistent challenge of bringing everything together and viewing it in one place. Radar Healthcare has significantly improved this by providing comprehensive oversight at all levels. Whether you are a Registered Manager monitoring incidents or an Operations Manager reviewing document readership, or the Clinical Operations Executive examining detailed information, you have access to the necessary data and can always identify risks. Data analysis becomes seamless, and creating action plans following audits, incidents, complaints, or CQC inspections is simplified as everything is interconnected.

I recall my time as a Registered Manager when I had multiple action plans for different events occurring within the home, all with common themes but no centralised location to manage them. This is why I believe the Action Plan module in Radar Healthcare is crucial. Recently, we used the system to gather and evaluate people’s experiences, a key aspect of the single assessment framework. There is a real risk for providers and professionals in social care and health care to rely solely on the voice of the individual and not their support network – their families and loved ones. Collecting experiences from diverse data sources and analysing that is essential. If individuals cannot communicate effectively due to a health condition or similar reason, we must find alternative methods.

Can you offer some guidance on achieving that within your latest roles?

It’s fascinating to see how CQC inspectors make use of various tools, like talking maps and an observational framework, to gather insights into people’s lives.

"Even without words, people convey strong messages, which requires us to know them well and observe keenly. This enables us to relate these insights to the 'I' statements in the single assessment framework for those unable to articulate their thoughts directly. Their behaviour during different aspects of life speaks volumes about their needs and experiences. Collecting observations from diverse sources such as professionals, family members, staff, and key workers creates a comprehensive picture of how they live."

With your wealth of experience in the field, can you provide tips on what to look for or avoid, as well as how to make the best use of technological and digital systems?

There are undoubtedly genuine risks when delving into the tech realm. Recently, many local authorities have shown a growing interest in technological innovation. Around 4 or 5 years ago, their main aim was to find ways for technology to save money and cut down on staff numbers, leading to anxiety among employees about job security and reduced working hours impacting their opportunities. However, this view has notably evolved over the last few years towards recognising how technology can enrich individuals’ lives and boost their independence. From a personal standpoint, our focus on tech has increasingly been about how employees, colleagues, and leaders use it to interpret data and improve service management. I remember discussing this with a Registered Manager roughly five years ago who wasn’t eager to switch from paper records to digital ones or from paper audits to digital audits. Yet about a year ago, both she and her Operational Manager mentioned they couldn’t imagine a day now where someone came in and said, well, can I see all the incident analysis for the last 12 months and you’ve got to go through all the paperwork. Or you need to see all the health events around a person and instead of running a report you’ve got to go and do that manually through paperwork.

It is essential to identify what will work for each person individually and adapt your rollout strategy accordingly. While some will take to it effortlessly, others might need one-on-one guidance and reassurance throughout the process. When we introduced Radar Healthcare, we did so in segments which allowed users to familiarise themselves with different components gradually instead of being inundated all at once. Additionally, some individuals showed keen interest in exploring further functionalities and regularly queried its capabilities. Ensuring continual adjustments and system configurations is critical as changes in regulations occur and necessitate updates.

What benefits have you seen from adapting to a digital governance system?

I think one of the principal benefits is the immediate access to data, enabling trend analysis and understanding developments within a particular service without requiring an on-site visit. It has facilitated several factors for people; even things once recorded in diaries are now organised as scheduled tasks. We’ve incorporated our strategic risk register into it, with all our meetings handled via this system. During CQC inspections when specific information is needed, we can produce reports instantly – an advantage not possible with paper-based methods. Thus, having data at your disposal is invaluable. A significant effort has been made to improve workflow processes. For example, following a one-to-one discussion with someone, it goes to them for review and approval before returning to the line manager for any additional comments. Alongside this, we have established probationary procedures and induction processes where you can see the complete journey from learning to outcomes and actions.

How important has it been for you to see your learnings within Radar Healthcare? ?

Our regulators and commissioners have a strong emphasis on shared learning and continuous improvement. Having a digital governance system enables exactly that. It shows how you’ve learned from one area and shared it in others. We have notifications that go out across the whole system, informing people of any insights they might not have received before due to geographical separation. Another advantage is its timeliness; traditionally, lessons were shared through groups or forums, which took time to circulate back. However, with the system, an incident can occur, be investigated, and its learnings instantly shared with everyone, removing any barriers such as attendance at meetings or reading minutes.

In what ways can technology enhance inclusivity and improve communication for all in social care?

I believe technology and inclusivity can be challenging. Numerous different technologies exist that people use to communicate, yet they never fully eliminate the necessity of understanding each individual and their unique communication methods. One essential aspect of our digital care planning is that it contains comprehensive information about how each person communicates, capturing their experiences effectively. Furthermore, the feedback collation tool we have developed in Radar Healthcare has facilitated this process significantly. By collecting various observations and diverse communication methods, we gain insight into how individuals express themselves, enjoy their lives, or feel secure.

What advancements do you foresee in technology within health and social care over the next 5, 10, or 15 years, and how do you hope these changes will impact individuals?

I believe it will evolve. I recently saw something on LinkedIn about a new communication system that connects electrodes to a person’s head, enabling the conversion of thoughts and feelings into words on a screen. It sounds slightly unnerving, but I think it will be incredibly impactful. If we could genuinely reach a point where non-verbal communication could convey people’s thoughts and emotions in an unbiased and neutral manner, it would revolutionise how we deliver services and understand personal experiences. Currently, everything relies on another person and their subjective interpretation. An objective system would make a substantial difference, allowing people to express their needs and desires more articulately and comprehensively, enhancing mutual understanding. Often, unless you know someone very well, grasping their true meaning can be challenging. It would be fantastic to see this come to fruition in 5 or 10 years, perhaps more towards the latter. But who can say for certain?

For organisations that might be somewhat hesitant about technology, could you share any advice or examples from your recent positions where you’ve managed to overcome that obstacle?

In my view, this is probably the most critical aspect of digital health care records. Frontline staff can see the benefits once they realise, they can just press a button, speak into it, and have it automatically transcribed. From a leadership standpoint,?governance systems excel during local authority inspections, reviews, CQC inspections—basically any scenario where outcomes or data must be demonstrated, including handling incidents and complaints. Once you guide someone through the process of dealing with one incident or complaint, you can see how everything interconnects, and the system’s value becomes evident.?Implementing it gradually is vital. Recently, I spoke with another organisation that paused its implementation journey to evaluate how well the initial stages were being adopted and integrated. This seems crucial: regularly checking in to ensure that staff not only understand their tasks but also the reasons behind them. In our field, understanding why something is done is essential for sustained effort and quality performance. Always relate back to how these actions improve outcomes for those under our care. While some may enter care work wanting direct interaction rather than dealing with technology, it’s important to show how technology enhances the quality of care.

"Care is a challenging profession in many respects. When you enter this field, you need to be adept at digital tasks as well. We typically discuss this during the interview process and ask candidates if they are familiar with Facebook or other social media platforms, and most will say yes. We often respond by saying that if they can manage those platforms, they'll navigate their roles effectively. In most cases, they do."

What’s your perspective on technology in social care? How do you anticipate it evolving over the next 20 to 30 years?

I think we’ve got to find the balance. Social care is always going to be about people connecting with people, but we must work smarter. The demand for social care, as we know, is increasing year on year and the number of people to deliver it is not growing at the same pace. So, we must consider the smart use of technology and how to solve issues without being afraid. We need to move forward gently and help everyone understand what can be achieved. There’s also a lot of work needed with those we support because many individuals are resistant to technology in their lives compared to others. This resistance often stems from a lack of understanding of what is available and how it could benefit them or their loved ones. I hope there will be more chances to try new things for the people we support in the future and to comprehend the options available. Commissioners will need to become much more flexible in how they arrange support, and hopefully, there will be libraries of tech for people to try for various outcomes. Another crucial step is integrating systems. Although I’m unsure how that would work, combining health and social care records digitally seems obvious to me. It’s surprising that we haven’t made more progress in this area already.

???You can listen to the full episode here >