1. Introduction
The Social Services Improvement Agency (SSIA) welcomes the opportunity to present evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee and share our experience from work in regards to the use of technology to help people remain safe and independent.
The SSIA was officially launched during the Social Services Summit in March 2006. Funded by the Welsh Government we are a bespoke and specialist team dedicated to supporting improvement within social care across Wales. Hosted by the Welsh Local Government Association we work closely with key organisations across the social care sector, which include Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru, Care Council for Wales, Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales and Wales Council for Voluntary Action. We maintain strong working links with elected members and local authority officers. Working in partnership and sharing our learning from specific work programmes helps drive improvement across Wales.
A key theme within our work over the years has been early intervention and prevention with a focus on ensuring the service user remains safe, independent and where possible within their own home. This was driven by a national review of local authorities’ older people’s services which focussed on the role of reablement services in supporting people to ‘relearn’ skills to remain independent. The role of Telecare, Telehealth and Assistive Technology can all be seen to play a key role in enabling people to keep their independence and remain safe and closely links to the reablement agenda. This paper broadens the focus from medical technology to the work on Telecare and Assistive Technology which has shown a real positive impact on the delivery of social care. Telecare can be seen as a service that enables people, especially older and vulnerable people, to live independently in their own home. It is a way of enabling them to call for assistance, at any time of the day or night. Depending on the equipment installed, it may also be able to summon help automatically when sensors in the home are triggered by unusual behaviour patterns, or lack of them. Key to any Telecare system is a response centre whose trained staff respond to all calls.
Assistive technology is ‘any device or system that allows an individual to perform a task that they would otherwise be unable to do, or increases the ease and safety with which the task can be performed’ (Royal Commission on Long Term Care, 1999). This umbrella term includes rehabilitation technologies, Telecare, Telehealth and electronic technology. Products range from ‘low-tech’ items such as walking sticks and grab rails, through mechanical and electrical equipment such as manual and powered wheelchairs, to electronic and information and communication technology (ICT) systems such as Telecare.
Emily Warren
Head of SSIA
Andrew Bell
SSIA Knowledge Manager
2. SSIA – Supporting the role of Assistive Technology in social care
The SSIA current work programme includes a specific commitment to explore and support the role of assistive technology in social care and understand the key aspects of such an approach in supporting people to remain safe and independent. Working in partnership with the Welsh Government, Directors of Social Services and the Care Council for Wales we are supporting a national network of key individuals from across social care and health to share learning and look to explore consistency in approaches. Through a multi sector workshop we have explored the key challenges and barriers and areas identified further consideration by this group were:
· Mapping of current provision of service to gain a national understanding and look at opportunities to learn from each other
· Staff training, and sharing and identifying good practice including outside of Wales
· Engagement with commissioners and understanding the needs of users and also needs of other services such as health and housing
· Connection to professional groups such as GP’s, rehabilitation staff, therapists
· Use of task groups to look at specific aspects such as charging, mapping provision, develop a strategy, innovation and research
· Keeping up to date with new technology and the testing of products
Further work will be carried out to explore how this important service can become more mainstreamed in the way services are delivered with an all Wales event on the 18 September 2014. All resources developed by this work as they are published will be made available on the SSIA website at www.ssiacymru.org.uk.
As we can seen within the case studies that follow the range of equipment is broad ranging from sensors, intruder alarms and fall detectors to name a few and importantly the client groups across Wales who receive this support range across older people, adults with learning or physical difficulties, mental health to children with learning or physical difficulties. Highlighting that such interventions are supporting the most vulnerable within our society.
The full impact and extent of assistive technology across Wales is not clear at present but it can be seen in earlier studies this approach has shown a significant positive impact on the individual. Such an approach will also bring real benefits to the organisation in allowing them to manage risk effectively, reduce the need for traditional services which in turn can be costly and not always the best outcome for the individual.
3. CASE STUDIES
The following examples highlight the significant importance assistive technology has had for individuals across Wales and the UK. These examples illustrate that often non-intrusive and low level interventions can have a significant impact on the well-being and safety of vulnerable individuals.
4. Conclusion
The Social Services Improvement Agency, are strongly committed to working with Welsh Government and local authorities, to ensure that where appropriate, use of technologies can lead to a more positive experience for the citizen, increasing independence, control and confidence. However, it is important to note that use of such technologies can only be fully effective where the individual has had an assessment that reflects that the most effective and least intrusive option is adopted.
Assistive technology alongside other preventative interventions such as reablement can be seen to play an important role for individuals to remain independent and safe. From the evidence presented, there is now a growing focus on assistive technology in social care, to increase independence and better management of conditions. It is important that in Wales, there is a clear national message the use of assistive technology in the delivery of health and social care is recognised, and welcomed, and that further focus is placed on emerging technologies by the Welsh Government. It is also important that health and social services develop a coherent approach in this area, recognising the need for the individual and their family to find the most appropriate solutions, without having to navigate complex service boundaries. Currently, across Wales there is a developing picture, which would benefit from a clear national commitment, and direction, to support development, enable the market and deliver welsh based solutions.
The SSIA will continue to support this important area of work, via our Assistive Technology Learning and Improvement Network (LIN) which has been established with the support of the welsh government, local authorities and the health service. It is a clear demonstration of the commitment of welsh local government to this important area, and a developmental step towards learning from each other and work collaboratively on the challenges of this approach.