Kent County Council Social Care and Health

Being Digital
Strategy
Our strategy for being digital and how we deliver it 2019 - 2021

September 2018
 Kent County Council

Contents

Foreword.............................................................................................................................................................................................3
Introduction......................................................................................................................................................................................4
The five themes..............................................................................................................................................................................5
Policy context..................................................................................................................................................................................6
Our aims are......................................................................................................................................................................................6
Our principles are..........................................................................................................................................................................6
Strategy on a page.......................................................................................................................................................................7
Outcomes...........................................................................................................................................................................................8
The Digital Pathway.....................................................................................................................................................................14
Conclusion.........................................................................................................................................................................................17

Effective digital services are built on trust and confidence. It is important that people feel their
personal data is secure and only used in ways that are lawful and transparent. In accordance with the
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018, we will assess the potential
impact of new digital services on individual rights and freedoms and apply the principles of privacy
by design and by default from the outset. It is important to us that we uphold the highest standards
of data security and protection and respond promptly and courteously to enquiries about the way
we handle and share personal information.

This document is available in alternative formats and languages.

Please call: 03000 421553 Text relay: 18001 03000 421553 for details or
2 email alternativeformats@kent.gov.uk
 Adult Social Care and Health

Foreword

By Anne Tidmarsh,
Director of Partnerships

Having effective digital capabilities which principles which underpin the ‘ESTHER’ way of
complement traditional care and support working, which is increasingly being adopted
services, is fundamental to delivering the across the county and exemplified by the Kent
ambitions set out in our Corporate and Adult Enablement Recovery Service online evaluation
Social Care and Health strategic plans. facility. This uses iPhones to gather views of
people who use our services and aims to make
We recognise that to continue to succeed, improvements based on their feedback and
we must use all the resources available to us measure the outcomes which matter to them.
including those described in this Being Digital Our In-house ‘Inspiring Lives’ services have
strategy. This strategy sets out our vision and developed models of person centred support
ambitions for transforming the end-to-end care planning in a similar way.
and support pathways which complement
the delivery of services and supports the new I am thrilled that the plans we have developed
operating models in Adult Social Care. and are taking forward with our key partners
will very much complement other forms of
Our intention is to continue to improve the care and support and can bring about the
experience of people who use services and for maximum benefits to all. Technology will not be
staff. a replacement for care, however it can be used
to enhance the overall quality of care.
We will do so through the effective
implementation of key service changes and
related projects during the lifetime of this “To help people to achieve the best
strategy. possible health and well-being
outcomes, living independent
The innovations described in this Being Digital and fulfilling lives in their own
document, together with the objectives of homes and communities by using
the NHS Sustainability and Transformation digital innovation and technology
Partnership emphasise the strategic importance for people of all ages in the organisation and
of closer working between health and social delivery of care and support”. We have high
care organisations in Kent. We aim to integrate expectation that taking advantage of digital
health and social care services wherever such technology can help us address some of the
integration has the potential to deliver better challenges the care system faces. Whether the
benefits and improve outcomes for people. challenge be workforce recruitment, retention
and development issues, or assist in tackling
The digital innovations which we promoted in loneliness and social isolation or indeed,
this Being Digital strategy, are resolutely driven enabling better approaches to prevention
by our determination to put the needs of the and planning early by people with care and
person at the heart of everything we do. This support needs.”
is best summed up in the philosophy and the

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 Kent County Council

Introduction

Harnessing the benefits that digital technology At the same time, we know that changing
and innovation can contribute in the delivery expectation of people who use services is
of services, is not regarded as something shifting dramatically. A phenomenon that mirrors
incidental, but an important part of the changing expectation we see in the rest of the
resources that all forward-thinking adult social public at large. The spread, and the ease of use of
care organisations rely on. digital technology as part of the normal aspect
of care and support provision is growing and
The pressures from tighter budgetary resources the Being Digital strategy describes the changes
which all local authorities have, and continue which will be put in place over the next few years.
to face, have forced the pace of change and the
range of digital innovations being introduced Our vision is “to help people to achieve the
across the health and care system. Alongside best possible health and well-being outcomes,
the financial pressures, councils have also seen living independent and fulfilling lives in their
significant increase in demand for services, own homes and communities by using digital
especially demand associated with the number innovation and technology for people of all
of people with multiple or complex needs that ages in the organisation and delivery of care and
local authorities support. Adult Social Care in support”. We have high expectation that taking
Kent is no different in this context. advantage of digital technology can help us
address some of the challenges the care system
However, whilst many areas can be seen faces. Whether the challenge be workforce
to have adopted a more rapid and wide- recruitment, retention and development issues, or
ranging application of newer forms of digital assist in tackling loneliness and social isolation or
technology, embedded as a core part of the indeed, enabling better approaches to prevention
mainstream services, we have not done the and planning early by people with care and
same in terms of keeping pace with the use of support needs.
digital technology to bolster support services
which work with all the main groups of people We stand a better chance of realising the
who use services. objectives of Your life, your well-being - a vision
and strategy for Adult Social Care 2016 – 2021, by
turning the ideas in the Being Digital strategy into
4 reality.
 Adult Social Care and Health

The five themes

The strategy is built around five themes of People, Place, Product, Practice and Partnership.
We expect that:

People – Empowered and supported to do more for themselves through

online self-service, including needs and financial assessments and real-
time information about services. People will experience the benefit of
having to tell their story once rather than multiple times, as services will be
better connected through improved information sharing.

Place – Home, Community and Residential care providers using

technology to change the way services are delivered, improving efficiency
and reducing errors, travel time and risks. Secure WiFi across the estates
that will enable staff to get the information they need wherever they work.

Practice – we will see the spread of the use of digital tools (such as smarter
mobile working, electronic work-flow to manage tasks and real-time
decision making, much reduced or no double data entry). This will enable
effective Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs), or virtual variations, and ensure
all staff including those working for providers are supported, involved
and benefit from the application of digital tools including, increased
staff productivity, cost savings, faster or automation of processing and
dashboards that enable the entire care pathways to be viewed much
more easily by managers and staff. The focus to ‘always do what matters to
ESTHER’ will drive culture-change.

Product – Evaluating and testing digital services and technology products,

we aim to work with industry and colleagues in other parts of the country
to find what works to improve outcomes for service users and the
productivity of staff.

Partnership – Health and social care services achieve better outcomes

when they work together. The Kent and Medway Sustainable
Transformation Partnership (STP) has a key role in setting out a common
vision and purpose. Being Digital sets out our vision for digital social care
services that closely align with STP digital ambitions and makes full use
of shared technology investment. In partnership with the Care Sector,
Academic Health Science Network, Skills for Care, Design and Learning
Centre, the NHS and people we aim to discover, evaluate and implement
what works.

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 Kent County Council

Policy Context Our aims are:

Your Life, Your Well-being is Kent’s vision to
help people to improve or maintain their well-
being and to live as independently as possible. Digital services enabling
It details Kent County Council’s vision for the high quality care and
future of adult social care over the next three support from a more
years. Your Life, Your Well-being and the Being productive, capable and
Digital contribute to achieving the KCC Strategic confident workforce and
Statement outcomes. care sector.

Within this vision is a digital offer to enable

service users and staff to better navigate the Intelligent information
health and social care system and access the designed to keep people
network of voluntary services. This includes healthy and well, increase
a digital catalogue of support and the use of their confidence to self-
Telecare and assisted living technology. The manage and get them to
key aims are to promote well-being, promote the right services when they
independence and support independence by need them.
improving care and support planning, move to
outcomes-based homecare, and providing ways
to support self-care.

The Kent and Medway Sustainable

Transformation Partnership includes a Digital
work-stream to deliver the infrastructure needed User experiences that are
for digital technologies. This is supplemented designed to empower and
by a programme of work to improve digital enable.
maturity across health and social care.

Our Principles are:

yy Tell us once and we’ll remember you.
Information recorded once and used
multiple times.
yy Digital information security by design
and by default.
yy Systems that exchange information.
yy Access to information when and where
it’s needed.
yy To enable people to access support
through digital channels anytime,
anywhere and from a broad range of
devices.

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 Adult Social Care and Health

Strategy on a page

yy Independent, empowered, activated and engaged

yy Intelligent online information, advice and guidance
yy Online self service referrals and assessments
yy Digital services that remember what you tell us
yy Apps that improve your care
yy Prevention, delay or avoidance of care

yy Home assistive technology

yy Keeping independent, safe and well
yy Technology improving and supporting home community care
yy Remote consultation and diagnosis
yy Council data network connecting services across Kent
yy High speed internet in remote locations

yy Mobile and flexible working

yy Workforce and Public WiFi in all frontline NHS & council offices
yy Digital rostering and scheduling
yy Improved discharge and effective multi agency working
yy Care records available where and when needed
yy Coordinated care and improved communications

yy Focused on the needs of the user

yy Working with industry and digital exemplars
yy Apps and online services
yy Exploit developments in home technologies
yy Support innovation
yy Use data generated by devices to improve service

yy Kent and Medway STP Digital Strategy alignment

yy Interoperability
yy Shared intelligence and insight to support joint commissioning
yy Digital multi agency service directory
yy Collaborative local care
yy Joint projects - Local Care, ESTHER, TICC Buurtzorg

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Outcomes

email, apps, online conferencing, instant

What can they messaging and where appropriate virtual
expect? visits.

yy Apps that improve the control people

have over their care, so they feel
actively engaged and can connect to
friends, families, carers, health and care
yy Digital services that remember them professionals.
and securely share their information with
others involved in their care so they do yy A choice of apps, online social networks
not have to repeat their stories. and other activities such as ESTHER cafés
designed to reduce social isolation, give
yy Online services that intelligently advise more control over care and improve
and guide their care and service enquiries cooperation between people and
and involve them in decisions about the services.
planning and management of their care.
yy Assistive Technology that works with our
yy Self-service eligibility and financial systems to discreetly monitor vulnerable,
assessments that allow them to make frail and elderly people so they have
informed decisions quickly and which the confidence needed to remain
offer alternative options via an e-market independent whilst providing alerts and
place or access to further information. updates when needed to those involved
in their care and support or in the event
yy Systems for people, their families and of an emergency.
carers to communicate with us in ways
that work best for them; for example,

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Home Care,
Close to Home,
Residential Care

Assistive Technologies are becoming cheaper,

more innovative and intelligent and we are
on the cusp of a revolution in affordable
home health and care technologies. It is
essential that we exploit these trends and
discover how they can be used to empower Kent Care Record (KMCR)
self-care, support carers and improve care.
Assistive Technologies can provide alerts The Kent and Medway Care Record (KMCR)
to remind people to eat, drink and take aims to deliver a significant transformational
medication as well as reassuring them and change for the health and social care system
keeping them in contact with friends, family in Kent and Medway. It will create a single
and carers as they support their needs. patient record for each resident from the
separate records currently held by different
Online Medication Administration Records providers. This means that a health or social care
(MARs) can provide consistency, improve professional involved in an individual’s care will
quality and reduce some of the risks be able in near real-time to see the treatment
associated with home and community care. and medications provided by others so they can
Medical devices can deliver treatments in make better diagnosis and treatment decisions.
the home to reduce or remove the need for The project is a key deliverable of the Kent and
travel or admission to hospital. The use of Medway Sustainability and Transformation Plan
digital services and technology by Homecare (STP).
providers offers an opportunity to transform
how they deliver care, with the potential to Health and social care organisations have a
improve efficiency, reduce errors, travel and legal obligation to ensure the records they
risks and manage limited resources more hold about their patients and service-users are
effectively. We will work with them to deliver available to all of those involved in their care,
high-quality person-centred care. Video whether they work for them or not. This project
and online communication tools make it aims to deliver that obligation.
easy for people to keep in touch with their It is anticipated that an individual’s KMCR will
families, friends and carers, and offer new be accessed through a secure portal, with
opportunities to improve their care, keeping professionals only able to view the relevant part
them independent and at home longer. of the record. The current plan is to procure
the system during 2018 with implementation
starting during Summer 2019.

Creating a shared health and care record on this

scale is challenging and ambitious, and we are
learning from other implementations across the
country. The outcome however will be a better
quality of care for patients, who will spend
less time repeating themselves as they move
between providers.

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Digital services
support improve and
enhance the way
frontline services are
delivered.

We will support Multi-Disciplinary Teams

(MDTs) to ensure they have the tools
and access to information they need to
communicate effectively with each other
and co-ordinate care. This will include video
conferencing, instant messaging , Apps
and digital services that reduce travel and
associated costs. Mobile devices are already
being used to ensure care workers have
access to real time information and updates.
Smart scheduling and rostering systems
can take the pain out of managing people
and resources and ensure an appropriately
skilled care worker is allocated to meet an
individual’s needs. Shared care records
will bring a view of the person and their
‘whole’ journey to our workforce, reducing
duplication, and improving productivity and
workflow. A connected workforce will feel
more engaged, better supported and less
isolated.
Our In House Learning Disability Services
going digital This will improve handovers of care and
improve outcomes for our service-users. Our
Learning Disability In-House services have created workforce is in the process of being equipped
person centred support plans, and outcome for mobile working, with wi-fi being rolled
focussed documents, which are in a digital format. out across the public sector estate. Our
These will be used across all of the learning replacement social care case management
disability In-house services, and now exploring if system will allow speedy data capture and
we can licence these in the future to other social support staff in new ways of working, with
care providers. access to the information they need when
they need it. Online financial and needs
assessments will complement conventional
methods and automate some of the back-
office processes needed to get people the
care they need.

The technology will be in place to eliminate

multiple logins and devices. The workforce
will be able to access their services using their
mobile device using a single login.

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 Adult Social Care and Health

Apps that Empower People and their Local Investment Programme. Work on
Support the Workforce the app commenced in May 2018 and focuses
on the use of digital technology to improve the
There is a national library of public and personal delivery of social care. The app has now been
health and well-being apps, and there are developed and is being tested as part of a pilot.
commercial apps for specific lifestyle and
medical needs. Social care is not as well served, Carers App
so we have been working to identify and
develop apps that meet specific needs. Clinical Commissioning Groups in Kent
commenced development of an app for Carers
Care Navigator App in June 2018. Based on the STOP-LOOK-CARE
Care Navigators work in the community or booklet published by Brighton and Hove it
at hospital sites and help those over 50 who provides useful information for carers, and
want to stay independent and in their own family and friends with caring responsibilities.
home. They can help them manage money and
benefits, find the right sort of home or adapt The product will be simple to use so carers can
one to their needs, plan support, fill in forms quickly refer to the app for advice on all aspects
or help as they go through the assessment of care, as well as signposting local support
process. They are based with local voluntary services.
organisations around Kent.

In July 2017, Kent successfully bid for Local

Government Association (LGA) funding to
develop an app for Care Navigators through

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Digital Services and

Technologies

As Adult Social Care implements its new

outcomes focused operating model, we will
take the opportunity to use technology to
focus on positive outcomes for people rather
than delivery of a service.

The market for home and assistive living

Deaf Community Worker technologies is developing rapidly, far
beyond the simple personal alarm and
Following a Deaf Well Being and Access pilot project, in creates new opportunities for innovative
April 2017, a Deaf Community Worker was appointed services to support carers, families, friends
in Thanet which has a high number of Deaf people. and care workers, as well as enriching the
This has been extended to cover the whole of Kent, lives of those they care for.
with the employment of a full-time post. The role aims
to improve well-being, promote independence and Commissioners will be able to use and
build community capacity, amongst Deaf adults and link anonymously collected information
children, who use British Sign Language (BSL), in Kent. generated by these systems and services
to gain insight into and be able to assess
The key objectives of the role are to: and manage need and supply and support
1) Promote independence & well-being. effective budget management.
2) Improve accessibility to services with a reduction
in barriers.
3) Improve access to information, advice and
guidance.Using technology the role improved
Access to Services through:

yy Reviewing the KCC ‘front door’ and made it more

accessible for Deaf people
yy Deaf accessible Sensory Services Facebook page
yy NGT Lite – Deaf text relay telephone service for
Deaf people
yy Improved accessibility to a range of Apps for staff
and people using services
yy Sensory Services Facebook page statistics: By
February 2018 there were 208 ‘Likes’ on the page;
BSL videos have between 66 and 2.2K views and a
typical comment from a service user rates 5 stars
and provides the following feedback ‘ Brilliant
information here and very useful’.

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 Adult Social Care and Health

Encouraging
and Supporting
Collaboration

Care homes and domiciliary care services

face funding challenges and experience
difficulties in recruiting. We will work with
the care sector to innovate and utilise
technology.

This will include access to information, advice Our key outcome objectives are:
and guidance and opportunities to train and
learn. Digitally-enabled People
yy Improved information advice and guidance
We are co-ordinating activities with partners yy Intelligent online systems to support self-
such as Accademic Health Science Network referrals and assessments
(AHSN), Skills for Care, Design and Learning yy More advanced and wider range of assistive
Centre, Health and people to explore, design, technologies
test and implement new solutions and to yy Apps and tools to support and connect
secure funding to allow us to rapidly adopt people
what works well. Digitally-enabled Place
yy Support the care sector in utilising
The Design and Learning Centre (DLC) for technologies
Clinical and Social Innovation will play a key yy Improved range of technologies available
role in exploring, testing and implementing
innovative solutions across Health and Social Digitally-enabled Practice
Care. yy Flexible and mobile working enabled
yy Making systems and tools work for
practitioners
yy Improved digital skills and abilities
yy Improved data and analytics to inform
decision making

Digitally-enabled Products
yy Efficient and cost-effective assistive
technologies

Digitally-enabled Partnerships
yy Improved health and social care
connectivity
yy Utilising Innovation facilities to drive
technologies
yy In collaboration explore, test and
implement digital solutions

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 Kent County Council Adult Social Care and Health

The Digital Pathway

ESTHERs Journey

Promoting well-being Supporting independence

Enabling people to connect and access Solutions to enable and support people in
Menu of information. Self whatever setting.
services assessment
Apps and financial
including assessment
ESTHER app Assistive technology
Digital - safety, monitoring
ESTHER Home Increased and other systems
online promotion to support people
forum of hubs and eMarket to remain as
libraries for Place independent as Technologies
people to access possible. developed in
technology partnership with
Housing health to support
solutions and Promoting independence people in whatever
increased setting - such as
access Assessment processes. smart drug delivery
to WIFI Social systems.
media/
messaging

Staff and the whole system

Digital champions
User engagement Patient flow across social care
via digital/ social communication system including the sector
ESTHER media/ technology connecting and improving that can help people
Cafés communications between
hospitals, social care and
providers.
DLC Innovation Mosaic
Sessions to explore (Social Care
solutions with System) Automatic payment
staff, partners and systems to the sector
ESTHERs. New laptops,
tablets, Iphones, Virtual MDTs;
Apps Skype for Business including digital Improved
Electronic shared consultant, GP, nurse performance
care records/ and social work management and
integrated care consultations commissioning of
services

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 Kent County Council

ESTHER gone through the system, discussing

how their experience could be improved
The ESTHER Model was created in Jönköping and feeding back the conclusions and
region in Sweden in 1997 and is based around recommendations for improvement to
the experience of an emergency referral to commissioners and organisations.
hospital of a frail and elderly Swedish patient
“ESTHER” by her GP. During her admission, she This innovative model implements a person-
retold her story to 36 clinicians before being centred approach and uses technology to
admitted and receiving treatment. support effective delivery. The Kent ESTHER
philosophy and way of working is recognised
The model has two main aims. The first is by national bodies, such as Health Education
to create smoother and safer pathways for England and the Department of Health and
ESTHER, and the second to use resources more Social Care.
efficiently. The communal goal is to ‘always do
what matters to ESTHER’. The model is a catalyst A virtual network of ESTHERs, ambassadors
for a culture change to enable the workforce to and coaches communicate and share good
adapt to the person with social care needs. practice. We are exploring an ESTHER app to
continue to support the ESTHER network and
This is achieved on four levels: have developed an ESTHER e-learning training
programme to help health and social care staff
1) The citizen (ESTHER) involved in their care understand the ESTHER model.
and listened to ‘what matters to ESTHER’
2) Training and supporting the social care
workforce and care sector to create a social
care movement to promote the ESTHER
culture.
3) Multi-disciplinary team meetings ask the
question ‘what matters to ESTHER’
4) The system by empowering ESTHER Cafes
owned by communities to listen to the
stories of people (ESTHERs) who have

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Conclusion
This strategy sets out our ambitions for the next three years. We shall implement this strategy and
achieve our vision through a range of projects, learning from others and working in partnership.
This is an exciting time to implement this strategy as there are many opportunities that allow us to
maximise the benefits that information and technology can play in the delivery of care. We have
set up facilities such as the Design and Learning Centre for Clinical and Social Innovation which will
help us to innovate through exploring, testing and implementing new ideas. Technology will not
be a replacement for care, however it can bring improvements in efficiency, effectiveness and help
improve the overall quality of care.

How we will deliver the strategy

Aim Met through

Development of online referral and assessment systems

Improved online information and guidance
Making a range of apps available to support people

Develop a digital model and framework for the social care sector that sets
out the journey and practical steps to better use digital technology

Improve the use of digital technologies by working with suppliers to

configure digital services that meet the needs of social care

Implement new adult social care recording system by 2019

Develop practitioner skills through digital champions
Ensuring practitioners have the right tools
Working with the NHS to implement integrated services and systems

Working with the Design and Learning Centre to explore, test and
implement innovative solutions across Health and Social Care:
www.designandlearningcentre.com
Engage people and organisations through Innovation workshops and
ESTHER cafés to co-produce solutions

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 This document is available in alternative formats and languages. Please
call: 03000 421553 Text relay: 18001 03000 421553 for details or email
alternativeformats@kent.gov.uk

PJ -2.1.19