Weekly Newsletter - 9.1.2025

Plus: Spotlight on Wigan - a model for social care innovation 🌟

Author

Rafe Houston
January 09, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Adult Social Care

.Welcome to Adult Social Care, your weekly newsletter offering the latest insights, strategies, and innovations empowering leaders to navigate challenges and drive excellence in the UK’s adult care sector. As we step into 2025, we're committed to keeping you informed and inspired with fresh ideas to tackle the year ahead.

Heads up! To ensure you continue receiving our newsletters, please add [email protected] to your contact list!

ADULT SOCIAL CARE NEWS

Adult Social Care faces immense challenges, from rising demand and workforce shortages to increasing complexity in care needs. To address these, Wigan Council partnered with Agilisys Transform to introduce the QuickAction suite of tools, designed to alleviate administrative burdens and empower staff to focus on delivering high-quality support to residents.

By leveraging technology, QuickAction is tackling some of the most pressing issues in Adult Social Care:

Time-Saving Solutions: Administrative tasks can take valuable time away from care delivery. QuickAction streamlines processes, enabling staff to dedicate more time to the individuals they support.

Data-Driven Decisions: In a field where timely and accurate information is critical, QuickAction provides instant access to relevant data, ensuring that decisions are based on the best available insights.

Team Collaboration Made Simple: Effective care requires coordinated efforts. QuickAction enhances communication and collaboration across teams, creating a more unified and responsive approach to addressing residents' needs.

This partnership demonstrates how innovative technology can transform Adult Social Care, helping councils overcome challenges and focus on what matters most—improving the lives of residents.

Press here to find out more.

SOCIAL CARE REFORM

The government’s reform of social care focuses urgently on tech and data sharing. New national standards aim to digitise care, improving efficiency and care quality. Concerns exist over cost and timeframe, but enhanced digital access is vital for timely, coordinated healthcare and independent living, reducing NHS burdens.

Hi, I’m Ibby, and I’m passionate about how Generative AI can transform the way government serves its people. My first foray into government technology was as a technology lead dedicated to improving citizen outcomes for a bustling borough of over 300,000 residents. Now, as I dive into the world of local government innovation, I am excited to share with you insights, ideas and best in class case studies on how technology can help us build a better future. I’m excited to learn and discover all that Gen AI has to offer - hope you are too!

Why Social Care Reform Can’t Wait!

Hello and welcome to 2025!

As we step into this pivotal year, social care remains at the heart of national conversation. The government’s Care Service Reforms, set to culminate in a National Care Service by 2028, represent an important step forward.

However, I share the concerns of Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England, who has rightly highlighted the urgency of the situation. Waiting until 2028 is simply too long. The crisis in social care is already upon us.

At Agilisys Transform, we believe in solutions that deliver impact now. That’s why we’ve developed tools like QuickAction, designed to support social care teams in creating high-quality needs assessments in just 15 minutes. By leveraging generative AI, QuickAction eliminates the administrative barriers that slow down care delivery.

Think of the difference this could make: freeing up valuable time for overburdened care workers, reducing backlogs, and enhancing the quality of support councils can provide. This is the type of the National Care Service needs.

In 2025, we have the tools, technology, and determination to start reshaping social care now—not in 2028. So let’s make it happen!

👉 Keep up with Agilisys Transform on their website or on LinkedIn.

SOCIAL CARE

The announcement of an independent commission led by Baroness Casey to transform social care is a critical, yet seemingly protracted step towards forming a National Care Service. Despite Health Secretary Wes Streeting's reassurances, the timeline set for these reforms, extending to 2028, raises concerns over the sector's immediate needs. Streeting insists that the commission, reporting in phases with a focus on medium and long-term changes, is essential to break the cycle of systemic failures. However, critics like Professor Martin Green of Care England argue that such delays risk exacerbating the crisis rather than resolving it.

Since the general election, the government has introduced significant measures like fair pay agreements and increased social care funding, aiming to address long-standing issues. Yet, the sector's challenges remain daunting, marked by historical neglect. Sarah Woolnough from The King's Fund supports the commission but urges a quicker timeline to avert further harm to those dependent on care services. Additionally, the suspension of adult social care charging reforms by Chancellor Rachel Reeves highlights the fragility of social care funding amidst wider economic concerns, revealing the complexities and tensions in effectively reforming this vital area of public service. These reforms, while necessary, must be agile enough to meet the pressing demands of today's vulnerable populations.

EVENT - ADULT SAFEGUARDING

📅 28 March 2025

📍Manchester

Experts will cover issues including the legal framework around safeguarding, the intersection with the Mental Capacity Act and cases involving self-neglect, in Community Care's forthcoming masterclass.

ADULT SOCIAL CARE

The government has initiated an independent commission to reform adult social care, led by Baroness Louise Casey. Concerns arise over potential delays until 2028, risking prolonged inaction. Immediate issues require urgent attention, including funding, workforce challenges, and technology integration, to meet the sector's pressing demands and ensure effective care.