What does the ‘shift to digital’ mean for social care?

The ‘shift to digital’ poses unique opportunities and challenges for social care, writes Kathryn Marsden OBE, chief executive at the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE)

The 10 year health plan maps out how the government intends to bring the NHS back from an “existential brink” and improve healthcare outcomes in England, underpinned by three core ambitions or radical shifts – one of which is the shift from analogue to digital.

While the plan frames this mostly through the lens of primary care reform, it also signals important opportunities and challenges for the social care sector.

Partnership working

We know that there is a persistent lack of digital connectivity within and across the NHS and social care sectors. This can lead to a lack of joined-up care, which can be frustrating or even dangerous for providers and individuals drawing on care and support.

The shift from analogue to digital has the potential to address these challenges. It promises a single patient record (SPR) – set to include not only a person’s medical records but also “a personalised account of health risk”.

The ultimate ambition is for this to support a Neighbourhood Health Service that will convene professionals from across currently distinct services.

An SPR would improve interoperability between NHS services, social care provision and voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations providing health and care services.

For people who draw on social care, this could mean faster, safer decision-making, smoother transitions between hospital, home and community care, and more holistic, preventative and person-centred care.

Innovation

The shift from analogue to digital also promises continuous monitoring through data, AI, genomics, wearables and robotics to support crisis prevention. The social care sector is uniquely placed to shape what this will look like.

We have had to innovate because of profound systemic pressures leading to a host of practical insights and lessons that can act as a solid foundation.

SCIE’s work with the over 120 Accelerating Reform Fund projects, detailed in our ‘Embracing change: scaling innovation in social care in practice’ report, has been a rare and extensive practice-based testbed. It has delivered insights on how co-produced innovations, including digital innovations, can be effectively developed, embedded and scaled within adult social care.

For example, North East Integrated Care System, covering 13 local authority areas, established an Innovation Fund to support initiatives such as AI-driven case management and real-time feedback tools. Early findings show that flexible funding, regional collaboration and open procurement accelerate learning and scalable innovation.

SCIE will be attending the National Children and Adult Services Conference this year to share insights and showcase further great examples of digital innovation which are improving the efficiency of service delivery and enhancing the experience of those receiving care.

Workforce constraints

Despite its huge potential, the shift from analogue to digital also poses significant challenges for the social care sector. One is that it may not have the capacity and resources to deliver it fully.

While the social care workforce is highly skilled in providing compassionate, person-centred care and support, SCIE’s report ‘Digital learning in social care workforce development in Wales’ found that many staff do not have the digital literacy required to use technologies safely and effectively.

Studies from Sage Journals, Health Economic Journal, and the International Journal for Equity in Health show that addressing these potential risks requires improving digital skills, ensuring accessible tools and promoting awareness among care providers to foster digital inclusion.

To ensure the holistic success of digital technology and technology-enabled care, these recommendations must be included in the rollout of the plan.

Inequalities

Improving digital inclusion within the workforce is only part of the challenge, however.

Digital skills and access to technology are critical barriers that disproportionally impact people who draw on social care, including older people and people with disabilities.

For example, SCIE’s ‘Understanding the impact of COVID-19 responses on citizens’ found that two-thirds of disabled people and older people have barriers to accessing online solutions.

These barriers limit the availability and quality of services for many and reduce opportunities for independence, connection and community.

Without carefully designed strategies — co-produced with people who draw on care and support — to address these barriers, the shift from analogue to digital risks deepening existing inequalities.

This means involving people with lived experience from the very beginning of the planning process and not waiting until plans are established to consider inclusion.

We are at a crucial moment for the sector. How we respond to these challenges will shape our future resilience, equity and impact.

We don’t need to start from scratch; by learning from the work that has already been done, we can drive progress towards a health and care system that can meet the evolving needs of all communities.