Government report reveals that 80 per cent of care providers use digital social care solutions
The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) and the Care Software Providers Association (CASPA) have responded to the announcement made by the Department of Health and Social Care that 80 per cent of CQC-registered care providers now use digital social care record (DSRC) solutions.
A DSCR, also known as an electronic care plan, allows the digital recording of care information and care received by an individual, within a social care setting, replacing traditional paper records.
The previous government’s white paper ‘People at the Heart of Care’ made policy commitments to improve and increase the digitisation of social care through the digitising social care programme.
The announcement represents a significant milestone for the sector, with DSCRs demonstrating improved care quality and safety.
Deborah Rozansky, Director of Policy, Research and Information at SCIE, says: “This is a significant achievement for a sector that started from a position where only around 40 per cent of providers were fully digitised, and many were still reliant on paper-based records.
“Reaching the point where 80 per cent of care providers are using digital social care records represents a fundamental shift in how care is planned, delivered and monitored. It also reflects the enormous commitment shown by providers, care staff, people who draw on care and support, local systems and national partners to modernise social care in challenging circumstances.
“The government’s ambition for a left shift and to move from analogue to digital is only possible if strong digital foundations are in place. Greater uptake of digital social care records supports more joined-up assessments, better shared decision-making, and a clearer, more complete picture of a person across health and social care.
“Learning from SCIE and The Access Group’s roundtables on national standards of care indicates that the biggest challenge now is not the availability of technology, but the collective will to redesign systems around people rather than processes. This should be accompanied by investment in relationships and infrastructure, ensuring that the drive to digitise strengthens, rather than diminishes, what matters most to people who draw on care and support. This must go hand in hand with supporting our workforce with the training and skills they need to continue to deliver solutions.
“As the sector moves forward, the focus must now be on ensuring that digitisation is inclusive, well-supported and genuinely improves outcomes for people who rely on care and support every day.”
The Care Software Providers Association welcomed the announcement by the Department of Health and Social Care that 80 per cent of care providers are now using DSCR, which it says saves millions of administrative hours and freeing up care staff to spend more time with those they support.
CASPA says it is proud to have played a vital role in the delivery of DSCR across the sector, working alongside DHSC, care providers and other partners to drive adoption, ensure data standards, and support the shift away from paper-based systems.
Its work over recent years has helped to tackle one of the greatest practical barriers in social care: bureaucracy and duplication, says CASPA. By helping to implement DSCR broadly, CASPA states that it has contributed to faster, safer care planning and better continuity of care, enabling care professionals to focus on people rather than paperwork.
CASPA says it believes the milestone demonstrates what can be achieved when government, industry and the care sector collaborate. But explains that there is more to do, it remains committed to supporting full sector-wide DSCR rollout, as well as wider care technology adoption, ensuring interoperability, data security, and ongoing digital support so all providers can deliver modern, person-centred care.
The SCIE has published a report which highlights how people who use social care are encountering systemic or organisational barriers that prevents collaboration from working, and families are feeling left out of fast-paced decision-making.
