What’s Holding Back the Adoption of Technology in the Social Care Sector

Following on from the Conference where the topics were all about using digital technology, we found this paper What’s Holding Back the Adoption of Technology in the Social Care Sector? 11 Jun 2019, written by Dr Sarah Carlick, an International digital safeguarding expert, who works tirelessly to bring the benefits of digital technology into safeguarding.

She argues that it is not just the social workers that need to be included in the conversation, but support workers, housing staff, voluntary sector charities, and care staff. You can read the full article here but the main barriers are below; It would be interesting to get your comments!:

·        There is an inherent lack of innovation in this space for social practitioners. Simple proof of this is by making a comparison with the health care sector – compare to health tech

·        A lack of feasibility, seed funding, notwithstanding the lack of upscale and sustainability funding.

·        Poor and inadequate resources within everyday practice.

·        We are at the beginning of acknowledging how technology could impact on outcomes for the sector and holding a committed belief that this is the way forward for enhancing communication and interaction with service uses. Nevertheless, we do not know what this looks like and it feels like a never-ending cycle of, if we always do what we do we, will always get what we get…

·        A lack of strategy for merging and creating new viewpoints for information sharing and technological pathways and frameworks.

·        There is no recognition that Local Authorities Digital Strategies are combined with social care and health strategies. I believe these should be viewed as one.

·        Culture change where we move from the traditional masses of databases (Carlick, 2018) to one of mobile applications with secure seamless capabilities.