Digital Care Hub September Newsletter
Care Workers’ Charity release guidance and statement of expectations on responsible use of AI in social care
This week, the Care Workers’ Charity have released the ‘Care Workers’ Guidance and Statement of Expectations on the Responsible Use of AI and Particularly Generative AI in Adult Social Care.’ This document, informed by the roundtable discussions, offers key principles and recommendations for AI developers, employers, policymakers, local authorities, regulators, and care workers themselves.
Our team is currently fundraising for the Care Workers Charity. If you would like to support, you can find information on our Just Giving page.
IMPACT Centre looking for care sites and local authorities to take part in new projects
The IMPACT centre are looking for organisations to work with in 2025-2026. These organisations will host one of the IMPACT Demonstrator or Facilitator projects, or take part in one of the IMPACT Networks (each Network is made up of five local groups). We call these organisations IMPACT ‘sites’.
Possible Demonstrators include:
Developing new models of home care (moving beyond ‘time and task’ approaches to ones which build around people’s lives, focus on outcomes and create social value, all of which might involve a shift in funding, care planning, training and skills)
Supporting more of a research culture in adult social care
Climate change – either reducing social care’s contribution to climate change or planning ahead who might be particularly affected by climate emergencies
Tackling poverty – either of people who draw on care and support or of care staff
Improving the support offered by community teams and the voluntary sector to people who are experiencing mental health crisis
Boosting re-ablement and/or intermediate care – often part of a ‘home first’ approach
These topics are not prescriptive and they welcome applications on other areas.
Join our Caldicott Guardian Learning Network
Are you a Caldicott Guardian in the Adult Social Care sector? Then the Caldicott Guardian Learning Network is for you!
These sessions aim to bring together Adult Social Care Caldicott Guardians to discuss and explore how to embed best practice with the role. This space will allow you to share, learn, and explore with a community of support.
Updated resources and information for commissioners of care
We have updated our data and cyber security guidance and information webpages for local authority commissioners. The guidance includes templates on how to include the Data Security & Protection Toolkit (DSPT) in contracts, the differences between Cyber Essentials & the DSPT, information about what other councils are doing on digital, and more.
The clock is ticking to access funding!
The clock is ticking to access funding for Digital Social Care Records. It won’t be around forever, but there’s a local team ready to help you. The process is simple when you know how!
Skills for Care
Get involved in developing Skills for Care’s new self-assessment tools
Skills for Care is working in partnership with the Digital Care Hub, Partners for Care and Health and Oxford Brookes to develop two digital self-assessment tools for adult social care, to support people in identifying what learning, training and resources they need when using technology in the delivery of care.
These initiatives are part of a wider programme of work funded by the NHS Transformation Directorate (NHS-TD) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Opportunities to get involved
We’re holding a series of engaging and interactive user groups in October and November for people working in adult social care to come together and help review and co-develop these new self-assessments with our team.
If you would like to register your interest in being involved in our user group sessions, you can learn more below.
'What Good Looks Like' for social care organisations
The 'what good looks like' will support each organisation in their digital development journey focusing on achievements, areas for improvement, baselines and targets, and making the case for change and progressing forward.
Find out more about the user group sessions and register your interest
Digital Skills Framework for people working in adult social care
The Digital Skills Framework means people working in social care can self-assess their digital knowledge and skills against the framework, and identify what areas of learning and skills they could further develop in their roles and in the delivery of care.
Find out more about user group sessions and register your interest
To get involved separately, outside of the user group, email: digital@skillsforcare.org.uk.
Events
DSPT In-depth IT Systems and Devices
This webinar is part of our ‘DSPT In-Depth’ series where we dive deep into different sections of the care sector’s DSPT.
This session will focus on the IT systems and devices sections of the DSPT. The session will cover:
Managing mobile devices
Passwords, backups and access
Systems and software
Skills for Care Registered manager webinar: Digital Social Care Records
This webinar, funded by DHSC/NHS-TD and co-hosted by Skills for Care and Digital Care Hub, offers registered and frontline managers insights into Digital Social Care Records (DSCRs), their benefits, and key considerations. The webinar will also provide resources for informed decision-making, practical advice on implementing digital changes, and best practices for digital transformation in care services.
It also covers the NHS-TD "Clock is ticking" campaign and provides information on available funding for digital transformation this financial year.
Who should attend?
Registered managers
New frontline managers of adult social care services or those progressing to management
Digital transformation leads
Would you survive a cyber attack & are your email domains ready?
In this webinar we will be looking at how technology has changed the way we work. Sharing data digitally and communicating with others remotely are just some examples of use of technology in social care.
There are more and more uses of technology within the care sector and Digital Care Hub will guide you through setting up a robust continuity plan to ensure you are ready and prepared for this.
In partnership with Charity Digital who will be focusing on the importance of professional email domains. A professional email domain would breed more confidence and trust. A simple solution that could make you more secure, safe and trustworthy.
DSPT In-Depth - Policies and Procedures
This webinar is part of our ‘DSPT In-Depth’ series where we dive deep into different sections of the care sector’s DSPT. This session will focus the policies and procedures sections of the DSPT.