Digital Care Hub Late January Newsletter
Digital Care Hub Late January Newsletter
AI Opportunities action plan
Cyber Resilient Care- new support programme for small providers
Care England 2025 conference
Social Care Summit North,
What next for digital transformation of adult social care
Ransomware: proposals to increase incident reporting and reduce payments to criminals
Bring Your Own device workshop
Digital health Rewired -
New Cyber Simulation webinar series
Plus much more to help you stay safe..
Government launches AI Opportunities Action Plan
The Prime Minister has put AI front and centre of Government plans for economic growth, improvements in health and education, and career opportunities.
AI Opportunities Action Plan states that “the government must:
Invest in the foundations of AI: We need world-class computing and data infrastructure, access to talent and regulation
Push hard on cross-economy AI adoption: The public sector should rapidly pilot and scale AI products and services and encourage the private sector to do the same.
Position the UK to be an AI maker, not an AI taker: As the technology becomes more powerful, we should be the
Responding to the announcement, Michelle Corrigan, Programme Director of Digital Care Hub said:
“This Government has rightly identified AI as a powerful tool for improvement in the public and private sectors. Digital Care Hub strongly agrees with the Government that we must grasp the benefits of AI – but this must be done safely and within the context of social care as a fundamentally relationship-based and person-centred service.”
Cyber Resilient Care - new support programme for small providers
Digital Care Hub has launched a new support programme for care providers with up to 50 staff in the North West, West Midlands and South West. Funded through the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology’s Cyber Local programme, this new service will help providers to strengthen their ability to manage cyber security incidents. It includes in-person workshops, cyber vulnerability assessments, and webinars based on typical cyber incidents.
Cyber Resilient Care is being delivered by four of our local support organisations in partnership with our national team and police-led Cyber Resilience Centres. The workshops and assessments are available to ten care providers in each of the three regions and will prioritise CQC-registered services and day care. The webinars are open to all small providers.
Care England 2025 Conference & Exhibition, Thursday 13 March 2025
Join us at Church House, Westminster for a day filled with insightful talks, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, caregiver, or simply interested in the future of care, this event is for you. Explore the latest trends, technologies, and best practices shaping the care industry. Don’t miss this chance to connect with like-minded individuals and gain valuable knowledge to shape the future of care in England. We can’t wait to see you there!
Click here for the conference programme.
Social Care Summit North, Thursday 13 February 2025
Hosted at the Manchester City Etihad Stadium on 13 February 2025, the Social Care Summit NORTH is a premier event dedicated to addressing the unique challenges and innovations of social care across the north of England and Scotland. The Summit, presented by LaingBuisson Events, aims to foster inclusive dialogue, showcase regional advancements, and strengthen partnerships among key stakeholders. Designed to drive forward-thinking strategies and impactful outcomes, the Summit promises a comprehensive agenda featuring expert speakers, interactive discussion and valuable networking.
Co-located in the same venue, same date as Social Care Summit NORTH, Innovation in Care 2025 will also be making its debut in Manchester in 2025, providing delegates and partners twice the opportunities for content and networking. Don’t miss out!
Use code SCSN2510 for 10% off your booking.
What next for the digital transformation of adult social care?
Update from Peter Skinner, Digitising Social Care Programme, NHS Transformation Directorate
It has been a busy few years in the digitising social care programme, and we appear to be on track for 80% of care providers having a digital social care record by March, but this is only the beginning. There are so many opportunities for technology to support the delivery of social care, helping people to live independently for longer and making services more efficient, safe and, perhaps most importantly, personalised.
As we move past the first phase of our work our focus will shift to two key areas, both announced alongside the launch of the Casey Commission on 3 January:
We will set new standards for the use of technology in care so people who draw on care, their families and care providers can confidently buy what works and get the safest, most effective tech into their homes or services, promoting better choice and control for people.
We will join up health and care services by enabling health and care staff to access real time social care, GP and hospital data, including by joining up digital systems with a shared platform. By the end of the parliament, we aim for all care providers to be fully digitised, and for staff to have access to essential medical information.
Ransomware: proposals to increase incident reporting and reduce payments to criminals
The government is consulting on proposals to reduce the threat posed by the criminal infection of computer systems with malicious 'ransomware' software. This consultation closes at 5pm on 8 April 2025.
Sector Pulse Check 2024
The Sector Pulse Check is an annual report by learning disability charity Hft and Care England, the largest and most diverse representative body for independent providers of adult social care in England. The publication analyses the financial health and workforce of adult social care, providing an important benchmark for the nature and scale of challenges facing the sector.
The findings in the 2024 Sector Pulse Check report illustrate how the adult social care sector is on a precipice.
Candesic Survey
Candesic, with help from Care England, is conducting a survey to understand the degree to which nursing and residential care homes have adopted digital solutions to enhance their care quality and/or efficiency. It aims to enable you to discover more providers of tech solutions for social care and consider additional aspects of care delivery that can be enhanced with technology. Two lucky survey participants will be picked at random to win a tablet! https://survey.candesic.net/index.php/762264
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) survey and workshop for care providers
The Better Security, Better Care programme is looking to understand the prevalence of and experiences of Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) policies in Adult Social Care. We have designed a survey to find out how staff use devices - whether they are provided by the employer or staff use their own - computers, tablets or smartphones.
We want to hear from a variety of groups, including staff and organisations that both DO and DON'T use their own devices. Our aim is to develop recommendations and guidance for users in Adult Social Care with our partner on this work - The PSC. The deadline for this survey is the 5th February 2025.
Join us at Digital Health Rewired 2025
Digital Care Hub’s Katie Thorn takes part in an unmissable session for anyone interested in how health and social services are engaging with AI. Joined by Nell Thornton of The Health Foundation and Yesmin Begum from the National Institute for Health and Care Research, Katie will share progress in shaping the responsible use of generative AI in adult social care.
Rewired 2025 runs 18-19 March at Birmingham’s NEC and is free for NHS and public sector employees. The CPD-accredited programme features patient advocates Dr Henrietta Hughes OBE the Patient Safety Commissioner, Rachel Power, Chief Executive of The Patients Association. Dedicated stages include integrated care, digital transformation, AI, digital nursing, cyber security and infrastructure.
New Cyber Simulation Webinar series!
Would you know how to respond to a cyber-attack?
Join Digital Care Hub for this new interactive webinar series launching in February, where we’ll simulate a hacker targeting a care provider with a cyber attack. Sign up and learn together how to protect your organisation from cyber threats in a safe, engaging environment. This will be co-hosted with the Cyber Resilience Centres.
We have launched this webinar series for 3 regions in the UK, however, you are welcome to attend even if you are based outside of these regions. You will still benefit from them and be able to participate.