Integrated Care Systems (ICS) were introduced to connect the newly formed Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and local authorities, enabling a more seamless healthcare service which could then give better visibility of the needs of patients and allow NHS organisations to more effectively meet these needs and provide the right high-quality care - with the ultimate goal of helping more people and to a greater degree of success.
In the words of NHS England: “Integrated care is about giving people the support they need, joined up across local councils, the NHS, and other partners. It removes traditional divisions between hospitals and family doctors, between physical and mental health, and between NHS and council services.”
ICSs began in July 2023 but were first proposed in February 2022, when the UK Government published its ‘Joining up care for people, places and populations’ whitepaper, which laid out new plans for the integration of health and social care in England and how ICSs can bring this together in line with the NHS Long Term Plan.
Local authorities and NHS England are working closely together but there is still a long way to go due to further government reform, funding changes and internal goals and targets. This is affecting the speed and timing for when these changes can be implemented and we are still feeling the disruption post-pandemic.
In this article we will explore the annual priorities of an Integrated Care System and how these goals are set and ranked. We will also discuss the hangover effect of Covid-19 and the strain on the NHS, the challenges of ongoing digital transformation, and the role providers such as The Access Group can have in aiding an ICB in delivering quality care to their local area.
Reflective practice in health and social care brings a wide range of benefits for health and social care professionals, patients, and their loved ones. With the approach often being embedded within training across many industries, reflective practice predominantly started in healthcare where the approach was heavily adopted across different industries with health and social care now at the forefront.
But, what exactly is reflective practice and why is reflective practice important in health and social care?
At the Access Group, we are aware many different approaches are being advised to help improve outcomes and care delivery. We understand that reflective practice goes further than talking or writing about your day, instead, it is about analytically evaluating your experiences to deliver better person-centred care in the future.
By the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of what reflective practice is in health and social care and how it may differ between the two, as well as how it works, why it is important, and how often reflective practice should be used.
Brokerage in social care and healthcare helps to navigate the complex landscape of health and social care services. The King’s Fund identifies that brokering is essential to the integrated healthcare system as a future model for the health and social care market.
The services brokered or procured across the health and social care market can differ depending on the sector such as care, aged care, healthcare, and social care.
But, what does brokerage mean within healthcare and social care and what benefits does it provide to individuals and the wider market?
At Access Adam Care Commissioning, we are dedicated to helping local authorities reach the increasing demand whilst still delivering the best quality care at a fraction of the price. We are committed to ensuring all local authorities make better use of the resources around them to facilitate seamless adaptation of support services to meet both your community’s health and social care needs now and in the future.
By the end of this article, you should fully understand what brokerage is in healthcare and social care, why it is important, and the benefits it offers individuals, care providers, care commissioners, health and social care professionals, and the wider community. This article will also review the challenges of brokerage in health and social care and what are the best ways to overcome this.
Digital solutions are becoming the backbone for businesses across the world and healthcare is no different. Technological innovation has digitally transformed healthcare commissioning, providing a range of cost-effective solutions accessible using cloud technology.
Not only has cloud-based commissioning disrupted the market, but also enabled NHS procurement teams to streamline processes, connect providers and patients, react quickly, and support the provision of consistent, high-quality care.
Discover why healthcare is turning to cloud services and what the full advantages of using cloud commissioning technology, like the Access adam healthcare solution, can do to transform procurement services.
Burnout in social care is causing significant staff retention and recruitment issues. A recent report by HFT and Care England found that a third of care providers have considered exiting the social care market due to financial pressures, further compounding the issue.
In the CQC’s State of Care Report 21/22 they stated that staff turnover is at an all-time high across both healthcare and social care leading to many care homes, agencies, and providers having to turn down contracts due to not being able to keep up with capacity.
Care worker stress then continues to build for adult social care workers left working in the market as the demand increases but the resources continue to plummet. At the start of 2022 alone, 2.2 million hours of homecare could not be delivered because of insufficient work capacities.
But what is causing care worker stress and how can local authorities help to work with healthcare and social care providers to prevent staff burnout and improve the continuity of care as individuals transition through the system?
At The Access Group we are aware of the challenges facing the adult social care market and the impacts it has on care workers, care homes, care providers, local authorities, and individuals and their families themselves.
We want to help overcome these issues so workloads can be more manageable and resource allocation can improve so individuals can receive the right care and support when they need it to avoid long waiting times, pressure continuing to build on the social care market, and most importantly prevent more social care workers leaving the profession due to burnout.
In this article we will review what burnout in social care is, what the main causes are, why it is important for everyone involved to notice the signs of burnout and how best to prevent it, as well as explaining how technology can help prevent burnout, which in turn can help improve the quality of care delivered.
Commissioning cycles for social care can vary across different local authorities. The social care needs of a local authority can change continuously so it is vital procedures are in place to accommodate that so every individual gets the care they need when they need it.
But, what are the best ways to do this?
With the NHS pushing local authorities to use both population health management and strength-based approach, it can get complicated when figuring out how best to commission care in your local area to accommodate to your local community’s needs whilst following specific approaches, and aiming to reach national targets.
Whether you are a care provider or a care commissioner it is vital to understand the commissioning cycle definition and how to adapt it to meet the care needs of your local area. With budgets so limited it is crucial to have methods in place that re-evaluate the care delivered to ensure the best care quality at the best price is always delivered.
At The Access Group we have encountered many local authorities using cyclical models to define requirements, select providers, and evaluate their services.
This article will review what the commissioning cycle is in social care, why it is important, as well as breaking down the commissioning cycle stages and what the benefits are from using technology in every step of the commissioning cycle to enable better commissioning, better outcomes, and better quality of life for the residents in your local community.
The UK domiciliary care market is continuing to grow year on year. In 2020 it was recorded that over 810,000 people were receiving homecare across the UK and it is clear that number is continuing to rise rapidly.
In fact, The Department of Health and Social Care have predicted that 57% more adults aged 65 and over in England will require homecare in 2038 compared to 2018.
As the demand keeps increasing so does the pressure on care providers to arrange and deliver the care and support individuals require to delay future care needs, help reduce discharge delays, and allow individuals to remain as independent in their own homes for as long as possible.
In order to reach this demand successfully, local authorities need to overcome the home care challenges which care providers, caregivers, care workers, and the individuals themselves have to deal with.
But what are the challenges that are facing the domiciliary care market and how can they be avoided or overcome?
This article will review what domiciliary care is, the challenges facing the market and how best to overcome them with technology, so local authorities can be better prepared for the demand now and in the future to ensure the best quality and continuity of care is always delivered.
Are you looking for local government technology trends that will improve the quality and mitigate the risks to the range of services your local government department provides? Have you recently started revitalising your digital journey but are not sure what software, products, or equipment are best to invest in? Or maybe you’re just interested in seeing how other local authorities are innovating workflows with technology?
If that is you, then your first step is to fully understand the variety of technology that can be used to improve your services.
Very much like legislation, technology is constantly changing. It is essential to keep up-to-date with the latest technology advances and trends to ensure the needs of citizens in your local area are met, outcomes improve, and both local and national targets are reached.
Problems with public sector tendering can be difficult to manage. Digitally transforming processes and investing in brokerage and commissioning software is a good way to overcome these problems, but it can be challenging to know what software is best for your local authority.
If you are a Director, Care Commissioner, Social Worker, or work within the care commissioning cycle in the UK then you will already know the social care challenges have been exacerbated by the pandemic, cost-of-living crisis, and staff shortages. This has made it very difficult for some local authorities to meet demand and commission the care and support needed.
It is not just social care needs that have risen dramatically, local authorities have also seen that housing needs have increased too. With many individuals seeking social or temporary housing, the long waiting lists leave vulnerable people living in unsafe conditions, worsening their health and wellbeing, and increasing their reliance on more health and social care support.
So how are local authorities overcoming these issues? What options are available and what is the difference between brokerage and commissioning software?
Access Adam Care Commissioning is dedicated to empowering local authorities across the UK to optimise their service delivery. Recognizing the increased new responsibilities of our English colleagues, we are committed to ensuring their readiness for the new CQC inspections. In adhering to all applicable legislation and guidance, we facilitate the seamless adaptation of support services to meet evolving demands.
By the end of this article, you will be able to identify the differences between commissioning and brokerage software and the best way these tools can be used to identify which solution is best for your local authority.
YPO and Access Adam Care Commissioning have been in partnership since 2020. This partnership has been able to provide bespoke commissioning solutions to customers across health and social care, transport, housing, and procurement.
But what are the benefits of this partnership? How does it overcome the challenges the public sector face during the procurement cycle and what are the best ways to use YPO frameworks?
By the end of this article, all these questions should be answered as well how a YPO framework agreement works, and how working with both YPO and Access Adam Care Commissioning is the best way to procure the services and goods your local authority needs at the best value for money.
At The Access Group we are aware of the challenges of procurement in the public sector and they can be difficult to overcome, especially when transitioning to digital procurement. We want to help local authorities make the process of commissioning and procuring the services they tend as easy as possible, at a better value, and take a fraction of the time.
This article will review who YPO are, how they work, why we decided to partner with them, as well as the best ways your local community can work with both of us to get the best outcomes.
