Around half of councils in the UK believe there is little or almost no understanding of technology enabled care (TEC) across the health and social care workforce, according to newly published research.
The TEC Services Association (TSA) has compiled a ‘state of the sector’ report with PA Consulting, including a survey of adult social care leaders with 42 respondents from 40 councils.
It revealed that almost all agreed that TEC is an important way to respond to “the tidal wave of demand and complexity”, but four fifths said that building a case for investment to achieve their goals remains a key challenge.
Titled From ambition to action, the report also reveals that finds 100% of respondents to the survey regarded TEC services – using everything from traditional alarms and sensors to smart devices to help people maintain their independence – as a vital part of their social care offer.
Four key barriers
TSA said its findings show that TEC is currently underutilised and identified four key barriers to take-up, including gaps in knowledge and understanding, with just under half of councils having firm plans in place or already making good progress in removing barriers.
There are also untapped opportunities, with two in three councils currently not using TEC at all, concerns around integration, with two in three seeing this as a challenge, and digital distraction, with more than half citing the turn-off of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) as likely to have an impact on people using TEC.
Alyson Scurfield, CEO of TSA, said: “As the public sector grapples with rising demand and stretched resources, it’s clear that TEC services have a pivotal role to play.
“Our joint report with PA underlines the degree to which TEC is now seen as integral to meeting health and care needs and the desire to do more.”
