Brainkind has joined a coalition of care sector organisations dedicated to studying the penetration and effectiveness of care management software in community care settings.

This coalition, which includes stakeholders such as the National Care Forum, Total Care Manager, Colligo Labs, and the Self-Directed Support Network England, aims to address key challenges in digital care technology adoption, particularly in the complex care and community care sectors.

The study, a first-of-its-kind, seeks to explore the usage of digital tools for care management, with a special focus on those with lifelong support needs, such as people recovering from brain injuries and other neurological conditions.

Unlike previous studies, this initiative takes a unique approach by actively seeking input from care professionals, family members, unpaid carers, and support networks, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of care delivery in diverse community settings.

Why Brainkind joined the coalition

Brainkind’s involvement in the coalition highlights its commitment to improving care delivery for people with brain injuries and neurological conditions. Brainkind has made significant strides in digital transformation, investing in comprehensive digital social care record (DSCR) systems across all its services.

However, a challenge remains when individuals leave Brainkind’s services to receive care in community settings where technology adoption needs to catch up, often relying on outdated methods such as paper and Excel spreadsheets.

Brainkind’s Digital Director, Graham Fisher, emphasised technology’s critical role in enhancing the quality and safety of care. He pointed out the stark contrast between Brainkind’s use of advanced care management systems and the outdated tools still prevalent in community-based care for individuals with brain injuries and other complex needs.

Graham explained, “It’s increasingly recognised that the methods used for reporting and management have a direct impact on the quality and safety of care delivery. That’s why at Brainkind, we’ve invested heavily in digital care records for all our services. As a large charity, we were fortunate to have multiple providers competing for our business, which helped us find an appropriate solution within our budget.”

However, he noted the disparity in technology adoption in smaller care settings: “Unfortunately, it’s a very different picture in the community-based care of people with brain injury or other complex needs. The consequence is that the care of some of society’s most highly dependent people is managed with the most rudimentary systems, often paper and Excel.”

The importance of the study

The coalition’s study comes at a critical time for the care sector. While the adoption of care technology has accelerated, with over 70 per cent of care providers now using digital social care record solutions, there is still a significant gap in reaching the 80 per cent adoption target set by the government for March 2024.

Large and small care providers, especially those serving individuals with complex needs, have been identified as the least likely to have transitioned to digital systems.

By gathering data through surveys open to all stakeholders in care—whether they are professionals, family members, or unpaid carers—the coalition aims to uncover the barriers to digital adoption.

These insights will help the sector identify where support is most needed and provide solutions to ensure that all individuals, regardless of the complexity of their care needs, have access to high-quality care technology.

Graham expressed Brainkind’s hope that the study will be a turning point for digital transformation in community care settings. He explained, “We’re pleased to be backing this research because it will help to quantify the scale and extent of this challenge.

The hope is that when people leave our services in the near future, the new care setting will be using similarly capable software that we’re using at Brainkind, giving all relevant stakeholders access to the primary care record, and allowing everyone to collaborate to support each person in living their best life in the community.”

To access and complete the survey click here