Why Home Care Agencies Should Use NHS Accredited Home Care Software

With an increasing number of elderly and disabled people in the UK, there is a growing reliance on dedicated software in the home care sector designed to support people to live well and independently in the comfort of their own homes.

According to the 2021 Census, the population of England and Wales aged 65 years and over increased to over 11 million in 2021, rising from 16.4% to 18.6%. In England, 17.7% or 9.8 million people and in Wales, 21.1% or 670,000 were identified as disabled.

The Department of Health and Social Care’s White Paper ‘People at the Heart of Care’ sets out an ambitious 10-year vision for how the government will transform support and care in England. Putting people at the heart of care means putting them at the heart of technology and digital transformation.

In this blog, we discuss the NHS England Assured Solution List, benefits of using NHS accredited software, share some upcoming events and a Tagtronics success story.

The NHS England Assured Solution List: A Gateway to Quality Software

The NHS England Assured Solution List provides Digital Social Care Records (DSCR) solutions that have been vetted and approved by NHS England. The list is managed by the Digitising Social Care Programme which provides expert advice and guidance to help home care agencies to go digital.

Each solution has been thoroughly reviewed to make sure it meets a specific set of standards and offers 6 core capabilities CQC registered home care providers need from DSCR.

The system must:

• support inclusive care planning and needs assessment.
• capture real-time, auditable records, notes and observations accessed at the point of care.
• support task planning, allocation, management and completion.
• provide controlled access to data.
• be able to share data with other systems and care settings.
• support the operation and management of a care setting.

A detailed breakdown of each core capability expected from an assured solution can be accessed here.

But why should a homecare agency choose NHS accredited home care software? Let’s look at some of the benefits.

The Benefits of Using NHS Accredited Home Care Software

• Enhanced Trust and Credibility: Homecare software that has been vetted and approved by the NHS enhances the trust and credibility of your care clients and their families who use it. There is peace of mind that comes with knowing the software meets high standards of quality and security.
• Improved Compliance and Security: To get on the NHS assured list, the home care software must meet rigorous security measures and comply with strict standards including the 6 core capabilities. These standards reduce the risk of potential data breaches and means patient information is securely managed and protected at all times.
• Streamlined Operations and Efficiency: NHS accredited homecare software is designed to integrate seamlessly with other NHS systems, improving the efficiency of day-to-day operations. Common dedicated features are included to support staff scheduling, care planning and real-time updates that improve the quality of care.
• Access to Innovations and Best Practices: Latest healthcare tech and innovations come as standard when using accredited software. Regular updates are added as and when new developments occur. This means your home care agency can stay ahead of the game and focus on providing high quality and better care.

Making the Switch to NHS Accredited Software

• If you run a home care agency and are looking to transition to NHS accredited software, we suggest you also read How to Choose the Right Home Care Software as a starting point for areas to consider.
• Funding options are available for NHS assured solutions through the digitising social care programme to support the adoption of digital social care records.

Upcoming Digital Adoption Events

• Navigating Digital Assurance for Social Care Providers is an online webinar taking place on 19 March 2024 talking about why data standards are important for care organisations and people who use services.
• 2 Years of the Digitising Social Care Programme is being held online on 26 March 2024 hearing from care providers who have received funding for digital social care records and sharing how this has benefited them and the people they support.
• Digitising Social Care will be on stand H15 to answer your questions at the Care Show London which takes place from 24-25 April 2024 at Excel.

Tagtronics Success Story

Birchwood Homecaring Services was established in 2000 as a local homecare provider in Derbyshire offering the full range of personal care and domestic support services.

Lisa Slater, Financial Manager, says: “At the beginning, we needed a digital system to make rotas and communication easier. We wanted to get schedules onto the computer, so we were able to react more quickly to our clients’ changing needs.

We researched a number of homecare software providers and Tagtronics came across really well. The team were personable, approachable and the solution was extremely cost-effective. In comparison to other homecare systems out there, Tagtronics is so simple and easy to use. It has everything we need and it’s all really easy to access and manage.

We started with the Tagtronics system about 18 years ago now and we haven’t looked back since. They’ve adapted and evolved with us and their customer service is second to none.

Since we started working together, Tagtronics has made us much more responsive to clients’ needs – everything’s instant and transfers straight from the system to the app on our carers’ phones. You get all the information you need straight away.”

As a care manager looking to go digital, it’s important to choose accredited software that has been thoroughly vetted by the NHS for your home care agency. We would encourage you to explore the NHS Assured Solution List as a first step towards improving the quality and safety of your homecare services.

Tagtronics are proud to be an approved homecare software provider on the NHS Assured Supplier List. If you have any questions about our tech or want a demo, please call one of our friendly team on 01254 819205.