Policy Connect has launched the Kent and Medway ATech Skills for Social Care Commission to deliver an inquiry aimed at shaping local and national policy on ATech delivery. 

The Commission runs alongside the Kent and Medway Digital Skills and Innovation in Health and Care (DSIHC) project and is co-chaired by Cllr Teresa Murray (Medway Council) and Cllr Dan Watkins (Kent County Council). The DSIHC aims to improve digital skills and the use of technology in the health and care sector by delivering training to both incoming and existing care professionals. This work includes the establishment of six ATech learning hubs in colleges in Kent and Medway.

Recent reviews of digital skills in adult social care have highlighted a need for sector staff to upskill in this area to fully leverage the benefits of technology for individuals and the sector. 

To address this, the Commission aims to:

1. Ensure the DSIHC project is informed by national policy developments; and is informed by the findings of concurrent and recent ATech initiatives across the UK.
2. Enable the DSIHC project to serve as a true national trailblazer – shaping local and national policy and ATech delivery through its example of positive impact. 

The Commissioners convened late last year to agree the scope and focus of the project and will hold the first of two roundtable evidence sessions in in Parliament later this month. The second evidence session will be held at one of the ATech learning hubs in Kent. The inquiry will produce a report in the autumn with recommendations to policymakers at all levels of government. 

The Commission is sponsored by Kent County Council, Medway Council, and Kent Further Education.

For more information on the Commission, inquiry, or its opening roundtable, please contact robert.mclaren [at] policyconnect.org.uk (robert[dot]mclaren[at]policyconnect[dot]org[dot]uk). 

Clive Gilbert, Senior Policy and Research Manager, Policy Connect:

"Effective use of ATech has the potential to revolutionise social care and deliver more choice and control for people who draw on care and support. Kent and Medway Councils are leading the way in integrating ATech skills into the training of the social care workforce with their Digital Skills and Innovation in Health and Care (DSIHC) project. Our Commission is a fantastic opportunity to feed learning from this trailblazing project and other initiatives across the UK into national policymaking." 

Richard Smith, Kent County Council (KCC) Corporate Director, Adult Social Care and Health, said: 

“We are delighted to bring our experience of working with Medway Council and Kent Further Education to build a local digitally skilled health and care workforce to this inquiry. 

“In turn, we will learn from it as we develop our Technology Enhanced Lives Service and explore other ways tech can help support good quality care. For example, using funding from NHS England, KCC has been working with 30 care homes to test Feebris – a digitally enabled programme for proactive risk assessment and detection of deterioration of residents in care homes. At present this system is helping monitor the needs of over 680 people in our care.”

Lindsey Biggs, Chief Innovation and Skills Officer at East Kent Colleges Group, said: 

“We are excited to be part of this important Commission, and our newly launched Assistive Technology Suites play a pivotal role in the evidence-gathering process. These state-of-the-art learning environments are helping us equip the health and social care workforce with the digital skills necessary for the future.

“Through our involvement in the Commission, we are drawing from the insights gained through our collaboration with local employers and stakeholders, ensuring that the curriculum we develop is aligned with the evolving needs of the sector. The technology showcased in our suites, such as smart software and home security systems has been carefully chosen for a range of scenarios, including dementia care. They are designed to support individuals in need and their carers, providing vital hands-on experience for both students and professionals. To date, over 300 students across Kent and Medway have engaged with the Assistive Technology Suites and are undertaking the brand-new curriculum which has been designed in close consultation with key stakeholders from the sector"

“We are also working in partnership with MidKent College and North Kent Colleges to provide valuable evidence from our work across Kent. This collaboration is instrumental in informing future government policy in this important area. By bridging the digital skills gap and fostering compassionate care, we are preparing the workforce to adapt to the technological advancements shaping the future of health and care services. This partnership and the shared insights from Kent’s colleges are helping to create a workforce that is both digitally proficient and committed to delivering high-quality care in an increasingly tech-driven world.”

“Ultimately, and urgently, we must close the digital skills gap and identify recruitment and retention initiatives to maintain digitally skilled health and care staffing – at every level. Only then will we get the most from these advances for the very people they are designed to care for.”