Digital skills and confidence of social workers and OT’s with embedding care technology in care and support

This is a series of co-production workshops with Social Workers and Occupational Therapists within local authorities to help co-produce and shape a national digital skills survey for the social work and OT workforce.

It is acknowledged that tech enabled care can add quality, value and choice to those using it. A blended approach, using technology to supplement care delivered by a skilled workforce to add choice, control or safety is the vision contained within People at the Heart of Care. Promoting and enabling this model is reliant on the skills and confidence of the workforce that are alongside people who need care and support.

The digital skills review undertaken by Ipsos, IPC and Skills for Care looked across a wide range of the workforce to investigate digital skills and confidence. The numbers of Social Workers and Occupational Therapists surveyed was relatively low, with the chief focus being on the workforce in the provider sector.

The Digital Transformation in Adult Social Care team and Workforce teams are part of Partners in Care and Health, a partnership between LGA and ADASS. They are working with IPC to develop a survey that will determine the digital confidence, skills and knowledge of this part of the workforce. These workshops form the ‘first steps’ in this work, by speaking to social workers and OT’s to co-produce the themes and areas of interest for the larger survey later on in 20-23.

It is suggested that the particular focus is on the skills, confidence and knowledge to embed technology within care and support to citizens. Results from this work will be used to inform recommendations for further investigative work or to inform the development of resources and support to the sector.

Go to Eventbrite to book your place https://lgaevents.local.gov.uk.... There are three workshops for social workers and three workshops for occupational therapists:

11th September

11.00 to 12.15 (social workers)

14.30 to 15.45 (social workers)

12th September

11.00 to 12.15 (occupational therapists)

14.30 to 15.45 (occupational therapists)

13th September

09.00 to 10.15 (social workers)

14.30 to 15.45 (occupational therapists)

If you are keen to take part but cannot make these dates please contact Jonathan Gardam jgardam@brookes.ac.uk