Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG)
A new report on how social care providers are embracing technology to improve services. The group argues that commissioning practices must keep pace with technological change to support quality improvement.
The report coincides with the Department for Communities and Local Government social care inquiry which is calling for evidence on innovative approaches to the design and delivery of adult social care, including through the use of technology.
VODG finds digital technology is enabling people using care and support services to exercise greater choice, control and autonomy and to live more safely. The use of GPS systems to ensure that people remain within an area they can safely manage, movement sensors that tell staff whether someone is ok, gadgets - from medication dispensers to talking microwaves - that promote independence, and touchscreen technology all mean that social care has the tools to become a high tech sector.