Taking Care’s top 7 tips to successfully navigating your digital transition.

The digital switchover has already begun, but what does it mean for social landlords and supported living providers?

As a social housing provider, you’re likely aware of the critical shift from analogue to digital (A2D) telecare. This change offers unparalleled advantages but requires thoughtful planning to ensure smooth, beneficial implementation. Here are some ways Taking Care can support you in your digital journey, ensuring you meet your residents’ needs now and in the future.

Transitioning from A2D telecare schemes can be a significant undertaking for social and supported living providers. It can particularly impact those responsible for sheltered or supported housing, where hard-wired alarms, warden intercom or dispersed alarm units will be much harder to support by 2027.

But despite the challenges, a switch to digital offers numerous benefits, such as improved efficiency, enhanced service delivery, and increased resident (and employee) satisfaction.

Wherever you are on your digital journey we can help. Here are our top 7 tips to successfully navigating your A2D transition:

1. Outline a clear strategy and plan. Include the goals, objectives, and expected outcomes of transitioning to digital care. Taking time to develop a clear and cohesive Digital Transformation Plan that’s right for your organisation will ensure that all your team are on board.
2. Conduct a thorough assessment. Before changing anything, conduct a comprehensive assessment of your existing analogue telecare system. Identifying its strengths, weaknesses, and any potential challenges that may arise during the transition will help you develop a well-informed plan.
3. Engage all stakeholders. Engaging stakeholders early on, particularly those who may be resistant to change, ensures their buy-in and helps identify valuable insights.
4. Choose the right technology partner. Look for a reputable provider with a proven track record in digital telecare solutions. Evaluate their expertise, reliability, scalability, and compatibility with your existing infrastructure. Consider a technology agnostic supplier that isn’t tied to any single manufacturer and can work with you collaboratively to select the right technology to fit with your current estate.
5. Ensure data security and privacy. Digital telecare involves the collection and storage of sensitive resident data. Implement robust data security measures to protect personal information and comply with relevant data protection regulations. Conduct regular audits to identify and address any vulnerabilities. Again, look at suppliers that value both you and your service user’s data security and privacy and are willing to put this at the highest level in their service agreements.
6. Test and pilot programs. Before fully implementing digital telecare across your organisation, consider conducting small-scale tests or pilot programmes. This will allow you to identify and address any issues or limitations before scaling up and gather feedback to refine the system and ensure it meets users’ needs.
7. Monitor and evaluate. Establish metrics and performance indicators to track the success of the digital telecare implementation. Regularly monitor and evaluate the system’s performance, resident satisfaction, and staff efficiency. Use this data to make informed decisions, identify areas for improvement, and continuously optimise the schemes.

By following these tips, social housing providers can effectively transition from analogue to digital telecare schemes, providing enhanced care and services to their residents while embracing the advantages of digital technology.

Wherever you are in your digital switch, we can help.

At Taking Care, we specialise in Technology Enabled Care (TEC) and offer comprehensive support for social housing providers transitioning to digital telecare with our digitally resilient 24/7 Emergency Resolution monitoring services, supporting over 120,000 people throughout the UK.

If you would like to understand how we can support you with any of the above tips, or would just like to discover more about our services, please get in touch with our Business Development Team at corporate@ppptakingcare.co.uk or call 0800 085 8037. You can download the full 7 Tips Guide here.