Care Home Professional – August 2019

ROTACLOU D ASK THE EXPERT

August 2019 | CARE HOME PROFESSIONAL 15

T

he latest State of the Adult Social Care Sector and

Workforcei in England report reveals that the annual

staff turnover rate in the care sector has reached 30%,

meaning around 390,000 carers have left their jobs over the past year.

The sector also suffers an 8% vacancy rate, with around 110,000 positions

remaining unfilled at any given time.

Experiencing a high employee turnover rate and staff shortages not

only mean care providers are regularly spending time and money on

recruitment, but they’re also having to deliver services with fewer in-

house staff. And it’s not just the service users that ultimately feel the

repercussions of the staff shortages. What about the care provider’s

employees who become overworked, stressed and, therefore, more

inclined to look for a job elsewhere?

Although care providers are keen to take advantage of new technologies

to help drive business and staff management efficiencies, introducing

software or systems to care workers can sometimes be an uphill battle.

Routinely working long hours that are often spent on their feet and in

decidedly hands-on roles, many care workers just aren’t accustomed

to using computers or mobile devices as a regular part of their day. It’s

little wonder then that staff can often be reluctant to embrace change

and new technologies.

Before introducing any software or processes to the team, it’s essential

to research the market to understand what options are available and

ensure that the software you ultimately

decide on will be easy for users to

pick up. Whether it’s a new care home

management platform, a mobile

to-do list app, or staff scheduling

software, this stage is all-important.

Key considerations should include

ease of use, and how staff can access

it, for example, via a mobile device. A

care worker’s time is precious and it’s

unlikely they’ll want to spend too much

of it being trained or figuring out how to

use the software.

Switching staff over to a new system

can be daunting, but with a little

preparation and management, it’s quite

possible for staff to make the transition

without too much fuss. However, many

business apps are only effective if all

staff are using them so it’s important

to encourage mass adoption and to

recognise if any staff need extra support

to use the new system.

If an employee leaves the business,

care managers often have to turn to

expensive agency workers to replace

them. Technology can play a role in

reducing these costs. For example,

staff scheduling apps give employees

more control over their shifts, while

providing an easy-to-use platform to

submit leave requests, view timesheets,

and arrange shift swaps. This additional

control over their working lives can

be a huge benefit for care workers,

providing the kind of morale boost that

can even cut staff turnover.

For managers, having increased

visibility over employees’ availability

and working hours shows how

effectively the business is operating

and if employees are being overworked.

Managers then have the opportunity to

quickly address the situation before the

worker decides they’ve had enough.

Embracing technologies can bring

efficiencies that benefit both care

workers and the management team.

With the right system and careful

planning, tech can be a win-win for

care homes.

Sources: iThe state of the adult

social care sector and workforce in

England, Skills for Care: https:// bit.

ly/2xB5GIz

JOEL BEVERLEY, CO-FOUNDER AT ROTACLOUD,

EXPLAINS HOW CLEARER VISIBILITY ON STAFF

WORKING PATTERNS CAN PREVENT CARE

WORKER BURNOUT

A clearer view

Joel Beverley