Care Home Professional – August 2019

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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
Free download pdf