Earlier this week, DHSC published two documents and a press release related to digital working in adult social care:

• Digital Working in Adult Social Care: What good looks like for local authorities and care providers (WGLL)
• Digital Skills Framework
• DHSC Press Release

These documents are designed to support the digital transformation of adult social care and upskill the workforce's digital skills. The WGLL is designed to be an aspirational framework, providing a set of collective goals for LAs and care providers to work towards. The guidance is aimed at the individuals who are responsible for digital transformation, such as digital leads, directors of adult social servicers, commissioners and service managers. The guidance is organised around 7 success measures, under three themes. Each theme has a number of actions that LAs and providers should undertake:

        Digitise

1. Well led - This success measure emphaises the importance of effective leadership and governance in driving digital transformation. It involves having clear strategies, policies, and plans in place to guide the adoption and implementation of digital technology. Well-led organisations prioritise digital working, promote a culture of innovation, and allocate resources to support its implementation. This should include ensuring that any new technology meets the needs of people by improving quality and safety of care, freeing up time or capacity and supporting people to live independently for longer. The ethical and legal issues that can arise from digital technology should also be considered. The guidance outlines a number of measures LAs and providers should take.
2. Ensure smart foundations - This measure focuses on establishing the necessary infrastructure and technical foundations for successful digital working. It involves ensuring that staff have reliable access to comprehensive and up-to-date digital records. Smart foundations also include implementing interoperable systems that allow seamless information sharing and integration of different digital platforms and health and social care organisations.
3. Safe Practice - This measure highlights the significance of maintaining privacy, security, and data protection in digital working. Organisations must adhere to legal and regulatory requirements regarding data handling and confidentiality. They should implement secure access controls, encryption, and robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive information and protect against data breaches.

Connect

1. Support workforce - This measure recognises the importance of supporting the social care workforce in adapting to and effectively utilizing digital technology. It involves providing comprehensive training, resources, and ongoing support to enhance digital literacy and confidence. Organisations should invest in professional development programs, offer user-friendly digital tools, and create a supportive environment to empower staff members in their digital working practices. 
2. Empower people - This measure focuses on empowering individuals receiving social care to actively participate in their care journeys through digital means. It involves providing accessible and user-friendly digital platforms that enable individuals to manage their appointments, access information and support, and engage in shared decision-making. Empowering people through digital technology can enhance their independence, choice, and control over their care. 

Transform

1. Improve Care - This measure highlights the potential of digital working to improve the quality and effectiveness of care delivery. It involves leveraging digital tools to support care planning, coordination, and monitoring of outcomes. Digital technology can facilitate better communication among care providers, integration of health and social care services, and timely access to relevant information, leading to improved care experiences and outcomes. 
2. Healthy populations - This measure emphasises the role of digital working in promoting population health and wellbeing. It involves utilizing digital tools and data for public health initiatives, preventive care, health promotion, and monitoring of population health trends. Digital technology can enable targeted interventions, data-driven decision-making, and the identification of health inequalities, contributing to healthier populations overall.

The Digital Skills Framework is the first of several planned supporting resources to help care and support organisations implement the principles in the WGLL document. It is designed to help support the development of digital skills across the adult social care workforce. It defines seven key areas of effective digital working organised in two levels: ‘ Digital Skills for all Staff’ & ‘Go further’. The seven themes are:



1. Using technology to support person-centred care
2. Technical skills for using technology
3. Communicating through technology
4. Using and managing data
5. Being safe and secure online
6. Ethical use of technology
7. Digital learning, developing and wellbeing