Date published: October 27, 2023
Shared Lives Plus chosen to be part of new programme exploring how technology can enhance care in the community
Shared Lives Plus has been selected by the Health Foundation, an independent organisation working to build a healthier UK, to be part of its exciting new £2 million innovation programme that will explore how technology can enable new approaches to care at home and in the community.
Shared Lives Plus has been selected by the Health Foundation, an independent organisation working to build a healthier UK, to be part of its exciting new £2 million innovation programme that will explore how technology can enable new approaches to care at home and in the community.
The Tech for Better Care programme is supporting 10 teams from across the UK to develop, test and pilot promising new ideas and approaches to care over approximately 18 months.
The various teams across the UK including colleagues at Shared Lives Plus, will develop approaches to care which focus on enabling strong relationships between those providing care and people supported, to allow individuals who draw on care to live a better and independent life.
At Shared Lives Plus, we will be creating a new digital platform which will address challenges to the growth of Shared Lives (the safest and highest quality form of social care) by providing an opportunity for more people who may be on the edge of crisis to benefit from day or respite support within Shared Lives. In a relatively unexplored area so far, the platform will seek to boost recruitment and allow people who are seeking support to be rapidly matched with those who can provide support.
Jo Dewsnip, Training and Development Manager at Shared Lives Plus said,
“We are delighted to have been selected to be part of the Tech For Better Care programme. This support will give us the time, resource, space and expertise we need to test out the extent to which we could further unlock the potential and reach of Shared Lives. We want this solution to help grow Shared Lives, and by doing that, increase the numbers of people receiving high quality, relational and proactive forms of care, giving more opportunities for people to grow, develop and live the life they want to.”
Shared Lives Plus will be supported through a three-phase innovation process, beginning with initially exploring opportunities and developing ideas to put forward our best case. The most promising ideas will then be selected and supported by the Health Foundation to test and pilot these new approaches.
Malte Gerhold, Director of Innovation and Improvement at the Health Foundation, said:
“We’re very excited to launch this new programme and support these teams with their innovative ideas. Our aim is not only to get promising new ideas off the ground, but to demonstrate that by making the most of technology it is possible to deliver care in a way that is more proactive and focused on building supportive relationships, personally and with the community. Ultimately, we want to see the most effective piloted approaches scaled and spread to improve outcomes and experiences for those delivering and receiving care.”
