“Where do our clients want to be and what would it take for them to get there?”
Social care represents a huge part of the services that Shropshire Council delivers and overall, almost 80% of the council’s budget is spent on services for adults and children. Adults’ social workers support residents all over the county with daily care tasks, from medication to mealtimes and much more between, sometimes just for a few weeks or sometimes for much longer.
Every person who uses our services is unique and so are their care needs, but we know that the more independent we can encourage a person to become, the better for their health in the long term.
Amplify Change News spoke to Dave Cleminson, an experienced Adults’ Social Worker and part of the Virtual Care Delivery Project, about the way that virtual care can support a goal-focused approach to help residents become more independent.
Hi Dave, please can you tell us a bit about your experience and your role to date?
"I have been a social worker for ten years, and I know the challenges all social workers face day-to-day. Since November, I have been part of the Virtual Care project, supporting our social workers to identify opportunities to introduce assistive technology and virtual care into their clients’ homes.
“Seeing so many positive success stories that make life better for our residents has shifted my approach to social work.
"It is great to share that success with others as part of my new role, especially how the technology can support clients to reach their goals for improved health and greater independence.”
What is virtual care and how are we using it in Shropshire?
“The virtual care project is all about using assistive technology in our client’s homes to connect with a virtual care team based in Customer Services at Shropshire Council. The team can provide wellbeing calls to see how residents are doing at home and check whether they have completed daily care tasks or eaten meals, whatever prompts are needed for the individual.
“For some residents, the call is a chance to connect and have a chat, but for lots of residents there is exciting potential to use these calls in a more proactive way.”
How can social workers make the most of virtual care as part of a plan for their client?
“In my own experience, virtual care calls are a great tool to motivate clients to make progress on their goals, track their progress and celebrate every small success along the way.
“This has worked for clients of all ages, with a wide range of needs.
“We often meet clients who need short term support whilst they are recovering from surgery. Their mobility is really important to them so they can get out and about to socialise again as soon as they can.
“The virtual care calls work as a friendly, non-intrusive way to find out how clients are progressing as they recover and regain strength. Callers can make sure that progress is manageable, safe and steady.
“With this support, we can help people to become fit and well, ready to go out and about by themselves again. Independence is so central to our clients’ sense of wellbeing, and virtual care can provide just the right amount of support as they work towards their goals.”
How else can virtual care calls help clients to reach their goals?
“The possibilities are endless, really. For some clients, the goal might be about mobility but this could be different for everybody.
“One of our clients set herself a goal to lose weight, which would help her to wash independently, without the help of a family carer. This would mean that the family carer will have enough peace of mind to go on a short holiday in the autumn.
“This client now has a goal and a target date to achieve it by, the virtual care calls are the perfect opportunity to keep her focused and motivated.
“For some clients, their goals focus on their mental health instead of physical needs, and the virtual care calls can be tailored to support this, too. For one client, this meant building up their confidence to leave the house, and a short walk to the end of their driveway was an achievable challenge to start them off.
“The key is to find out where our clients really want to be in two weeks, twelve months, five years, and asking ‘What would it take for them to get there?’”
How can social workers find out more about virtual care and use it in a support plan for one of their clients?
"Get in touch! I am really keen to hear from social workers who are interested in virtual care.
"It can work for so many people and in so many different ways, each plan is unique to the client.
"Drop me an email assistivetechnology@shropshire.gov.uk and let’s talk about ways that virtual care can support your clients to reach their goals for a healthy future."