Wakefield MDC Home Care Service employs 81
management staff and 550 carers, with its in-house service carrying
out 15,350 visits per week. The service is currently being
reconfigured in order to establish a 50/50% split between in-house
and external delivery.
Wakefield MDC first started using Electronic Monitoring in
January 2004 as a part of the drive to introduce efficiencies and
maximise use of available resources. The Home Care Service clearly
established the need for an Electronic Home Care Call Monitoring
Service, with the key drivers being:
- Compliance with National Care Standards in relation to:
- the keeping of accurate records for charges for services
provided
- requirements in relation to timesheets
- procedures to safeguard the health and safety of home care
workers and service users
- The ability to stand up to Best Value scrutiny
- The making of cost efficiencies by improved utilisation of
resources as recommended in the Gershon Report
It was clear that the introduction of
Electronic Monitoring could potentially enable the service to meet
its current and future operational objectives. However, Electronic
Monitoring was a relatively new concept, so Wakefield decided to
implement a pilot of Panztel's Ezitracker call monitoring system in
order to establish 'proof of concept'.
Following a thorough evaluation of the pilot, service provision
was put out to tender under Wakefield's rigorous corporate
procurement process. CM2000 was one of 7 suppliers invited to
tender for the business and was selected to provide Electronic
Monitoring from a shortlist of 3.
Following the appointment of CM2000 a project plan was drawn up.
From initial meeting to full implementation took only 4 months.
The Project Team comments "Initial problems were minimal
largely as a result of effective dialogue between the Council and
CM2000. Clarity of specification requirements and experience
following the 15 month pilot project helped the process. Liaison
with other Local Authority users also helped". "CM2000
were quick to respond to questions raised and to assist with any
issues. They were also supportive of Wakefield Home Care's
innovative use of the solution to monitor both contact and
non-contact activity to enhance efficiencies and to improve
accuracy of manage-ment information".
In conclusion, substantial benefits have already been gained
from using the system. They include:
- Improved health and safety for service users and staff
- Improved management infor-mation to increase efficient
rostering
- More effective use of resources to meet assessed need
- Greater understanding at all levels of the Home Care Service of
the core business case
- Acceptance of the need to change
- Contribution towards the Corporate Modernisation Agenda -
eGov
- Reduction in paper based systems - eco friendly
- Improved performance monit-oring to support effective service
planning at strategic level