Integrated Adults and Social Care Services and Children's Social Care Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Statement of Purpose 2025 - 2028

We are committed to improving the quality of life for our residents including using Technology Enabled Care (TEC). The identified priority areas reflect a comprehensive understanding of local needs and opportunities; they highlight Gateshead's commitment to using technology to support people to have better health and more independence.

• Embedding prevention and early intervention in everything that we do, promoting wellbeing and making best use of everyday solutions: ensuring people can access clear information and advice about how everyday devices in their pockets and technology in their homes can enable them to maintain and grow their independence. From learning more about activities and services in the community to using health and wellbeing apps on their smart phones and tablets, as well as where to find support to learn how to use such solutions - providing greater confidence and an element of self-help ahead of coming to the council for advice and guidance.
• Expanding our TEC provision over the next 3 years to give greater choice to people and increase independent living: helping people maintain their independence and live in their own homes for longer, TEC providing support with daily activities, such as medication management, reminders for appointments and tasks and wellbeing calls delivered virtually; the introduction of a community-based support model will provide the ability to have earlier conversations about the support digital solutions can provide. People will be supported using technology either alongside or instead of more traditional levels of support, using a strengths-based, person-centred approach.
• Developing the use of remote monitoring and support: TEC allowing care providers, both in-house services and those commissioned by the council, to remotely monitor the wellbeing of people in their care. Through intelligence and insights gathered by sensors that are placed in the home to detect falls, changes in movement patterns, monitoring of activities of daily living, the connected care / lifestyle monitoring systems can deliver insights to enable proactive interventions. From simple prompts, notifying families and updating care staff through to connecting a person with community outreach and delivering wellbeing call through video, in turn reducing the risk of decline/ escalation.
• Building strong collaborative partnership approaches and improved care coordination and communication: TEC can facilitate effective communication and coordination between health and care professionals in Gateshead, people receiving care, and their families or caregivers. Digital platforms, mobile applications and online portals could be used to share information, update care plans, and ensure consistent communication among all parties involved. Significant collaboration across multiple agencies can increasingly be delivered through best use of the Great North Care Record (GNCR) / Health Information Exchange (HIE).
• Ensuring safety and security: TEC can enhance the safety and security of people receiving social care services in Gateshead. Smart home systems, wearable GPS devices, and remote monitoring technologies help detect emergencies, ensure proper medication management, and provide alerts in case of potential risks or dangers, with digital solutions providing better information in real time.
• Better use of data and analytics: digital TEC can generate data that can be analysed to identify trends, patterns, and potential areas for improvement, supporting evidence-based decision-making, resource allocation, and the development of even more person-centred care plans.
• Increasing digital inclusion: working together with partners to address inequalities and ensuring everyone can benefit from the opportunities that technologies offer. By prioritising digital inclusion, we can empower individuals to connect with technology enabled care (TEC) solutions, enhancing their independence, wellbeing and access to support. It also aligns with Gateshead's broader goals of creating a fairer, more inclusive community, tackling the digital divide and enabling residents to thrive in an increasingly digital world.