Ambient collaborates with Access HSC to put digital at centre of transformation strategy

Registered UK charity and care provider Ambient Support has gone live with digital care planning and compliance software from Access Health, Support and Care (HSC) to help them improve care for the people they support, who are often some of the most vulnerable members of society.

Ambient, which provides care and support services in more than 110 locations across the UK, is currently live with the system in 33 per cent of its mental health settings.

The Access HSC care planning software will digitise 90 per cent of the care planning pathway, replacing handwritten documents to enhance the accuracy and accessibility of information and reduce the amount of time spent on administrative tasks.

The system will be rolled out nationally to all services, which includes mental health, learning disabilities and older people’s support by the middle of the year, as part of Ambient’s ambitious digital strategy.

Lee Hodgson, Chief Information Officer at Ambient, said:

“We are absolutely passionate about providing the best quality care and support to people in our services.

“Through our partnership with Access HSC, we expect to see a substantial reduction in operational costs and increased efficiency, as well as an improvement in quality and oversight of services.”

Meanwhile, Access HSC care compliance software will help monitor and manage governance, regulatory compliance, care audits and clinical compliance, allowing managers to easily establish whether essential checks and audits are up to date.

At the locations where Access Care Compliance has already been rolled-out Ambient is seeing 100 per cent audit returns, as data no longer needs to be entered manually, demonstrating the ease of using the system locally and the efficiencies made.

Lee Hodgson

An additional benefit of the flexible and configurable care planning software is that it allows plans and timesheets to be securely shared with clients’ families, carers and healthcare professionals through a mobile app.

Hodgson said:

“Being able to share information with families will help them to feel assured that their loved ones are being well supported, as they have sight of the personalised care they are receiving.”

The software also features an electronic medication administration record (eMAR) functionality, giving prompts and instructions when medication is due, records when medication is given and flags up if medication has been missed.

The eMAR will reduce the chance of missed medication or errors, and support continuity of care.

As the system will be live across the three different care portfolios, it was essential that the system could be   configured to suit the needs of different teams and the people they support.

Kayleigh Brown, a team leader in a supported living service for people with learning disabilities in Norfolk, said:

“We were a little nervous about taking on a digital system but have been amazed at just how easy and intuitive the system is to use.

“The biggest benefit so far has been just how much time using the system saves by not having to go from manual file to manual file to add or update paperwork, which means we can spend so much more time providing personalised support to people.”

The care planning and compliance software is also improving the efficiency and increasing the value of interactions that care and support teams have with one another and with the people in Ambient services.

Sue Brown, a locality manager in Norfolk, explained:

“I can look at the services I manage and see immediately if they are on track and are up to date with activities.

“It saves endless phone calls and unnecessary physical visits.

“At the touch of a button, I have all the information at my fingertips and can make better use of my time by having focused conversations with care and support teams.”

Looking to the future, Ambient will continue to collaborate with Access HSC, planning to pilot its Assure digital telecare product to provide unobtrusive home monitoring in its supported living environments for people with learning disabilities and mental health needs to support them to love more independently.

Hodgson said:

“Choosing Access HSC was an obvious choice as they’re the most experienced in the sector and their tools are helping form the backbone of our digital transformation.

“The tools and services we are now using will help us retain our expert staff, improve quality and efficiency.

“And most importantly, it means care and support teams across the UK can spend more time with the people we support.”