Lincolnshire Technically Enabled Care (TEC) Services

As part of its ongoing work to improve the quality of life, health and wellbeing of residents, Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) is reviewing the current approach, effectiveness, and future potential of Care Technology (TEC) as a core tool within Adult Care. This work is part of a broader package set out in LCC’s current Digital Strategy for Adult Care, The Digital Strategy aims to deliver increased independence, choice and control for individuals requiring ongoing long- term service by increasing opportunities to use digital solutions. To facilitate this, the council is delivering a strength- based programme for practitioners to ensure they are confident in the use of digital solutions for people’s care and wellbeing. The Strategy outlines TEC as an area of potential opportunity for the council and recommends the review and redesign of the TEC offer and approach (among other strands of work). The Council now wishes to explore a transformed TEC approach. This option offering a greater level of change and development of LCC’s approach: greater expansion of the scope and number of Care Technology recipients. This would be enabled by greater work on staff engagement around eligibility and training on the Lincolnshire process as well as effective use of TEC to support needs. This expanded cohort would include children in transition, young people with learning disability and supported living. This option would also support LCC’s practitioners with access to available expertise to advise on potential use of technology as part of strengths-based programme. The approach would start expanding use in core pathways but with greater ambition to develop additional pathways and referral channels. The option could also take a more preventative approach supporting people prior to being Care Act eligible. There would be a private pay service but with advice and guidance available for people who are signposted from the Council. Collection, refurbishment and reuse of equipment would continue to be a focus area to ensure value for money for the Council. Over time, this offer could be expanded to work with health partners such as Acute Trusts to develop a joint service with active referral routes and support for health practitioners to support work to increase the speed of hospital discharge and reduce avoidable hospital admission (for example).