Sona

Adult Social Care Technology Fund resources

Written by Aimen Chouchane | May 18, 2023 9:00:00 AM

Watch our Q&A video:

 

 

What is the Adult Social Care Technology Fund?

  • A grant of up to £600k is available for any tried and tested technology that is new to your organisation.
  • It pays for software in the first year
  • It includes professional services to help you go live
  • It includes hardware and connectivity

Who is it for?

  • All Social Care companies, regardless of size! As long as you’re registered with CQC (excludes Wales, Scotland and N.Ireland)
  • (Sadly) not children's services

What’s the purpose of the Adult Social Care Technology Fund?

To procure and measure the impact of a technology…a technology that delivers one or more of the following outcomes:

  • An increase in safety and reduction in risk
  • A reduction in avoidable admission/readmissions to hospital
  • An increase in support for people to live independently in their own home

How to apply

There is a ‘not too scary’ expression of interest form to complete and email off. 

- Expressions of interest must be received by Friday 26th May 2023 -

Requirements

There must be three organisations coming together to make up every bid:

  1. A Care Provider - or even better - a few care providers
  2. An ICS/ICB
  3. An Evaluation Partner

What kind of technologies are covered?

Here are just a few examples:

  • Digital Rostering
  • Electronic Medication Administration (eMAR)
  • Accidents & Incidents
  • Governance, Risk and Compliance systems (GRC)
  • Sensors, Wearables and IoT

What isn't covered?

❌ No claiming costs for existing systems.

❌ No Digital Care Planning solutions (as there's a separate fund for that)

However, if you're currently piloting a technology, the fund can be used for the wider rollout.

You can use the fund for Sona! 

e-rostering/scheduling falls under the first two qualification criteria - increasing safety and reduction in risk & a reduction in admissions to hospital. 

Sona does this by:

Adult Social Care Technology Fund resources FAQs

Where can we find an evaluation partner?

Guided Innovation is our preferred evaluation partner. Get in touch with them here.

Can we also apply for funding for digital care planning?

The Adult Social Care Technology Fund is completely separate to the funding available for digital care plans.

If you've applied for that grant funding, there is nothing stopping you from applying for
this funding as well. They're completely separate, and you can get them both.

Is it matched funding?

It is not matched funding, so there is no risk to bidding.

Are there any risks to bidding?

Possibly the toughest part of bidding is going to be finding an ICS or ICB to put their name to it. It depends how responsive they are.

How much financial information do we need to provide?

The expression of interest doesn't ask for a cost breakdown. Your evaluation partner should be a big help in getting the initial costs together. It just asks, how much will you
spend this year and how much next year.

So all you need to do is ask your technology supplier for a ballpark cost and add in the cost for the evaluation partner. 

Reminder: at least 20% of the money you put on the form has to be spent with the evaluation partner.

Still have questions?

Get in touch.