Insights from the Care Show Birmingham 2024

The Care Show 2024 Session Takeaways

Regulatory reflections: Continuous Improvement in Care Quality

Speakers:

👤Mark Topps, Co-Founder and Director – The Caring View
👤Adam Purnell, Co-Founder and Director – The Caring View
👤Caroline Barker, Legal Director, HCR Law – Healthcare Regulatory
👤Julie Garrity, Independent Health and Social Care Advisor

This discussion explored the evolving landscape of social care regulation, focusing on continuous improvements in care quality and the ongoing review of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), commissioned by Labour and Wes Streeting. A key topic was the introduction of the Single Assessment Framework (SAF), viewed positively but requiring more clarity on implementation. Although the SAF brings changes, providers must remain aligned with existing regulations, as “if you stick with the regulations, the ratings will follow.” Continuous feedback, tied to action plans, was also highlighted as essential for driving improvement.

The session emphasised that while regulatory compliance is crucial, fostering a culture of ongoing development within care organisations is equally important. There was also a suggestion that the CQC could focus solely on service compliance, leaving ratings to other forums, which might ease pressure on care teams. Ultimately, transparency, accountability, and training, in alignment with the new CQC framework, were identified as key drivers of continuous improvement in care quality.

The panel agreed that implementing digital technology has the potential to save lives, but it requires a cultural shift. The discussion concluded that one of the most significant improvements has been the standardisation and enhancement of care notes, along with the power of real-time data and having a single source of truth. This has improved the ability to evidence care quality and freed up time for care teams.

Looking ahead, the panel highlighted opportunities with AI, such as streamlining policy access, and the consolidation of dashboards to improve accessibility to support plans, making care more efficient and accessible in the future.

Compliance is Not a Compromise

Speakers:

👤Lindsay Rees, Head of Product Content – Quality Compliance Systems
👤Brendan O’Neill, Technology Development Manager – Minster Care
👤Carl Jones, Sales Director – Carebeans

The panelists emphasised that compliance should not be seen as a burden or compromise but rather as an integral part of delivering high-quality care. They highlighted that compliance often slips down the priority list for care providers, yet it runs through every aspect of the care delivered. Ensuring compliance is vital, not only for maintaining standards but also for achieving positive ratings, which are crucial to a well-functioning care business.

The importance of having robust care management systems and processes was underscored – as such systems help support compliance in key areas like care planning, rostering, and ensuring that policies are up-to-date and effectively implemented.

The panel also discussed how digital systems play a critical role in enhancing accountability and providing oversight across various care functions. By offering real-time insights and a “single source of truth,” these systems enable providers to stay aligned with regulatory standards and improve CQC outcomes. Moreover, digital tools streamline processes, making it easier to evidence care quality and ensure that compliance is continuously maintained.

To fully realise these benefits, however, panelists stressed that the right infrastructure and ongoing training for care teams are essential, as they enable the successful implementation and operation of digital systems.

The speakers stressed that adopting technology is no longer optional for care providers—it is essential for achieving better oversight, quality assurance, and effective sharing of information across organisations. Good technology enables providers to track performance over a long period, offering critical oversight that enhances many of the CQC’s quality statements.

One key takeaway was the need to share evidence with the right stakeholders, ensuring that care quality is transparent and accountable. The session also introduced a “regulation tech shopping list” by Guided Innovation, which mapped out all the CQC’s quality statements and highlighted the specific technology solutions that can support each area. This list also helped providers differentiate between the ‘could’, ‘should’, and ‘must-haves’ when choosing technology.

However, the speakers also cautioned against selecting overly complex systems, as poor functionality and usability can hinder adoption and become barriers to effective implementation. They advised care providers to “fail fast” by quickly identifying and moving on from solutions that don’t fit, to avoid damaging the organisation’s culture with the wrong technology.

Empathy in Action: Stories That Shape Better Care

Speakers:

👤Michelle Gorringe, Chief Ethics Officer & Co-founder – Newcross Healthcare
👤Claire Reader, Vice President, Community Care – Newcross Healthcare

Empathy emerged as a central theme in this session, highlighting the importance of truly understanding the lived experiences of individuals in care. The speakers emphasised that walking in someone else’s shoes allows care professionals to better understand a person’s perspective and offer genuine empathy. Empathy, combined with strong communication skills, is viewed as one of the greatest talents clinicians and care staff can possess, especially when dealing with conditions like dementia.

As one speaker noted, dementia patients often say, “you have to join us in our world because we can’t join yours,” underscoring the need for communication skills that enable staff to meet patients where they are. 

The session also focused on the importance of making meaningful connections, not only with those in care but also with their families, who often face immense pressure. Families are an integral part of the care process, and showing empathy towards them is equally important.  

To deliver person-centered care successfully, staff must learn who the individual was before their illness, seeing beyond the condition to understand their unique story. This relationship-building takes time, and high staff turnover can hinder the development of empathy. The speakers discussed whether empathy can be taught and concluded that while it takes time to grow, prioritising communication and building trust is key to nurturing it in care environments. 

AI was presented as a tool that can enhance person-centered care by freeing up care teams to focus on what matters most – caring for individuals. However, a lack of clear guidance and tangible information from regulators like the CQC has created a barrier to wider implementation.

The speakers emphasised that transparency fosters trust, which leads to better care quality, and AI plays a crucial role in creating that transparency by highlighting trends and generating insights that might otherwise be missed. AI is already helping organisations collect and analyse data they are already required to gather, taking it a step further to provide more detailed analysis and proactive insights. AI can also improve staff retention by reducing administrative burdens, boosting morale, and enabling care teams to provide higher-quality care.

However, the human element in care will never disappear – AI is seen as a support tool that works alongside people to deliver better care. A major gap noted was the absence of AI protocols and policies in many organisations, which can lead to friction if stakeholders aren’t clear on AI’s purpose and benefits.

The Caring View offers more insight into how to effectively use AI here.

The Future of Social Care: What Will a New Government Bring to the Sector?

Speakers:

👤Karolina Gerlich, CEO – The Care Workers’ Charity
👤George Appleton, Head of External Affairs – Social Care Institute for Excellence
👤Vic Rayner, Chief Executive Officer – NCF
👤Nadra Ahmed, Executive Chairman – National Care Association

The panel highlighted that a new government represents the beginning of a new political chapter in social care, the first in 14 years, bringing both challenges and opportunities.

While there is optimism for a sustainable future in social care, the speakers acknowledged that the sector is currently extremely underfunded, making it difficult to predict what changes may occur. A key focus will be on future discussions regarding fair pay agreements between employees and employers, emphasising the need for funding to prevent organisations from collapsing. Additionally, they pointed to a recently released Skills for Care report, highlighting ongoing health inequalities across the country and the critical distinction between health and care inequalities.

The speakers emphasised that sustainability must be embedded in policies and procedures, with staff awareness and training being critical. Key challenges include a lack of information from regulators, funding issues, staffing constraints, and general training gaps.

Practical tips for fostering sustainability included being digitally conscious (e.g., deleting unnecessary emails), recycling, car sharing, grouping visits, and educating both staff and patients on the impact of environmental efforts.

Local authorities and resources like the NHS Green website and Grace Cares’ “Caring for Tomorrow” series were suggested as helpful tools. Additionally, organisations should consider rewarding environmentally conscious behaviour and embedding sustainability into recruitment and operational policies. The session highlighted the urgency of caring for both people and the planet, with the goal of reaching net zero by 2050. Mark Topps and Hannah Montgomery’s book, Did You Deliver Sustainable Care Today?, was also introduced as the only current guide for sustainability in social care.

Winning Ways: Quality First

Speaker:

👤Sue Sheath, Director of Regulation and Quality Improvement – Barchester Healthcare

This session, led by Sue Sheath, Director of Regulation and Quality Improvement at Barchester Healthcare, highlighted the importance of prioritising quality in care delivery. Sue introduced the Barchester Care and Life Enrichment Framework, which supports individuals in living their best lives. With an estimated 100 million care interactions each year, Sue emphasised the vast amount of data that can be used to drive improvements.

A central message was that quality must be consistently embedded in every aspect of care, as getting the quality right leads to continuous improvement across the board. Sue also underscored the importance of sharing positive outcomes and working as one cohesive team, with everyone invested in maintaining high standards of care.

Key topics included the use of bespoke dashboards to provide care home managers with real-time, actionable insights, such as tracking pressure ulcers and CQC compliance. Emma and Ravi demonstrated how simple, effective tech solutions can drive care quality improvements without requiring advanced technical skills. The session also covered practical steps for implementing technology, from choosing the right dashboards to involving frontline staff, and highlighted real-world success stories showing how tech fosters accountability and continuous improvement in care settings.

And that’s a Wrap!

The Care Show 2024 provided an opportunity to explore the future of health and social care, emphasising the importance of regulatory compliance, empathy, and digital innovation. The sessions highlighted how technology, especially AI and care management systems, can enhance transparency, efficiency, and care quality. Collaboration across the sector, from providers to digital innovators, will be crucial for driving sustainable improvements in care.

As the sector faces evolving challenges, these insights offer valuable guidance for care providers looking to enhance outcomes, improve compliance, and embrace technology to meet the changing demands of regulatory frameworks and the care of the people that they support.

Thank you to everyone who came to see us at our stand and attended our speaker session. For more information on Radar Healthcare, please get in touch.