Skip to content

Issue - meetings

Meeting: 11/04/2018 - Cabinet (Item 164)

164 Technology Enabled Care and Support (TECS) Strategy pdf icon PDF 176 KB

Joint Report of the Head of Adult Commissioning and Health and the Head of Children’s Social Care (ACS/18/85) asking for approval of the Technology Enabled Care and Support (TECS) Strategy (Joint Commissioning Strategy 2017—2022), attached.

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(Councillors Atkinson, Biederman, Connett and Hannaford attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

 

The Cabinet considered the Joint Report of the Head of Adult Commissioning and Health and the Head of Children’s Social Care (ACS/18/85) requesting approval of the Technology Enabled Care and Support (TECS) Strategy (A Joint Commissioning Strategy 2017—2022), circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

 

The Report outlined that people were increasingly using technology to support themselves in everyday life and Technology Enabled Care and Support (TECS) could enable people of all ages and needs to maximise their independence.

 

TECS referred to “the technologies that help people to manage and control their health and well-being and sustain independence” and took the form of Telehealth, Telecare, Telemedicine, Teleconsultations, Telecoaching and Self-care apps.

 

The TECS Strategy was an enabler for the Promoting Independence Policy and there was a contract to provide TECS as part of the integrated equipment service, Impact Assessments for both these issues had been previously published.

 

The TECS strategy for Devon, with the primary delivery vehicle being the DILIS (Devon Independent Living Integrated Service) contract, covered adults and children’s health and social care. Promoting independence and prevention were duties for local authorities in legislation relating to adult social care, children’s services and public health functions including in the Care Act 2014 and Local authorities and their partners, including NHS bodies, were required to co-operate in fulfilling these duties.

 

The Council currently provided fewer TECS packages than other comparable local authorities and a needs assessment identified scope for increasing their use to promote independence and help address pressures on the health and care system.

 

A copy of the strategy was included in the agenda papers and a video giving an overview of TECS and the aims of the strategy was available at https://youtu.be/Mvfi647hFbI

 

The Cabinet noted that Consultation on the DILIS contract, including planned changes to TECS, were outlined in the DILIS Impact Assessment and the Strategy had been developed by the multi-agency TECS Strategy delivery group, with representation and engagement from all partners.

 

TECS was an enabler for people to recover or maintain their independence, but technology alone could not deliver a transformation in care, but when embedded in a wider package of care, and new ways of working, the combined innovation could have a powerful impact.

                 

The matter having been debated and the options and/or alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability, carbon impact, risk management, equality and legal considerations and Public Health impact) set out in the Head of Services’ Report and/or referred to above having been considered:

 

It was MOVED by Councillor Leadbetter, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and

 

RESOLVED that the Technology Enabled Care and Support (TECS) Strategy be approved.

 

[NB: The Impact Assessments referred to above may be viewed at: http://new.devon.gov.uk/impact/].



Top