TEC Quality sign MoU with Scotland’s Care Inspectorate
TEC Quality • Apr 16, 2021
TEC Quality and the TSA have signed a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding to underpin collaboration with the Care Inspectorate
Scotland.
The MoU covers how the TSA will work with the Care Inspectorate in knowledge transfer, skills training and best practice. TEC Quality will work alongside both parties in the course of auditing activities to highlight any issues relating to the quality of social services, risks to service users or other matters relating to the Care Inspectorate’s remit
.
The Care Inspectorate will aim to signpost care service providers to good practice use of Technology Enabled Care and the TEC Quality QSF standards.
Commenting on the partnership, Alyson Scurfield, TSA Chief Executive said: “This collaboration underpins both TSA, TEC Quality and Care Inspectorate aims to enhance the quality of care services across Scotland.
“With our recent UKAS ISO 17065 accreditation for TEC Quality further reinforcing our impartial and agnostic approach to standards, the timing of this MoU is perfect as we seek to build the adoption of Technology Enabled Care and a quality standards framework north of the border.”
Peter Macleod, Chief Executive at the Care Inspectorate commented: “This MoU will see us, TEC Quality and the TSA working much closer on a care quality improvement agenda for Scotland, with a focus on sharing information, knowledge and best practice in the use of Technology Enabled Care.
“To reinforce our commitment to put service users first and foremost in care solutions our first steps from this MoU will be the development of a multi-level action plan, putting clear emphasis on outcome based standards such as QSF.”
The Care Inspectorate is a non-departmental public body and an independent organisation responsible for the scrutiny and improvement of social care, social work and child protection services in Scotland. It is accountable to Scottish Government Ministers and both its Board and Senior Management Group set out its strategic direction. The Care Inspectorate has a general duty of furthering improvement in the quality of social services.
Pictured Alyson Scurfield, Chief Executive, and Peter Macleod, CEO of the Care Inspectorate, pictured at the signing of the MoU.
The Department for Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) newly published framework to support good digital working in adult social care has recommended that local authorities and care providers ask organisations that supply them with TEC products and services if they have signed up to the Quality Standards Framework (QSF). DHSC’s What Good Looks Like (WGLL) framework, co-developed with the adult social care sector, Local Government Association and Association for Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), provides a collective set of goals for digital leads, directors of adult social services, commissioners and service managers to work towards as they take steps towards digitisation. Under Success Measure 6, which focuses on how to improve care, the framework states, 'when seeking evidence of quality, safety, innovation and continuous improvement, ask organisations providing TEC products and services if they have signed up to the Quality Standards Framework, a scheme run by TEC Quality (a subsidiary of the TEC Services Association) and the only United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), one for TEC in the UK'. This recognition of QSF and the assurance it provides, follows the work Alyson Scurfield, CEO of TSA has been doing with the Digital Social Care Advisory Group (DSCAG), the DHSC Transformation Team and NHS England on their wider collection of What Good Looks Like guidance to support health and social care leaders with digital transformation. It also chimes with endorsement of QSF from NHS CEO Amanda Pritchard in 2022 when she urged Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to commission QSF-certified TEC Responders to work with Urgent Community Response (UCR) teams to ease winter pressures. Both Amanda Pritchard and DHSC’s What Good Looks Like (WGLL) framework highlighted QSF’s UKAS accreditation – showing the high quality of its certification process. Alyson Scurfield, CEO of TSA said: “There is very clear messaging in DHSC’s new guidance for social care commissioners. It directly recommends they seek proof of the quality of their TEC suppliers and service providers by checking if they are QSF-certified. Signing up to QSF gives commissioners confidence in an organisation’s products and services but it also instils confidence internally. Receiving external validation is a huge milestone for a TEC organisation. It’s hard proof of the skill, competency and quality of their staff, services and solutions.” Sir David Pearson, chair of TEC Quality said: “Technology enabled care can support individuals and their families proactively, helping to address their needs and aspirations. But this will only happen safely and effectively if high standards and quality improvement are the bedrock of all services and products supplied by TEC organisations. DHSC’s What Good Looks Like (WGLL) framework recommends that social care commissioners check this bedrock by ensuring their TEC suppliers and service providers are QSF-certified.” Find out how your organisation can become QSF-certified by contacting us at admin@tecquality.org.uk .
Nigel Sparrow OBE, who worked with the chief inspector of general practice to implement the UK’s regulatory system for GPs, has been appointed as a non-executive director of TEC Quality, the body that runs the Quality Standards Framework (QSF). A GP himself for 30 years, Nigel was senior national GP advisor and responsible officer at the Care Quality Commission (CQC), England’s independent regulator of health and social care. During this time he was part of CQC’s senior leadership team, working on GP regulation and creating guidance and mythbusters about the inspection of GP services. Currently, Nigel Sparrow chairs the GP advisory board at Target Ovarian Cancer. He liaises with key stakeholders in primary care and has developed e-learning educational modules for GPs. Sir David Pearson, chair of TEC Quality said: “Nigel brings vast experience of the health system, specifically medical leadership, quality, standards, regulation and education. His knowledge will be invaluable in positioning QSF as critical to improving the quality of TEC in social care and healthcare.” Nigel Sparrow OBE, non-executive director of TEC Quality said: “Since Covid we’ve seen an explosion in the use of technology in healthcare and we need to make sure it is being used effectively. Everything I’ve done over the years has made sure that people receive the best possible care, and this will be my focus in TEC Quality too. I see a real opportunity to take TEC Quality’s expertise in standard-setting for social care technology and apply it to healthcare technology.”
The difference that TEC services make to people’s lives never ceases to amaze me. Hearing about call operators and responder teams providing reassurance, comfort and companionship to people and their families reminds me just how invaluable this sector is. These TEC heroes, and the data and digital systems that connect them, give individuals choice and control over their lives. They have renewed confidence to go out and about, they are empowered to do the things that matter to them, with the people they love, in the communities they call home. Supporting Statutory Services But TEC doesn’t just provide independence or join up services around people’s needs. It is an efficient way of supporting health and social care by boosting the efforts of the people working in the sector and connecting individuals and their families with local community services. At a time of immense pressure on the NHS and councils - with record demand post-Covid - TEC services not only make a huge difference to people’s lives, but they have never been more important in supporting service delivery. Enormous Opportunities Around Tech It strikes me that they have never been more innovative either. There is so much ingenuity and opportunity when it comes to internet of things (IoT) TEC devices, sensors, systems and apps that talk to each other over the web. The value of this TEC connectivity was recognised in the government’s recent social care reform and integration white papers, both of which included weighty sections on using tech to support people’s lives and join up their care. But as we begin to translate these policies into reality, the quality, safety and effectiveness of new and existing TEC services and approaches is paramount. That’s why schemes such as the Quality Standards Framework, which helps TEC organisations to achieve certification through a rigorous and ongoing assessment process are vital. Improving Accountability of Services QSF enables providers (and suppliers) to understand how they are performing and what they can do to improve. It drives accountability and gives local authorities confidence that they are commissioning the right services. But crucially, it gives reassurance to people, their relatives and friends. They know that the life-critical services they rely on have reached certain standards and won’t let them down. Innovation is Key to Improving Lives With an unprecedented number of new policy directions around health and social care - including the Health and Care Act which received Royal Assent in April – one of the common connections that binds them all is promoting innovation to improve people’s lives. In last year’s adult social care reform white paper, at least £150 million of funding was allocated to drive greater adoption of technology and achieve wider digitisation. This also extends to housing, with £300 million earmarked to integrate housing into local health and care strategies. Digital is likely to play a key role in making this happen too. The last few years have been difficult ones, but despite this, I am energised about the future. It is our duty, in the care sector, to look for opportunities that support people to achieve their aspirations and enjoy happy lives. I believe that ensuring the quality of TEC services will help to realise this vision. Find out more about the benefits of being QSF-certified: read our TEC Responder Case Studies here
10482
Suite 8, Wilmslow House, Grove Way, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AG
Tel: 01625 520320
admin@tecquality.org.uk
TEC Quality and TSA
TEC Quality audit and certify organisations against the Quality Standards Framework (QSF). QSF is the intellectual property of the TEC Services Association CIC (TSA). TEC Quality is a wholly owned subsidiary of the TSA.
