Last week I had the pleasure of attending my second NCASC event, as always it was an enriching experience. The increase in delegate numbers this year underscores the sector's strong commitment to learning, collaboration, and progress.
Being one of the exhibitors gave us the unique opportunity to speak and see, first-hand, the focus on pushing through the current issues plaguing the care industry. It was clear from our conversations that Directors of Social Care are actively pursuing solutions to better support local care providers and their surrounding communities.
Despite the pressures, it was amazing to see everyone pull together and actively pursue solutions to the pressing issues which were brought to light during the event:
Workforce shortages: Recruitment is more costly and takes more time than ever.
Demand: Pressure on budgets means that authorities are openly seeking innovative commissioning options and market management solutions to open the marketplace.
Budgets: With the threat of cost increases imposed by the government, budgets are being pulled thin in all directions.
The lingering impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the world has moved on, many entities within the health and social care sector, such as care providers and the NHS, are still grappling with its effects.
When life gives you lemons
It is often said that hardship makes way for innovation, and that has also been true for the care sector. There have been huge leaps in, not only technology but in the way care is delivered and prevention processes. We have also seen huge interest in targeted systems made specifically for the care industry which can be developed and moulded into future-proof solutions that empower care seekers and providers.
Our sourcing and demand platform for Local Authorities, Pairly Portal, piqued lots of interest for its ability to allow visibility of available care. Local authorities and sourcing teams having the power to access care and confirm support in 3 minutes will have massive labour savings to allow authorities to reallocate their human resource into supporting communities. This would also mean faster acceptance processes for care providers without having to consider capacity.
The event was a testament to the sector's resilience and commitment to finding new approaches. I am very excited to continue our discussions and build upon our new relationships with those I met at the NCASC. Thank you to everyone who came and if you wanted more information but haven’t yet heard from me, feel free to reach out and book a demo!