On the 21st of November, the Homecare Association hosted the Tech + Homecare conference as a way to provide a space to showcase and discuss the application of technology which could help combat some of the current issues plaguing the care sector. Companies presenting at the conference can be split into 4 categories; rostering, acquisition, consumer services and data. Will Flint, co-founder of Pairly, was also invited to share his views along with an impressive panel of speakers and this is what we learned.
What issues need to be addressed?
Care providers across the UK are struggling to keep costs low but continue to attract new clients and staff, with the rise in National living wage and Insurance on the horizon, there are concerns that care providers will no longer be able to afford to deliver their services. With thousands of people relying on care support, this will have a detrimental effect on families, our communities and the NHS.
So, what is on the care industry wishlist:
Practical solutions which are easy to implement
Better customer and staff acquisition processes
Standardised data capture and use
Improved efficiencies which save time and labour
Future-proofing
How did the Tech + Homecare speakers acknowledge these challenges?
Practical, easy to implement solutions
One thing that holds people back from new systems and technology is the time it takes to set up and implement. This often takes staff away from other tasks and rolling it out across a team can be challenging and involve extra support.
During the conference, the word “Practical” kept coming up; is this practical for my company, staff, and customers? Can I justify the time and costs for the benefits this will bring? We have noticed that the most practical solutions are the least invasive, offer the most benefits and can be easy to manage going forward such as Lifted, Pairly or ME Passport.
Customer and staff acquisition
This is a problem which has connected all care providers this year, everyone from independent companies to national organisations have been finding it difficult to connect with care seekers. Of course, there are many factors which affect acquisition but these are a few:
Cost of living: Families caring for loved ones for as long as possible.
Outdated systems: Local authorities and the NHS are still working from inefficient spreadsheets to source care, not real-time availability.
Connection and application: There is no standardised way to source care.
Staff recruitment
Companies such as Lifted, ME Passport and Access Recruitment all had different approaches to sourcing care staff and making the process as streamlined as possible.
Lifted makes hiring international workers simple by handling all compliance, sponsoring license applications and operations including arranging housing, and cars and even delivering cooking lessons. Meanwhile, ME Passport focuses on making the hiring process for already qualified care professionals as quick as possible, reducing delays in employment.
Pairly Pro have focused on job management and application. You can highlight current positions through the widget and allow people to apply for it, this also translates to a “job board” dashboard which enables employers to view and manage all applications.
Customer acquisition
Customer acquisition has been and always will be a huge subject and while there is no way to force people into care, there are systems and new technology which can make the process seamless.
At the conference, we saw a focus on improving the efficiency of acquisition and therefore reducing costs, and a push to make the process easier, faster and less stressful for care seekers. Pairly was one of the only companies to tackle this issue, they facilitate meaningful care requests and leads by encouraging transparency from care providers and using their real-time availability to help care seekers and local authorities source care, without the need for extensive phone calls and communications.
Standardised data capture
The word “Data” gets thrown around a lot and many companies boast about data acquisition but not many explain how to use it practically. During the conference, we noticed a lot of members asking “How does it help us?”.
With care industry data scattered across different platforms and care providers not being given the access or tools to manage it, data feels empty. So what data is helpful to care providers and how can you find and use it? Will Flint, co-founder of Pairly, highlighted how practical data is being implemented for their users:
Care requests and leads: Capturing the correct information such as email, names, numbers, and how much care people are looking for.
Acquisition and conversion: Timing is everything, the faster a care request is actioned the higher the chance of conversion. Being able to see this data helps to improve and manage customer processes.
Availability and visible capacity: By using real-time availability to fill capacity, you not only make it easier for care seekers and community sourcing to connect with you, but it also gives you valuable insights such as demand in certain areas, whether you need more staff, what areas are best supported by your marketing spend.
Improved efficiencies and cost savings
Striking the right balance between investing in technology and cost saving can be a hard line to walk. Even now, care providers are paying and bidding on care requests, desperate for the clients which is eating into marketing budgets.
Simple and cheap solutions which make a big impact and complement assets already in place such as websites, will have wider-reaching benefits in future-proofing the care industry. While paying for requests is a quick fix for now, making the most of your traffic and building that trust and following will make customer acquisition easier in the long run.
Tools like Pairly Pro not only improve the functionality of your website but also include benefits such as a care marketplace, where you can offer on care requests which other providers haven’t accepted. This creates a continuous care ecosystem which doesn’t cost your business extra. With some of the largest care brands in the UK switching to Pairly Pro, the Pairly ecosystem will continue to grow, not only helping care seekers but also care providers all across the UK.
For more information, you can download our brochure or contact a member of our team at help@pairly.com.