New initiative to help Welsh social care workers use assistive technology

A new initiative has been launched to give care workers in Wales the skills and confidence to use pioneering electronic technologies in their jobs.

The initiative is aimed at enabling the social care workforce to make the best use of electronic assistive technology when assisting those who need their support.

This form of technology is rapidly becoming a valuable element of care provision in Wales, with more and more disabled people choosing to use electronic assistive technology to increase their independence and well-being.  Examples range from simple emergency pull-cords to complex sensors built within interactive devices and connected via broadband.

The Care Council Wales, in collaboration with UK-wide Skills for Care and Development, has launched a suite of learning resources to ensure that social care workers across the whole of Wales can increase their knowledge about the potentially life-changing benefits of electronic assistive technology.  

Rhian Huws Williams, Chief Executive of the Care Council, said the new resources were an important new step in social care workforce training.

“Technology provides us with so many options, from smart phones to sat navs and social media, we are all using it more and more. Using technology for disabled individuals can be genuinely life-changing.

“It can help with all sorts of day-to-day tasks, from enabling individuals to open doors, windows and curtains, without having to ask for somebody else’s help, to personal emergency response systems, designed to provide support for vulnerable disabled people who are living on their own. There is even high-tech software that enables disabled people to participate with others in cognitive recognition games using only eye movements. The range of options is vast and the results for the individual can be dramatic.

“Our role at the Care Council is to make sure that the social care workforce is trained to the same level and can make confident and informed decisions when considering assistive electronic technology as part of an individual’s care package.”

Due to the vast range of different technologies available, the Care Council’s new initiative focuses on making sure the social care workforce understands the principles and ethics involved when working with all electronic assistive technology.  It also provides advice and guidance on how to research and source the best technology for each individual.

For further information visit http://www.skillsforcareanddevelopment.org.uk/TechnologyToCareHome.aspx