Government plans to move adult social care services from ‘analogue to digital’ will not on their own provide the changes the sector needs, the LGA has warned.
Plans include a new qualification where care leaders are trained to use the latest technology across care settings.
Training will focus on tools such as motion sensors to detect and alert staff to patient falls, video telecare, and artificial intelligence to automate routine tasks like note-taking.
Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Investment in using the latest technology in social care could be transformative, whether that is for system efficiency, data analytics for prevention, or customer service.
“Therefore, it is good the Government has announced staff will be trained to use this to help provide the care and support people rely on.
“But latest technology alone will not provide all the changes the sector needs, nor can it be a substitute for human contact.
“The Spending Review must provide much-needed funding to tackle immediate challenges, lay the ground for the Casey Commission’s work, and support the care workforce, including for the fair pay agreement government is prioritising.
“Without immediate government action, care services will remain at risk, with devastating consequences for people and families who have cause to draw on them.”