Award wins give validation to collaborative design
29 November 2022
A DHCW team has received recognition for its collaborative work by receiving two awards from Healthcare Excellence Through Technology (HETT).
The community and mental health information services team developed a national digital design to support the care process for Looked After Children services in Wales. The Welsh Government sponsored project developed national information standards for sharing of information between practitioners and organisations. These were developed through CareDirector, a digital system which forms part of the WCCIS (Welsh Community Care Information System) programme of work within DHCW.
The design ensured data is entered once but used many times, allowing the right information to be available at the right time – and supporting the right decision to be made. The reduction in data entry also allows practitioners’ more time to care.
The team received trophies from HETT in two award categories - The ‘That will never work Award’ – for the most creative and disruptive solution, recognising ‘daring success stories’ in innovation. And the ‘Best Integrated Care Collaboration Award’ for collaborative projects, directives, and initiatives that demonstrate the power that integrated care has to offer.
Heidi Morris, Head of Community and Mental health information services in DHCW said the team had worked in a new way,
“We had to make sure we had the right people, who could make the decisions, from all regions of Wales attending national workshops. We had the legislation telling us what a child should have at certain points on a pathway, and we had to get a consistent approach, and that had never been done before around national data for health and social care in Wales”
Damian Rees Principal Officer for safeguarding and performance quality (LADO) at Swansea Council added,
“This work has been needed for many years. It has felt like achieving the unachievable. The work will improve and ensure that for looked after children everyone that needs to know, has a full and accurate understanding of the health needs of the child, to best ensure their care and support needs are met. This work has demonstrated that health and social care can effectively come together and create innovative ways to use technology.”
The small team now hope to be able to take the blueprint of creating national design, standards and data insights to other collaborative projects, and will start work on a community services design soon. Heidi said the validation the team received from the HETT Awards is fantastic,
“It’s recognition that this is a really good way of working, it’s absolutely wonderful to get this third party validation and rubber stamp to our work”.