Blog post by Mark Golledge, LGA.

The National Information Board as part of the Five Year Forward View has asked local health and care areas to develop a Local Digital Roadmap by 30 June 2016.

This is aimed at supporting the sharing of information for care and meeting the ambition to be ‘paper-free at the point of care’ by 2020. It includes the local join up of care information through shared care records and plans, electronic transfer of care information and use of remote / assistive technology.

CCGs are co-ordinating the plans although all Local Authorities with social care responsibilities are named as partners. You can find out more information on the roadmaps here. We anticipate that national technology funding will be linked to delivery of these plans.

To support the development of these roadmaps the LGA working with partners is launching a social care digital maturity self-assessment which will help Local Authorities in identifying areas of good practice and areas for future focus.

The free online tool has been developed by LGA working alongside ADCS Performance & Information Management Group, ADASS Informatics Network and Society of Corporate IT Managers (SOCTIM). It covers both children’s and adult’s services.

All Local Authorities are invited to participate. The tool which will open on 4 April 2016 and close on 13 May 2016. You can gain access the tool by emailing socialcaredigital.maturity@local.gov.uk

Further information on the social care digital maturity self-assessment is available here