Across the North West, councils are redefining how adult social care is delivered by embracing innovative assistive technologies. At a recent iNetwork roundtable, local authorities shared their pilots, challenges and successes, revealing a sector that is rapidly learning, adapting, and pushing forward with confidence.
Trafford Council opened the discussion by reflecting on their experiences with Genie, Just Checking and Just Roaming. Just Checking showed strong promise, particularly in hospital discharge pathways where objective data helped shape care packages. Trafford is now redesigning its front?door approach, embedding assistive tech earlier and creating a dedicated assistive tech role to boost adoption.
Manchester City Council showcased powerful outcomes from Just Roaming across supported accommodation for people with learning disabilities. Their model, driven by a Tech Specialist and a network of Tech Champions, has enabled residents to gain independence, reduce reliance on 1:1 care and in some cases transform their daily lives. Staff engagement has grown significantly thanks to hands-on involvement and a shared vision for tech?enabled support.
Lancashire County Council presented some of the most compelling impact data, having installed 800 AI?enabled Nobi Smart Lamps. Early results show dramatic reductions in falls, faster response times and near elimination of long lies. With robust evaluation from Lancaster University, Lancashire is shaping a strong evidence base for future investment.
Meanwhile, Wigan Council’s demonstrator bungalow stood out as an innovative model for upskilling staff. By providing an immersive, tactile learning environment filled with real-world devices, from Nobi lamps to consumer-grade smart tech, Wigan tackles workforce confidence head?on.
Rochdale, Oldham, Wirral, and Blackburn with Darwen councils each shared their own pilots, ranging from wellbeing sensors and TEC bundles to GPS-enabled wearables and night?time monitoring technologies. A common theme emerged: assistive tech is increasingly being used to reduce falls, support reablement, right-size care packages and tackle historically high-cost support models.
Across all councils, four cross-cutting themes were clear: the need to overcome staff resistance; the importance of assistive tech leadership; the growing demand for high?quality evidence; and the shift toward interoperable, data-rich, digitally enabled care ecosystems.
The roundtable showcased not just the technologies themselves, but a shared ambition: to use innovation to support independence, improve outcomes, and build sustainable social care services for the future.
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