Help for adult social care providers to get the most out of their digital social care records (DSCRs).
Introduction
If you already use a digital social care record (DSCR), this guidance can help you get more from it every day.
It’s for care providers, registered managers and deputy managers who already use a DSCR and want to make everyday use easier and more consistent. It works alongside your supplier’s guidance, your local policies and your professional judgement - it does not replace them.
Why this matters
You’ve already taken the big step of going digital. Optimising your DSCR means making the system easier to use, more consistent across the team and more useful for day-to-day decision making.
Most providers use their DSCR for care notes and basic tasks but there’s often a lot more available. Tools you already have access to could save your team time, reduce duplication and help you stay on top of things during busy shifts.
Getting more from your system does not have to be a big project. Small changes, made over time, can make a real difference.
What good digital working looks like
Good digital working happens in everyday routines, not just during big change projects. It means staff know what to record, when to record it, where to find important information and how to raise concerns when something changes.
You may already recognise some of these in your service:
- staff recording information in real time where possible
- consistent use of handover tools
- clear and factual care notes
- good visibility of tasks and concerns
- managers checking dashboards or reports regularly to stay informed
It’s not just about the technology. Strong leadership, practical workflows, enough devices and a good connection, and giving staff realistic time to build confidence all matter too.
Think about how your team uses the system at different points in a shift - at the start when reviewing handover notes and tasks, during care when recording observations, and at the end when completing handovers and logging out securely.
Consistency across your team matters more than perfection. Small improvements, built up over time, tend to have the biggest impact.
Before choosing what to improve, you should start by understanding what is working well now and where the system is causing extra effort. This can help you focus on changes that will make the biggest difference to staff and people receiving care.
Features you may not be using yet
You’re probably already using your DSCR for care notes, care plans, tasks, handovers and incident recording. But your system may also include:
- voice-to-text note recording
- alerts and escalation flags
- dashboards and reporting tools
- family portals
- photo and document uploads
- concern and incident workflows
- offline working
- medication management tools
- viewing relevant health information for people in your care
Using more of what’s already available to you could help you:
- reduce duplication
- improve communication across your team
- strengthen oversight
Excerpt from the official page. The original is authoritative. Continue reading at UK DHSC ↗