Home Group takes a digital-first approach to ensuring data accuracy and improving customer care

Home Group is a housing association and charity that delivers high-quality housing and social care to over 100,000 customers as well as a wealth of care-focused services in the UK. The organisation employs more than 1,000 dedicated Care and Support workers who provide specialist care to around 20,000 vulnerable individuals in supported housing.

The Challenge

To best serve its customers, the Home Group Care and Support workers need to maintain accurate and up-to-date information about the tenant’s wellbeing, next of kin, key risks, goals and tasks. This ensures that they are well equipped to provide specialist, tailored care on a case-by-case basis.

All of this information was being collected manually and had to be keyed into Home Group’s back-office system. This was a laborious, and potentially error-prone process, which meant that other teams, whether in the office or with the tenant, were experiencing delays in getting access to important information.

Home Group identified the need for a new mobile application that would alleviate these issues.

The Solution

Home Group selected the NDL Digitse to build the application for their mobile tablets (MS Surface).

The Benefits

The new mobile app has made a huge difference to Home Groups customers and teams, delivering the following key benefits:

Immediate Full and Detailed Records

The application allows for a wide range of assessments to be recorded directly on the device. The assessment forms allow support teams to record the status, care required and individual goals. The mobile app allows for simple tracking on a case-by-case basis. Complete, tailored care plans are created ensuring the relevant level of support is provided, which may include financial management, providing basic literacy and numeracy support, and help to manage substance abuse.

Timely Information

The information is uploaded to the Home Group back-office system in near real-time once collected. This allows for all teams to monitor the progress of vulnerable customers to ensure the relevant interventions or referrals are completed.

Data Analytics

Home Group can evaluate the impact of its support by analysing the information collected from its customer base via Business Intelligence dashboard reporting. This ensures that routine reviews are conducted and can also be used to examine trends. Offline Working Even if mobile connectivity is unstable when a support worker is with a customer, the mobile app still allows the data captured to be stored securely on the device. This data is then automatically uploaded when connectivity has been restored, ensuring every visit can be completed and information is synchronised.

And here’s what some of the Home Group support workers have to say:

"The mobile app is easy to use, I didn’t need a lot of training and that meant that I could continue to support my customers. Working offline was great as I wasn’t stuck sitting in an office - I could be wherever my customer wanted to be."

"Improved accuracy and access to records and to support planning was a real development for us. The use of the mobile app is integral to the delivery of our customer promise."

What's Next?

Home Group is now looking to make a wider impact across its services with mobile apps. One focus area is on lone worker safety – for example setting up an automatic alert if a colleague has been inactive for a pre-determined time period.

The organisation can also quickly adapt its mobile app in response to new services and specifically an expanding care portfolio. The recent introduction of clinical practitioner roles alongside its mobile app, will promise a tailored approach to the care and well-being of its tenants.