DLF at the forefront, informing national policy

All-Party Parliamentary Group for Assistive Technology - DLF Informing Policy

On Tuesday 23^rd June 2021, Janet Seward, Programme Manager at DLF, was invited to present in The Smart Homes and Independent Living Commission APPGAT Rounctable 2 – Service Delivery and Workforce Development. This session explored social care service provision: how can government, local authorities, regulators and industry support carers to develop the skills and practices necessary to help older and disabled people become confident users of smart technology for independent living? 

• Training and professional development standards
• Embedding assistive technology good practice within organisational structures and daily routines
• Supporting a personalised and holistic approach to technology-enabled care

Janet was delighted to present a series of slides focused on the need to increase the rate of Assistive Technology adoption and awareness. The presentation took the form of a recipe of ingredients DLF believe is required to achieve this goal, including the following:

• Investment in awareness and communication towards older and disabled people and their carers that drives adoption of AT for IL
• Councils provide I&A to guide choice at their ‘front door’
• A wider range of roles involved in assessing and prescribing to accelerate access to AT
• Tools to enable holistic person-centred prescribing could be centrally funded

Not surprisingly DLF can help with a number of these elements through the many tools and training resources we have. Living Made Easy, AskSARA, DLF ProAssist and Trusted Assessor training were all highlighted as part of the discussion. 

In summary, the recommendation from DLF was as follows

• Broaden the number of prescribers of AT by training and accrediting Trusted Assessors to a national standard
• Promote self–assessment at the front door: the public are willing to self-purchase
• Invest in tools and training to support prescribers to prescribe AT holistically with confidence
• Un-restrict funding streams and require / expect prescribers of AT to consider the whole person and not restrict their scope to simply adaptations / TEC / CES solutions

The Commission is chaired by Councillor Sir Paul Carter CBE, the former leader of Kent County Council. The steering group includes Liz Twist MP, leading academics in technology and social care, industry experts and people with lived experience.

To read more about the The Smart Homes and Independent Living Commission APPAT