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Social Workers and Social Care workers: have your say in the design of an All-Ireland Digital Capabilities Framework

21 May 2021

The Social Care Council, together with the Department of Health and the Health and Social Care Board, are planning, prioritising and investing in digital capabilities that support delivery of health and social care in Northern Ireland. Social Work and Social care are currently playing a vital role in delivering health and social care and in many cases using digital technology as a tool to ensure a high standard of care is provided.

In partnership with colleagues from the HSE’s Office of Nursing and Midwifery Services Director (ONMSD), HSE’s Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO), Nursing, Midwifery and AHPs in Northern Ireland we are developing an All-Ireland Digital Health Capabilities Framework. We invite frontline Social Work and Social Care workers to engage in the design of this Framework.

We will gather the views of a cross section of Health and Social Care workers on the potential for adaptation of The National Nursing and Midwifery Digital Health Capability Framework for Australia (Nov, 2020) through an online survey and focus groups.

To have your say in the design of an All-Ireland Digital Capabilities Framework we need you to:

STEP 1 – REVIEW FRAMEWORK: Click on the link to learn more about the five domains within The National Nursing and Midwifery Digital Health Capability Framework for Australia (Nov, 2020) Reviewing the Framework is necessary before you undertake the short survey. The survey will close 30th June 2021.

STEP 2 – SURVEY: Click here to complete the Digital Capability Framework survey. It will take no more than 15 mins.

STEP 3 – VIRTUAL FOCUS GROUPS: Engagement through focus group will take place virtually, over 45 minute sessions and participants will be invited to provide feedback on the five domains of the Framework. If you are interested in engaging please email an expression of interest to Pippa McCabe E: pippa.mccabe@hscni.net by 28th May 2021 with your name, job title, employer and location and why you would like to be involved.
Every effort will be made to achieve a mix of health and social care disciplines, geographical and service area representation.


We very much look forward to working with Social Care Workers and Social Workers to design this Framework.



Further information:
For more information on the benefits of an All-Ireland Digital Health Capability Framework click here AHP Digital Survey Launch_2 – 1 (pagetiger.com) for a short video introduction:
The Framework will be:

  • accessible and understandable across a broad range of healthcare contexts
  • used by individual social workers and social care workers to assess their own digital health capabilities and to identify learning and developmental needs or inform personal and professional development plans relevant to their current or future workplace or role
  • used by health services as part of their continuous quality improvement activities to assess organisational capacity and educational requirements
  • used to develop tools to assist in extending the digital health capabilities
  • provide direction for career advancement planning in digital health
  • an enabler to promote and encourage positive attitudes in relation to the increasing introduction and adoption of technology and innovation
  • a support to managers in creating a digital literate and empowered workforce