St Helens Borough Council scoops award for tech enabled care, with another in sight

Article date: 4 April 2025

A collaborative programme between the local authority's adult social care and ICT and Digital services has resulted in the creation of a hub at the council's Brookfield Support Centre facility, containing a range of artificial intelligence (AI) technology which is having a positive effect, helping improve mobility and supporting people living with dementia, as well as reduce falls and social isolation.

Equipment - available for purchase - varies from assistive lighting and automatic medication dispensers, to one-pot kettles and self-draining sinks to help those with mobility issues.  Pillow shakers and sensors help alert to danger and prevent falls. While smart water bottles help to increase fluid intake, with one button computers offering a simple and safe way to communicate with loved ones to reduce social isolation - as do robotic cat and dog therapy pets, which respond to petting, without the need of special care or feeding and have proven to be a great comfort for people living with dementia and anxiety.

Feedback on the technology from a recent focus group, including Brookfield staff, service users, and family members, has been overwhelmingly positive - with participants praising the calming effects of the robotic therapy pets on dementia patients and reducing stress for residents who might be anxious about being away from home.

In addition to the technology at Brookfield, ICT & Digital have developed an AI-powered TEC Care Assessment Digital Catalogue. This tool suggests the most suitable tech solutions for an individual to maintain their Independence, following an assessment.

Forming part of a new practice model which aims to put people at the centre of their care and use new and innovative ways to help people live independently at home for longer, the council's approach to tech enabled care came out on top in the Transforming and Innovating Public Services Award at the iNetwork Awards recently - and has been shortlisted as a finalist at this year's prestigious MJ Awards which honours outstanding achievements in local government.

Commenting at a recent visit to Brookfield Support Centre on Park Road which provides intermediate care for people who have been discharged from hospital but not quite ready to return to their own home, Councillor Andy Bowden, St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Integrated Health and Social Care, said:

"To meet the challenges of growing demand for social care - as a council working with you, for you - we need to look at ways of modernising our services and make use of what modern technology can offer - with the aim of supporting residents to live happier, healthier lives in their own homes which is ultimately where they want to be.

"This is why it is fantastic to receive such recognition for our innovative approach to adult social care. It is recognition for the hard work and innovation of our staff, and importantly, this work is delivering. We are helping residents while achieving a key priority of promoting good health, independence and care across our communities.

"To understand the scale of the task and the council's pivotal role in supporting residents,  there are currently 38,500 older adults in St Helens Borough who are supported by the local authority everyday - whether it's to live independently, or with dementia and long-term needs care - with around £70m of the council's overall budget spent on social care every year. We do this through the hard work and dedication of our staff, and a drive to invest in these services, focus resources on supporting the most vulnerable in our communities and take the tough decisions needed to generate the resources needed to deliver this care."

Councillor Keith Laird, Cabinet Member for People, Performance and IT added: "AI and assistive technology, like that on display at Brookfield, has the potential to improve lives and ease pressures on public services like adult social care, for which demand is ever growing. For every 20 patients, we could save up to £145,000 a year by reducing domiciliary care costs.

"Research shows that people live well for longer when they can maintain independence by living in their own home. That's why it's important that we explore innovative ways like the latest digital technology available to us to enable our residents to continue living independently for longer, safe in the knowledge that support is available to them when they require it."

A digital brochure is now available on the council website to signpost people to equipment which they can purchase independently, with advice and support also offered to residents and families during interactions with Adult Social Care and Integrated staff.

For more information, visit: http://sthelens.gov.uk/article/12602/Our-Vision-For-Technology-Enabled-Care