Hear from one of our senior consultants – Andrew Anderson, Senior Manager (Programmes)
“It’s usually one of the first questions that gets asked once a Local Authority has settled on a new social care system: ‘can we handle the implementation ourselves?’. It’s a good question, too—particularly when budgets are more constrained than they have been in some time.
“Cost isn’t the only consideration, of course. The social care systems of today are highly technical and deeply complex, and many steps in the implementation process require very specific expertise. More often than not, an in-house team won’t have that—not through any failing or insufficiency, but simply because the kind of work that’s involved just doesn’t happen all that often. The chances to learn are limited.
“This is even more of a challenge when it comes to the implementation of a brand new system. In those instances, it’s not just the sheer technical complexity that needs to be taken into account. There’s the fact that an in-house team is unlikely to have much experience with the new platform either—so an already difficult task becomes doubly so.
“This tends to lead to another important question: ‘if we don’t have these skills in-house today, why don’t we invest in them?’. And, again, that’s a worthwhile line of thought to pursue. In our own experiences, though, the answer tends to be shaped by one specific thing—and that’s the short-term nature of an implementation.
“The implementation of any new system is a project, and a project—by definition—is meant to be a temporary situation. Because of that, there’s a real risk that authorities spend time and effort in building up capabilities that won’t be required again for many years to come. That’s not a problem per se, but it can be if it prevents people from applying their experience and talent where it makes a real difference.
“In the many implementation projects that we’ve partnered on over the past eight years, one thing that comes through time and time again is that authorities are blessed with a wealth of talent and experience. Moreover, they’re equipped with an incredible understanding of local culture and social care practices in their community. Ultimately, it takes a social worker to understand what a social care system needs to deliver.
“Tapping into that insight is critical to the success of a new platform. But doing that is far, far harder when you’re also trying to implement said system and learning how to implement it at the same time.
“Is that to say that upskilling an internal team is a waste of time? Far from it. New skills and expertise will be essential to a system’s ongoing upkeep. Ensuring that they’re comfortable with a new platform is vital. At the same time, bringing in external help doesn’t just provide a head start—it frees your people up to focus on what they’re best at, too.”
