As a company built on the expertise of Nurses and Care Professionals, we are all about the people we work with. The care industry until recently has been less than up to date with the digital age. Both these factors meant that the Swift Management Team preferred to hold face to face meetings, use direct marketing and work on paper based systems.
When I say this, I do not mean we were total technophobe’s we did use technology, but we certainly did not use technology as fully as we could have.
In early January we started discussions with our web design company Vikinguru Interactive, looking at ways in which we could improve our website, and increase its usefulness. As part of these discussions, we decided to change our email hosting and servers all at the same time. Although the advice was excellent, for a group of people who talk to people it was hard to imagine why we would require some of the technology we now had available to use as part of this major upgrade. We were learning all about Blogs and Wikki’s social media and much more.
In early March we held our staff conference and rolled out many of the new apps available to use and demonstrated their use. At this point Covid-19 was not the daily discussion point it is now, and the UK was going about its business even if the panic buying had started.
Over the coming weeks the team became proficient with the new software. Then the UK began to change, people were self-Isolating, travel was becoming more restrictive and we could not justify our team driving around the country to visit care homes, who were at the time considering reducing visitors or closing to visitors altogether.
In order to maintain the support, our customers wanted without putting either our consultant or the care homes at risk we began to unpack some of the tools we had in our technology armory but thought we would never use.
As a result, our clients now have access to the files we hold for them giving all of us real-time information as we work together on projects. We now hold meetings using Skype or MS Teams meaning those costly time-consuming meetings can be managed without leaving home. We have also been able to provide bespoke face to face type training over the internet, with online question papers and instant marking.
Our teams have been collaborating on projects in ways we have never done before. As we look to a future without infection and without lockdown, we have looked at how we can help those operators who have struggled during the last few months and whilst needing support simply do not feel the time is right, as they need to recover financially. We have decided to respond to this need by keeping our new technology working for us in the new world after Covid-19. This has meant we are able to put together low-cost packages of support for care home providers, as we use technology to assist our consultants to support our clients. They say something good comes from every disaster, and whilst we mourn the tragic loss of life, celebrate the excellent dedication of the NHS and Social Care Staff along with every other front line worker, here at Swift Management Services Limited, we know that our methods of working have been enhanced by the need to use technology more fully.
To find out more email: info@swiftmangement.org.uk
Or visit our website at www.swiftmangement.org.uk
