Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is creating significant change for councils across England. For adult social care teams, the challenge is not simply creating new organisational structures. Councils also need to consider how systems, data, processes and technology will support the new authority.
As councils prepare for LGR, now is the time to ask: Are your adult social care systems ready for the future?
At Consulting Partners, we support organisations across social care, health and education with service transformation, business process improvement and system implementation. Our experience means we understand the importance of making technology work for practitioners and the people they support.
LGR and Adult Social Care
Local Government Reorganisation brings together services from existing councils into new unitary authorities.
For adult social care, this can mean bringing together different:
- Social care systems
- Business processes
- Operating models
- Data
- Workflows
- Recording practices
- Reporting arrangements
- System configurations
- Integrations
Even where councils use the same social care system, the way it has been configured and used may be very different.
One authority may have developed different workflows, forms, processes and recording practices from another.
Simply combining those systems is unlikely to deliver the best outcome for the new organisation.
The real challenge is understanding what the future adult social care service should look like and how technology can support it.
LGR is an Opportunity to Redesign Adult Social Care
One of the biggest opportunities presented by LGR is the ability to review existing processes rather than simply replicate them.
Councils can ask:
- Can we simplify our processes?
- Can we remove duplication?
- Can we improve practitioner workflows?
- Can we automate manual activities?
- Can we improve data quality?
- Can we standardise processes where appropriate?
- Can we make better use of our existing technology?
This is where service transformation and system implementation need to work together.
The technology should support the future operating model rather than dictate it.
Data Migration and Adult Social Care
Data migration is likely to be one of the most important technical considerations for LGR.
Adult social care systems can contain significant amounts of information about people receiving services, assessments, care plans, financial information, safeguarding and provider arrangements.
Before migration, councils need to understand:
- What data do we have?
- How accurate is it?
- Is information duplicated?
- How should data from different authorities be mapped?
- What historical information needs to be retained?
- How will migrated records be validated?
Data migration should therefore be treated as a business and service transformation exercise, not simply an IT task.
Poor data quality can create additional work for practitioners and managers and potentially affect the quality of management information.
A structured approach to data analysis, cleansing, mapping, migration and testing can significantly reduce these risks.
System Configuration and Implementation
Once the future operating model has been established, the next challenge is configuring technology to support it.
This may include reviewing:
Workflows
Forms
Business rules
User permissions
Recording requirements
Notifications
Reports
Integrations
Management information
For councils using systems such as Liquidlogic LAS, LGR may provide an opportunity to review existing configurations and consider how they can be brought together into an effective future system.
The objective should be to create a system that supports practitioners and managers, rather than simply reproducing the way individual councils have historically worked.
User Acceptance Testing
User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is another important part of LGR system implementation.
A system can work technically while still failing to support the way practitioners actually work.
Testing should therefore be based on real adult social care scenarios and end-to-end processes.
For example:
Referral → Assessment → Financial Assessment → Care Planning → Service Provision → Review
Testing the complete journey helps identify issues that may not be visible when testing individual system functions.
Practitioners should be involved in UAT so that the system is tested from a real operational perspective.
What About Liquidlogic and Other Social Care Systems?
Many local authorities use established social care platforms, including Liquidlogic LAS and The Access Group Frameworki Mosaic.
During LGR, councils may need to consider how existing implementations can be brought together, upgraded, reconfigured or replaced.
This can involve significant questions around:
- System configuration
- Data migration
- Workflow design
- Integration
- Reporting
- User permissions
- Business processes
- Testing
- Training
- Go-live
Consulting Partners has experience supporting local authorities with social care system implementation, including Liquidlogic LAS, ContrOCC and other systems supporting adult social care.
Our approach combines an understanding of technology with practical knowledge of social care processes and practice.
How Consulting Partners Can Help With LGR
Consulting Partners works with organisations across social care, health and education to improve services and implement systems that support effective practice.
Our experience includes:
- Service transformation
- Business process redesign
- Automation
- System implementation
- System configuration
- User Acceptance Testing
- System health checks
- Liquidlogic LAS
- ContrOCC
- Data and process improvement
For councils preparing for LGR, we can help assess your existing systems and processes and identify the changes required for the future authority.
Service Transformation
Reviewing existing processes and helping design a future operating model that supports better outcomes and more efficient services.
Business Process Improvement
Identifying duplication, inefficiency and opportunities for automation.
System Design and Configuration
Ensuring technology is aligned with business and practice requirements.
UAT and Implementation
Helping ensure systems are properly tested and ready for implementation.
System Health Checks
Identifying issues with existing systems before they become a problem during transition.
Preparing for LGR
Adult social care leaders should consider starting their systems planning early.
A useful first step is to understand:
- What systems are currently being used?
- How differently are they configured?
- Where do processes differ?
- What does the data look like?
- What should the future operating model look like?
- What needs to be migrated?
- What should be standardised?
- What needs to be tested?
The earlier these questions are addressed, the more opportunity councils have to make informed decisions before implementation deadlines become critical.
Turning LGR Into an Opportunity
Local Government Reorganisation will undoubtedly create challenges for adult social care.
However, it also creates an opportunity to improve the way services operate.
LGR can provide a catalyst for:
- Better processes.
- Better data.
- Better use of technology.
- Less duplication.
- Improved practitioner experience.
- More effective management information.
At Consulting Partners, we help councils turn technology and transformation programmes into practical improvements for frontline services.
If your council is preparing for LGR and you need support with adult social care systems, service transformation, data migration, system configuration, UAT or system health checks, we can help.
Contact Consulting Partners to discuss your LGR programme.
