TAPPI Phase 2 - Q&A with Pobl Group

Six months after their recruitment as one of the six TAPPI testbeds, Pobl Group gives us an update on their project in this short Q&A.

What initial challenges are you facing and how are they / will they be addressed?

The biggest challenge has been trying to remain focussed and not spread ourselves too thinly in terms of what we are hoping to deliver through the TAPPI project. There are so many opportunities presented by Technology Enabled Care that there is a temptation to try to fix everything! The TAPPI principles are really helpful here as they encourage a focus on the people that the technology is for and the outcomes that can potentially be achieved. We have also been slightly constrained by the fairly outdated existing technology that is already at our testbed site which has meant we are having to work around this as far as possible.  

What specific technologies or solutions are you testing, and what outcomes do you hope to achieve?

We are still in the discovery phase of our project so we have not selected any specific technologies yet, although we hope to do this in the next few weeks, using a coproduced approach with our customers. We have identified some key areas where we think technology can make a difference to the individuals at our testbed; including areas such as sensory loss, dementia, improving independence with activities of daily living, as well as reducing loneliness and improving wellbeing.

Have you been able to test any of the 10 principles developed during the first phase of TAPPI? Which ones and what results are you seeing?

(opens new window)We are really seeing the benefits of embedding a co-production approach at our TAPPI testbed, being led by the needs of our customers (being person centred and choice-led) rather than being driven by the technology. As we move towards selecting specific technology solutions, the interoperability and cost effectiveness of the various options will become increasingly important. 

We are also keen to ensure that we don’t forget the Welsh language through our approach to TAPPI as a number of our participants are first language Welsh-speakers – we would love to test how technology can promote inclusivity from this perspective.

What initial feedback have you had from tenants and staff as you begin implementation of the project?

We have been pleasantly surprised by the interest and enthusiasm shown by customers and colleagues in the first phase of the project.  More people than we expected have expressed a real appetite for finding out how technology can improve their daily lives. Customers have said that they are really valuing the opportunity to be involved in the decision making around technology and that it will be based on their own needs and circumstances. We are also engaging with family and carers who have also responded really positively so far.

Victoria Hiscocks, Head of Research and Development, Pobl Group