Centred (Scotland) - Case Study

Founded in 1987 as Birchwood Highland and rebranded to Centred in 2022, the organisation is a charity launched to support those experiencing long-term mental health problems, and to aid their recovery so that there is a future where they can enjoy life.

Centred runs a 23-bed residential mental health recovery unit in Inverness, offers home care delivery in Caithness, and has a Recovery College in each of Inverness, Fort William, and Wick.

We spoke with David Brookfield, Chief Executive of Centred (pictured above), who gave us insights into the charity – not only about their provision of community mental health support across Highland, but also an understanding of the behind-the-scenes problems and resolutions experienced by the charity as they overhauled and modernised their care software.

Centred, like many health and care organisations across the UK and beyond, were operating on basic spreadsheets and keeping fairly simplistic records regarding their service users, but also their staff and the duties they are required to perform.

This was inefficient, but with the arrival of Covid-19 in 2020, Centred took decisive action to pursue a software solution that would elevate their digital standing and support the more hands-off approach required of the pandemic.

Their choice? The Access Group.

Centred entered a partnership with Access to implement both Access Care Planning (ACP) – with the Care Planning app for remote usage – and Access People Planner (APP). With these two solutions they could manage the client side of care preparation and the staff side, ensuring everyone and everything was accounted for in the delivery care.

As part of the onboarding process Access provided technical support to implement the software as well as to train staff on its functionality.

Speaking with Mr Brookfield about why Centred have stayed with Access for the past five years, he said: “The system works well for what we need it to do and is easy to use. Access has resulted in staff requiring fewer visits to the office as they now have everything at their fingertips. Scheduling has been an actual life saver, in terms of ease of use and the protection measures within the system ensuring there are no conflicts.”

At Centred, they’re enjoying both aspects of their new software solutions: the standalone functionality of both ACP and APP for the day-to-day management of their care services, but also the integration between the two solutions for record upkeep and data sharing – something David described as “very useful and time saving”.

Indeed, this time saving element seems to be very popular amongst management and staff, with the Care Planning app and its remote access very well received – on top of the ‘single source of truth’ that a centralised care record provides to care workers. It’s also a valuable emergency resource for both key health concerns and contact information.

So, what has Access delivered for Centred? In their CEO’s words:

• Better management
• More organisation
• Better communication with regards to support plans and daily allocations
• Freedom for staff to work away from the office, leading to a reduction in expenses

Mr Brookfield says that productivity has improved greatly, and whilst there was an initial lag as staff familiarised themselves with the new Access software, uptake has been comprehensive. Staff reportedly like the speed of accessing information, as well as the little things like how the app and home address of the service-user links directly to map applications for directions to their next job.

Staff also appreciate the greater flexibility they have with their work and the clarity of their schedule and their duties. He also added that there are fewer errors in said shift management, which has resulted in greater staff satisfaction with the company.

We asked Mr Brookfield what the future holds for Centred and their care services.

“Our aim is to be totally electronic in terms of our data recording and administration, and Access has enabled us to almost achieve this. We want to improve administrative effectiveness and efficiency and to reduce our overhead costs.”

With this in mind, it was suggested that Access Payroll might be the next solution added into the mix to help support the evolution of the organisation and its growth.

Financial threats do exist for the charity though, and Mr Brookfield warned about the increase in National Insurance costs and a predicted hit to the company of more than £100,000 per year. With tight margins, he argues that their business could become unsustainable, but even if they do just about make ends meet then there’s no way to afford new technology – technologies Centred have benefited from and others across the UK could benefit from, along with the clients they serve.

Despite these concerns, Centred is planning to expand its care provision and pursue the growth being seen in rural areas across the Highlands where other companies have been unable to develop. The charity also intends to do more with the new Recovery Colleges and the local impact they can have on helping mental wellbeing.

Whatever their ambitions, The Access Group will continue to support Centred and the high-quality care they’re delivering, and we look hope to see their continued growth and excellence.