Case study

Transforming health and social care

Leveraging technology to prepare for the future

Client: Brainkind (The Disabilities Trust) Sector: Healthcare
Highlights
Safe

ISO27001 certified and full NHS integration

Implemented

full strategic alignment and transformation roadmap to deliver ambitions

1,800

health and social care staff across 3 nations positively impacted

Brainkind (Previously The Disabilities Trust) is a national charity that provides community, hospital and residential rehabilitation to adults with acquired brain injury, and support for complex disabilities, including autism. Its mission is to maximise an individual’s ability to care for themselves.

As a large, multi-site, tri nation, well established charity they had already recognised the need to integrate tech effectively to drive its day-to-day operations, streamline processes and improve efficiency. We worked with the organisation to show how the right technology could be used to go deliver their ask, but also go much, much further.

Our collaborative and exploratory approach revolutionised Brainkind’s ambitions. We worked together to focus on the type of charity they wanted to be and how technology could help get them there. We didn’t talk tech; we talked strategy.

This project has been so much more than using technology to make the charity run faster. By exploring possibilities and leveraging technology, Brainkind is now well and truly ready for the future.

What we did
  • Digital strategy
  • Managed transformation
  • Interim CTO
  • Agile team development
  • Tech innovation
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Cath Murray Howard, Director of Strategy and Development, The Disabilities Trust
“When Digital Wonderlab say they’re going to do something they are absolutely accountable for it – and they have the ability to then flex accordingly. From a personal perspective I find them really easy to work with. Nathan is interested in the wider organisation as opposed to being an IT geek, he’s somebody who understands IT as part of the transformational culture.”
Cath Murray Howard , Director of Strategy and Development
The Disabilities Trust
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Cath Murray Howard, Director of Strategy and Development, The Disabilities Trust
“Nathan doesn’t just talk tech, he talks strategy. He has a true understanding of the whole organisation, our strategy and then the technology we need. That’s what makes Digital Wonderlab different.”
Cath Murray Howard , Director of Strategy and Development
The Disabilities Trust

To harness technology to safeguard the charity’s future services was our focus and our aim was clear: to strengthen the charity’s ability to successfully support patients in need.

The main challenge we faced however, and a first pivotal step, was to stabilise the charity’s infrastructure - which simply could not cope. With over 1,800 staff, supporting over 1,000 service users, change was essential.

True transformation could only be achieved with up-to-date operating systems in place. Working in partnership to identify a long list of problems in need of addressing, we rationalised and agreed on the priorities - what could be done to affect immediate change and help the charity work smarter. Working from the ground up, we had to build stability in what was a fragile IT infrastructure, getting the basics right on the road to robust digital transformation.

Technology we used
  • Finance and payroll systems
  • CRM to manage patient and company data
  • eMAR (electronic medication administration record) system
  • Risk management and patient safety software
Cath Murray Howard, Director of Strategy and Development, The Disabilities Trust
“The transformation of our systems and the transparency of information has changed people’s lives. The data that we now have access to, and the way we’re able to track referrals through to our services, is more professional than ever before.”
Cath Murray Howard , Director of Strategy and Development
The Disabilities Trust

Our extensive project with Brainkind began with a blank canvas. We carefully explored where investment would have the greatest impact and how the tech infrastructure could be future-proofed. At all times, we explored how far it was possible to take the charity, why digital transformation needed to be at the core, and how the right tech solutions would ultimately support and aid the patient care that lies at the heart of the charity’s ethos.

We implemented a range of solutions, including robust finance and payroll systems, a CRM to manage patient and company data, an eMAR (electronic medication administration record) system, together with risk management and patient safety software.

A huge milestone for Brainkind, and the project was ISO27001 Certification. Integrating into the NHS and offering secure access for staff and service users anywhere, on any device was a game changer.

All staff can now operate flexibly, equipped with streamlined processes and systems, with Assistive Technology also driving forward the implementation of a hands-on Assistive Technology hub.

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