How Louisa Homecare leverages tech to empower its team

Putting people first: how data is empowering carers and transforming

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When it comes to domiciliary care, attention to details matters. But it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day. What happens when we look at the bigger picture? What if Agencies had comprehensive data to improve their most important workflows, impacting finances, client care and even staff morale? We spoke with Nicholas Lee, Director of Louisa Homecare Limited, about how data is revolutionizing the care sector and empowering its most valuable asset: its people.

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The pitfalls of paper-based systems

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When Nicholas and his business partner Akram Abdullah joined Louisa McNeil as co-owners of Louisa Homecare, they saw opportunities to bring perspectives from their experience in business and investment to optimise some processes, driving the agency’s performance while balancing the workload for Louisa and her team. Paper-based processes were their first focus. “Carers would go see clients and spend five to ten minutes writing notes about the tasks they’d completed,” he says. This was cumbersome for the carers, and compromised the client experience: not only did it impact client satisfaction, it led to lost information. “People would lose a piece of paper, handwriting wouldn’t be legible. These were liabilities. But worst of all: these carers, who were doing an outstanding job, were scared of inspections because they were scrambling to find a handwritten piece of paper. The team deserved better.”

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The power of comprehensive data

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Moving to a digital, data-driven approach has been transformative. Nicholas emphasises, "There’s no more scrambling to evidence quality care. Every task is auditable, so there’s accountability. If something goes wrong we can review and provide additional training if needed. There’s a level of transparency and measurement that was previously impossible.” The numbers speak for themselves: Birdie's digital platform has helped Louisa Homecare improve operational efficiency, data management, and CQC readiness. Louisa Homecare has more than doubled its business in 12 months, increasing hours from 904 to 2,200 and revenue from £28,000 to £75,000.

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Focusing on people and performance

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The added oversight that home care tech provides doesn’t just improve finances and operations. As Nick points out, it has an impact on people and performance. “When we first started working with Louisa, we set goals together. We wanted to understand the changes the team wanted to see. Work-life balance as a major focus area. Louisa didn’t want to be working seven days a week, and she didn’t want her team to be working that way.

Beyond financial and operational data, metrics on people and performance are crucial. Nicholas points out, "One of the big things we did was firstly speak to Louisa and understand what she wanted because she was, you know, the founder... we knew she wanted to not be working seven days a week. She didn't want her team to be working seven days a week." High turnover is a persistent issue in this sector, so avoiding staff burnout was an issue of business sustainability. “We want to ensure that people remain engaged, and see a future for themselves in this sector. That’s why we’re implementing clear progression paths for each person in the team.” We want them to understand that Louisa can offer them something different than what they might expect of this sector.

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Addressing the "fire fighting" mentality

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With real-time data on performance, teams can understand how they’re contributing to company performance. This enables more team members to think strategically about their work. “In this industry, people are constantly fighting fires. It can be difficult to take that step back needed to make bigger changes. They need the time, and the clear insights to make strategic moves. The more processes are optimised, the more strategic the team’s focus can be.”

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Overcoming fear and embracing change

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Change– be it the adoption of new technology or a partial acquisition– can be intimidating, but Nicholas encourages agencies to "be comfortable being uncomfortable." Whatever the goal is for a Care Agency, whether it’s remaining in the family or external acquisition, openness to change is non-negotiable. He reminds Agencies of the potentially devastating cost of inaction: “Remaining stagnant in these times is not an option. Not everyone needs to expand aggressively if that’s not their priority, but you need to be ready to evolve to stay afloat.”

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Asking for help and building a community

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Finally, Nicholas emphasises the importance of asking for help and building a community. When asked about the advice he’d give to peers in the industry, he says "Be okay with asking for help from the community, or from your tech partners like Birdie. Reach out to people who have gotten the results you’re aiming towards.” He highlights the importance of community, particularly in the care sector. “One thing I’ve noticed about this industry is that there’s a tendency to work in silos. It’s understandable, their heads are down while they focus on what’s in front of them. But that community mindset is essential. It's the key to innovation.”

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By embracing data, prioritizing people, and fostering a culture of collaboration, care agencies can move beyond survival mode and create a thriving, sustainable future for themselves and their staff.

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We built Pulse Dashboards to bring all the key insight agencies need to optimise operations in a single, intuitive interface that teams can rally around. The People and Partnership Pulse Dashboard helps Agencies ensure that their teams are happy, engaged and performing.
From performance metrics like attendance, punctuality and client feedback, to training compliance and employee touchpoints, managers can see who’s doing well, who needs help and whether they’re sufficiently equipped to meet the demands of their roles.
By identifying patterns or trends, such as high staff turnover or frequent absenteeism, this dashboard enables agencies to implement strategies to enhance staff retention, improve morale, and foster a more engaged and motivated workforce.

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