Agenda item
Mosaic Briefing Note
To provide an update to the Committee on progress with implementing Mosaic (the Adult Social Care and Children’s Social Care case management system).
Minutes:
Paul Coe, Executive Director for Adult Social Care and Public Health, presented the Mosaic Briefing Note (Agenda Item 6).
The presentation provided context regarding the implementation of the Mosaic system, a social care case management system essential for all work undertaken by the Adult Social Care and Children's Social Care departments. This would be used to provide management information, and to make reports to government and inspectors. It was a complicated system that needed to be integrated with a number of other software, including finance systems.
Mosaic had been procured to replace the ageing Care Director v5 software. A previous attempt to upgrade to Care Director v6 had been unsuccessful. It was noted that the supplier was quitting the social care market, which would leave just three suppliers of social care case management systems. The government was considering development of a unified system for the future.
The anticipated advantages of Mosaic were outlined, including improved support, up-to-date functionality, the ability to make changes, and enhanced robustness. New features would include a provider portal for direct engagement with care suppliers and improved payment processes. Also, the supplier was developing AI functionality for Mosaic.
The timeline for implementation of Mosaic was set out:
· Invitation to tender - January 2024
· Contract with The Access Group signed - August 2024
· Project kick-off - September 2024
· BetterGov appointed to provide project management – April 2025
· Initial target for implementation - November 2025
· Revised target for implementation – April 2026.
It was confirmed that the project was currently on track.
The following points were discussed in the debate:
· Officers confirmed that Mosaic was a cloud-based system.
· The Committee was informed that discussions with the supplier were proceeding on the basis of delivering functional releases over time, with incremental rather than major step changes.
· Previous challenges around the integration of Care Director v6 with other Council systems were acknowledged. However, officers confirmed that data migration and interface testing were progressing well and similar issues were not anticipated.
· Members asked about possible integration with NHS systems and the potential for Mosaic to support joint working, particularly in relation to telecare and telehealth. Officers explained that the Council already used Connected Care to share data with health partners and that Mosaic would continue to support such integration. Ongoing challenges in data sharing and collaboration with the NHS were acknowledged, but it was confirmed that opportunities for joint working would be pursued.
· Members challenged whether BetterGov should have been engaged earlier. Officers agreed that, with hindsight, earlier engagement would have been beneficial and noted that the enhanced Project Management Office (PMO) now in place would likely have improved project delivery. It was noted that the PMO was smaller at the outset of the project and that the Council did not frequently undertake projects of this scale.
· The Committee noted the bespoke nature of the Care Director system and the challenges of adapting processes to new software. The urgency of the project was highlighted due to the supplier's withdrawal from the market. Where possible, Council processes were being modified to fit the new system rather than customising the software.
· It was suggested that the Committee should continue to monitor major resource-related projects, possibly on an annual basis.
· Members requested that the slides from this presentation and the preceding ones be added to the agenda pack for future reference.
Action: Slides presented for the Mosaic Briefing Note and the other agenda items to be added to the agenda pack.
RESOLVED to note the presentation.