DepenSys: what it isDepenSys is a web-based dependency system which helps to quickly define residents’ needs, convert these needs into the time and skill required to meet those needs then compare the suggested staffing with the actual levels.It is an unique system based on work started in 1985 as part of a Master’s thesis studying the relationship between individual care needs and the staffing and skill mix required to meet those needs to a high quality. DepenSys is the culmination of that work.Once familiar with the system, reviewing each resident’s needs takes one minute on average, and a new resident’s first assessment takes five minutes. One of the key design criteria was to take as little of the manager’s and senior staff time as possible in producing accurate results on which staffing decisions can be made. DepenSys achieves this in a very user-friendly way, but has powerful analysis built in and the ability to export data for further examination.All clients benefit from regular updates and improvements to the system as the research continues, and user feedback is listened to carefully. The application allows for multiple users to access the data simultaneously at different user levels (e.g. home level, Director, and ‘Super User’ administration level), allowing management to have clear oversight of individual home or whole Group performance. Being a web-based system, it is responsive and platform independent; for example, it runs on Chrome and Edge on PC, and Safari on Mac. It also runs perfectly well on Android and iOS.All of this is provided in an extremely cost-effective way, with monthly subscriptions based on the number of registered beds per home.Predecessor: the RFC Dependency SystemThe forerunner of DepenSys was the RFC Dependency System, which in spreadsheet form was used successfully since 2000 to assist care home operators and managers to calculate staffing levels. As the underlying algorithms were developed and improved in line with ever-changing and increasing needs and dependencies, it was difficult to maintain the upgrade path for the spreadsheet-based clients. DepenSys now provides greater accuracy and detail for users.Key Features• Based on more than 35 years of research and development.
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