August 14th 2025
Birtley House’ Journey
Birtley House is a fourth-generation family-run care home nestled in the Surrey countryside and innovation has always been part of their story.
Birtley House’s has a rich history, tracing back to the 1920s, when Director Tim Whalley’s great-grandparents began caring for World War I veterans with undiagnosed mental health conditions in their own home.
The ethos then was to create a homely environment for people who might otherwise be institutionalised
“We continue to balance the demands of delivering professional, high-quality care within a warm, homely environment, adapting our practices and physical space to meet modern standards and the realities of affordability.”, says Tim.
Sustainability Before It Was Trendy
For Birtley House, innovation extends to everything they do. In 2008 for example, Birtley House installed a wood chip boiler, years before the government introduced the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. Ironically, to benefit from the RHI, they replaced their system a move Tim describes as antithetical to true sustainability. Their new boiler, online since 2014, is now fully remotely monitored.
Early Digital Adoption, Lessons in Process
Their first foray into digital care records was in 2016 but the timing and infrastructure weren’t ideal. Staff used notebook laptops at workstations and remained stuck halfway between digital and paper. Reflecting back, Tim admits they approached it backwards: “We didn’t review our processes before adopting the software. Instead, we bent our processes around the system.”
Getting It Right With Sekoia
The turning point came in 2020 with the implementation of Sekoia. Unlike before, they rebuilt from the ground up, creating a system tailored to their needs. The system was created in-house using their own terminology, and the Sekoia team was small and collaborative. One member even stayed overnight to train the night staff.
“Looking back, I can say it’s much better to take the time to develop a system that is tailored to the unique ways that we work.”
This time, they led first with the process. Staff were ready, the system was user-friendly and mobile, and they now have a personalised platform that truly fits how they work.
However, much like their earlier move to renewable energy, their early adoption of a true digital records system did not qualify for government funding, leaving Tim questioning the fairness of government incentive schemes
Compliance Innovation: Building Their Own System
Nevertheless, Tim admits, he’s excited by innovation and using process to develop tailored systems. Birtley House has also built a bespoke compliance and auditing tool using a flexible spreadsheet-style platform. With over 50 contractors and complex compliance needs, Tim has created a dashboard system that allows them to track everything from fire safety audits to maintenance requests.
Creating this system has given them a central, searchable record that helps them to streamline compliance requirements.
“Since developing the system, we recently received zero recommendations in our most recent health and safety audit. Creating the system has been exciting and really rewarding.” Says Tim.
Advice for Other Providers
Learning from experience, Tim is wary of one-size-fits-all software solutions with promises of “saving time.”
“DSCRs don’t save time. Good systems do,” he explains. “Software should serve your processes, not the other way around.”
His advice:
- Review your processes thoroughly before choosing a system
- Consider your building, infrastructure and internet reliability
- Work with adaptable and supportive vendors who can demonstrate a genuine commitment to the care sector.
- Paper! – Don’t abandon pen and paper, they too have their place.
Photo by Galina Nelyubova, Unsplash
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