Flo trial to be rolled out by county council

Health professionals in the NHS originally designed the service known as Florence or Flo to support people to manage long term health problems.

However, more recently the system is being used to provide greater independence for people with social care needs.

The system is set up using the expertise of social workers to send out prompts for tasks such as household chores or to check to see if a service user is missing a meal or needing reassurance.

Around 800 people have used the service and the county council has trialled the technology with the Asperger’s - a condition linked to autism, where sufferers often struggle with social interaction, and use repetitive patterns of behaviour.

Councillor Muriel Weisz, chair of the council’s adult social care and health committee, said: “It’s important that we make the most of new technology to give vulnerable people greater independence and allow social care staff to monitor their care needs.

“People with Asperger’s often just need a reminder to carry out a daily task through a text alert which can be very reassuring for them and their family members.

“We are now extending the service to other people who receive social care support.”

For more information on the text service contact Nottinghamshire County Council on 0300 500 80 80.