A Strategy for St Francis Hospice

In 20 years, the IT system at St Francis Hospice in Essex has grown in an ad-hoc fashion as different budgets allowed different bits of software and hardware to be added. It's a familiar story for charities and Sara Glover, Director of Finance & Support Services, knew a full strategic review of the IT system was fundamental to running the hospice successfully.

Why was the IT so Important?

The IT systems at the Hospice manage both funding and patient records, alongside all the general hospice admin functions, including HR and accounts. These databases all ran separately with no easy communication between them. The Patient records could not share data with the accounts which in turn could not share information with the donor database.

Sara realised the dilemma: they did not have the funding to perform an overhaul of the IT system but without an efficient IT system they could not increase their funds.

The Challenge is On

Sara wanted a full IT systems review without the support being a large drain on the Hospice's vital funds. So she contacted iT4Communities who found retired systems-analyst, Chris Harvey, who was happy to volunteer his 40 years experience in a non-commercial setting.

The challenge for Chris was to:

• Provide a 3-year strategic development plan
• Identify current IT strengths & weaknesses
• Recommend appropriate staff training for any new technologies

The Hospice had good technical infrastructure support from their IT support company which gave Chris a useful base to work from.

Getting IT Right

Over the following 3 months Chris met all the key staff, spoke with the IT suppliers, had demonstrations of the relevant applications, explored other options, and looked at the cost/benefits for improvements. He needed to provide a professional report showing value for money within a realistic budget for the charity as well as recommending appropriate upgrades that fit with the skills and experience of the staff.

The final report contained expert recommendations with a full implementation plan that the charity will now use to enhance their service in the future.

Did it Work?

Sara is really pleased with the project saying: "This has given us a great plan to take forward and should have a significant benefit for the hospice over the coming few years". Her comments demonstrate the real value of pro bono professional IT support at its best.

Chris felt the project was a great success thanks to the open working relationship he shared with the Hospice staff: "There was a significant team effort by all the hospice staff and a willingness to share concerns and commitment to improvement, which made my role both productive and supportive. The hospice is now enabled to implement my recommendations in a realistic and cost effective manner".

The Future

St Francis Hospice will now have integrated technology allowing them to work more efficiently and to generate the much-needed funding from their donors and supporters. Thanks to Chris's volunteer work they can continue to provide their invaluable services to the community and see the work of the Hospice grow.

6th June 2008