Lifted, a home care platform for carers and families, has been awarded £1.3 million by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of its Healthy Ageing Challenge.

Lifted aims combat the care worker recruitment and retention crisis, and also help people to access regulated in-home care quickly and easily. The platform enables people to find, manage and keep up to date with regulated home care on their phone, with 24/7 support and real-time updates.

The money will be used to develop the Lifted Complete Care Companion, an extension of the company’s platform and app that aims to mitigate the care worker shortage. Lifted’s platform will also increase its emphasis on carer development and create an online carer community.

Lifted aims to reduce the average time to hire a carer from more than 100 days to fewer than 14 via artificial intelligence-assisted automation. It also aims to double carer retention rates –currently, almost 40% of care workers leave their roles every year.

Rachael Crook, co-founder and chief executive of Lifted, said: “When I had to find care for my mother, I was completely shocked by how difficult the process was. My own experience has inspired me to create an entirely new way for people to access regulated, ongoing home care for their loved ones that’s as simple and stress-free as possible. The Lifted platform also makes it much easier for carers to start work without the excessive wait times they currently face, which is a major reason why so many vacancies remain unfilled.

“The carer compliance process is incredibly lengthy and inefficient, with the care sector losing many potentially excellent candidates because they can’t afford to wait months on end before starting work. This also opens the door to unregulated workers, which puts loved ones at risk. By automating the compliance process, the Lifted Complete Care Companion will massively reduce approval times and quickly get carers into worthwhile roles.

“Carers tell us that they want to develop their skills and progress within the industry, but often don’t know how to achieve this, which is a major reason why the care sector currently has an almost 40% churn rate. Carers also face significant mental health challenges, with many feeling isolated and close to burn-out. Lifted is built on interactivity, and the UKRI award will enable us to introduce comprehensive gamified programmes to boost carer career progression and to create a vibrant online community where carers can share experiences and receive support from others.”