Celebrating Nicola Dow: A Champion for Care, Collaboration and Digital Innovation
As Nicola Dow steps down from her role as Branch Chair for Scottish Care’s East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire region, we reflect on her exceptional leadership and her contributions to both local advocacy and innovation. Nicola has been a passionate voice for social care, a supportive colleague across the sector, and a key player in driving forward meaningful digital change at Pacific Care.
Nicola will soon leave her home manager role at Stanely Park, a residential care home in Paisley, and take up a new role managing a larger, nursing-led care home—a natural next step in a career. We are grateful for her time, energy and insight as Branch Chair, and wish her the very best in this new chapter.
Advocating for Change: Why She Stepped Up
Nicola became involved with Scottish Care after completing her Queen’s Nursing Programme, seeing an opportunity to use her skills and voice beyond her immediate workplace.
“It felt natural for me to branch out to the wider care home community so I could champion the amazing work happening in our sector—and try to influence the change needed to improve care home environments.”
Her time as Branch Chair helped her develop new levels of confidence and leadership, particularly in advocating for social care at a local and national level:
“I’m most proud of my personal growth. I now feel confident speaking up for social care—something I wouldn’t have done before.”
“This experience has helped me believe in myself and in my ability to lead. It’s opened doors to new professional opportunities I never thought possible.”
Leading Pacific Care’s Digital Transformation
Alongside her advocacy work, Nicola played a key role in Pacific Care’s digital transformation—an organisation-wide project that has reshaped how care is delivered and managed across all five sites.
In 2024, Pacific Care moved away from paper-based systems, introducing tools like Person Centred Software (PCS) for digital care planning, and RotaCloud for staff rostering. This shift was designed not only to improve efficiency, but also to enhance resident outcomes and staff wellbeing.
As highlighted in Pacific Care’s January 2024 feature article, Nicola’s leadership and digital expertise—alongside the dedication of several other key team members—played a vital role in supporting staff across multiple homes to embrace and adapt to the organisation’s digital transformation.
“Having worked in a fully digital environment before, I knew the benefits—but also the fear that comes with such a shift. Some staff were so anxious they considered leaving,” Nicola recalled.
“By being open about my own learnings, giving them time, and providing hands-on training, I helped build their confidence. Watching them go from overwhelmed to capable was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.”
One standout improvement has been the implementation of RotaCloud, which gave staff greater autonomy over their shifts while reducing stress and out-of-hours communication.
“Everyone’s time is precious. RotaCloud allowed staff to manage extra shifts on their terms. It improved wellbeing and even had a positive financial impact.”
Care delivery has also improved thanks to real-time digital care notes, leading to more consistent documentation and allowing staff to spend less time on admin and more time with residents.
“The quality of record-keeping has gone up, and because it’s in real time, it reflects the care actually being given—not just what we remember at the end of a shift.”
Looking Ahead: Technology and the Future of Care
Nicola is a strong believer in the potential of technology to enhance both care delivery and resident engagement:
“We have residents FaceTiming their families and even placing their own Just Eat orders. Digital tools have brought families closer and helped us deliver truly person-centred care.”
“Technology isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about connection, confidence, and quality of life.”
With Thanks
Nicola’s time as Branch Chair has made a real and lasting difference. She has uplifted colleagues, advocated for better systems, and led by example—always with humility and warmth.
We extend our deepest thanks to Nicola for her commitment to Scottish Care and to the wider sector. We look forward to seeing what she does next—and we know she will continue to lead with purpose and heart.
Original article: https://www.pacificcare.co.uk/news-events/2025/january/2024-pacific-care-s-digital-transformation/
Video interview with Nicola on the Queen’s Nursing programme: https://youtu.be/eSmYy4VfJ4o
Last Updated on 4th July 2025 by Shanice
