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Two in five adult social care providers using remote-monitoring technology
Miles Mudzviti
March 31, 2025
Social care—and the wider health and care landscape—is evolving fast. A big part of this shift comes from new technologies that are reshaping how care is delivered.
The DGTL Care newsletter brings you the most important news and trends in social care—think of it as your favorite artist’s mixtape, packed with the best and most relevant insights in a format that’s easy to digest.
We do the heavy lifting, sifting through countless content pieces to handpick the most valuable, informative, and practical updates. Our goal? To give you a high-level overview of what’s happening right now in digital care.
We’re committed to building this space as a hub for exploring how technology is driving real change in care delivery. We want to keep you ahead of the latest innovations shaping the sector.
Hope you enjoy this edition! We’d love to hear your thoughts—feel free to share any feedback or suggestions. Get in touch at [email protected]
AI systems are revolutionizing how families care for elderly individuals, particularly those with dementia. By monitoring daily activities, these technologies are allowing caregivers to maintain independence while reducing the burden on care systems.
Nottingham and Medway councils report significant cost savings and improved care efficiency through such AI implementations.
Economists say remote-monitoring technology could save the NHS £1.2bn by 2035, by enabling earlier discharges from hospital and spotting health problems before they require hospital treatment. Across the country, at least two in five adult social care providers are now using these systems to enable care staff to monitor elderly and vulnerable people remotely.
However, experts caution against over-reliance on technology, emphasizing the need for human connection in caregiving.
Read more at The Independent
Lack of a coherent professional identity and unaccredited training hampering adult social care
The multinational professional services firm KPMG has emphasized the urgent need for structured learning solutions in adult social care to empower the workforce.
In a report, the firm says the lack of a coherent professional identity and unaccredited training is hampering the sector's ability to deliver personalized care. The report comments on the sector’s ability to attract, retain and reward the best workers, highlighting that jobs in the sector are largely misunderstood by the public at large – and the people in these jobs are overstretched.
With technology reconfiguring the way we work (and learn), the social care workforce needs to be up to speed with its digital skills in the same way it is with other, more traditional elements of caregiving, it added.
The firm says that a comprehensive learning framework can address these challenges and improve care quality.
CYP Now explores ethical implications of responsible AI use in social work
At the Safeguarding Children in the Digital Age conference, experts discussed the responsible use of AI in social work. Tools like Magic Notes are streamlining administrative tasks, allowing social workers to focus on client interactions. However, ethical challenges such as privacy, consent, and algorithmic bias remain key challenges requiring sufficient guard rails to be implemented.
Read more at CYP Now (registration required)
Staying on AI, the latest AI in Social Care Summit hosted by the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford, saw various stakeholders discuss use cases, opportunities and challenges.
Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State for Care shared the mission from analogue to digital as well as the move from hospital to the community. Over the past three years, digital adoption has doubled, with 84% of people benefiting from personalised care plans. The transition from analogue to digital includes AI-driven sensor technology for fall prevention, facial recognition for pain detection, and AI tools for care assessments.
Discussions included using predictive analytics to prevent falls and understanding hospital admission patterns, with a need for better data analysis based on demographics. Sensor-based technology was identified as a way to support care workers by detecting behavioral changes and intervening earlier in a less intrusive manner.
Councils Innovate with AI in Children’s Services
Local councils are increasingly adopting AI to improve children's services. North Yorkshire Council's AI project aims to reduce administrative burdens, while Halton Borough Council's digital front door enhances accessibility.
The UK's AI Opportunities Action Plan, unveiled on 13 January 2025 urges the public sector to rapidly pilot and scale AI products and services. There is clearly a growing commitment within the public sector to integrating technology for better service delivery, and we can expect significant levels of activity in AI implementation within public sector over the next 12 months.
Collaboration among councils will be key to sharing best practices.
Read more at CYP Now
Thank you for reading! We’d love to hear your thoughts on these developments, and of course, any feedback and suggestions! Cheers.
Best regards,
Miles
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