Making sense of digital care: why CTRL + Care is worth a listen

One of the useful points raised in this week’s CTRL + Care podcast, hosted by Digital Care Hub’s Katie Thorn and Michelle Corrigan, was that the recent wave of digital guidance appearing on GOV.UK is not necessarily new.

It is a helpful discussion for providers trying to keep up with developments in digital care, particularly when it can be difficult to tell what has changed and what has simply moved elsewhere.

With thanks to Digital Care Hub for drawing attention to these developments, we have pulled together some of the main resources discussed and where providers can find further support.

A new home for familiar guidance

As Katie explains, resources are moving from the Digitising Social Care website to GOV.UK. The Department of Health and Social Care’s Digitising adult social care collection, published on 29 September 2026, brings together guidance that was already available alongside more recent material.

This is worth bearing in mind. Not everything appearing on GOV.UK represents a new requirement, although some wording has been updated, so providers may still want to check the guidance relevant to their services.

The collection covers four main areas:

Digital records and purchasing: Guidance on choosing and implementing digital social care records, as well as managing software and IT suppliers. It covers practical considerations such as identifying what your service needs, involving staff, understanding costs and checking contracts.

There is also separate guidance on what it means to be a ‘fully digitised’ provider, including the use of an assured digital care record and meeting Data Security and Protection Toolkit standards. Importantly, the guidance confirms that not being fully digitised will not automatically result in a lower CQC rating.

Getting the basics right: Resources covering internet connectivity, secure email, smartphones and other devices. These are some of the everyday essentials that providers need to have in place to make effective use of digital systems.

Digital skills and leadership: The collection includes the digital skills framework, digital champions guidance and the Level 5 Award in Understanding Digital Leadership. These offer useful support for providers looking to build staff confidence and develop the skills needed to introduce and manage digital technology.

Using AI responsibly: The government’s Using AI in adult social care guidance explores potential applications alongside the risks and precautions providers need to consider. One point worth highlighting is that evidence for genuinely personalised AI-generated care plans remains limited, and care staff must check them for accuracy.

The collection was also updated on 8 October with guidance on telecare and the digital switchover for housing providers, which will be relevant to services using telecare equipment or warden-call systems.

Technology needs people and investment

Another useful resource to read alongside the podcast’s discussion of PA Consulting’s work is TEC Outlook 2026: Sustaining progress, scaling impact, published by PA Consulting and the TEC Services Association in March.

The report surveyed 79 senior decision-makers across 71 adult social care organisations. It found that 78% wanted to move faster with technology-enabled care, but only 16% said their workforce had a strong understanding of its benefits.

That is quite a gap, and it highlights why introducing technology is about much more than buying new systems.

Staff need to understand how technology can help them, providers need the time and resources to introduce it properly, and there needs to be a clear idea of what difference it is making.

The report points to three priorities: building workforce confidence, making better use of information to support decisions and ensuring investment is sustainable.

For providers, it is a reminder that any investment in technology needs to come with a plan for training, implementation and assessing whether it is improving people’s care and support.

Keep Digital Care Hub on your radar

This is what makes CTRL + Care worth following. With so much information coming through, having someone explain what has changed, what has not and what it means for providers is genuinely useful.

Digital Care Hub also offers a wide range of practical support beyond the podcast, including guidance, webinars, training and regular updates on digital developments. This includes its Better Security, Better Care support, which helps providers with data protection and cyber security.

Care England works closely with Digital Care Hub, and we would encourage members to make use of the expertise and resources already available. There is a great deal of good work being done to help providers navigate digital change, and we want to make sure more people know where to find it.

Our thanks to Katie, Michelle and the wider Digital Care Hub team for their continued work supporting the sector.

If you have not listened to CTRL + Care yet, this week’s episode is a good place to start. You can visit CTRL + Care, follow the podcast on Spotify or subscribe on YouTube. You can also sign up to Digital Care Hub’s newsletter for further guidance, news and updates.