Technology is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’—it’s a powerful lever that lets us deliver safer, more personalised care while easing pressure on staff. The latest DHSC findings on adoption barriers are helpful signposts, not roadblocks. Providers who are already piloting digital tools (with support from the increased Better Care Fund allocations) are reporting reduced admin time, better outcomes, and stronger CQC feedback. At Care Circle Network we’ll continue sharing practical procurement and implementation roadmaps so every care setting can turn these opportunities into real efficiency gains and improved resident experiences.
The DHSC Survey: Clear Insight, Not Criticism
Last week the Department of Health and Social Care published the findings from its 2025 Adult Social Care Provider Technology Survey (conducted with NHS England). Based on responses from over 1,000 providers, the picture is encouraging yet practical:
- 73% of care providers are already using at least one form of care technology.
- Digital Social Care Records (DSCRs) have surged from 41% adoption in 2021 to 77–80% today.
- The most common tools delivering real value include sensor-based monitoring (43%), personal alarms (35%), and video conferencing (34%).
The top barriers are exactly what busy leaders have been telling us for years:
- Set-up costs (73%)
- Ongoing licensing costs (70%)
- Staff training and turnover (52%)
- Cyber and data security costs (41%)
- Internet connectivity (40%)
These are not insurmountable walls—they are clear priorities we can tackle together. The survey also shows that providers who have overcome them are saving thousands of administrative hours every year, freeing carers to do what they do best: build relationships and deliver exceptional care.
Better Care Fund 2026–2027: New Funding, New Momentum
Published in February, the refreshed Better Care Fund framework brings a 4.4% uplift in the NHS minimum contribution to adult social care and a renewed push for neighbourhood health integration and preventative services. This is not abstract policy—it is practical, ring-fenced support that local areas can use for:
- Joint commissioning of tech-enabled intermediate care
- Preventative digital tools that reduce hospital admissions and long-term care home placements
- Integrated neighbourhood teams where technology helps share information seamlessly between health and social care
When you combine the DHSC survey’s honest barriers with this increased funding and integration focus, the message is unmistakable: the system is moving with you, not against you.
CQC’s 2026 Regulatory Rebuild: Rewarding the Leaders Who Innovate
The Care Quality Commission is in the middle of its own ambitious rebuild for 2026—redesigning assessment frameworks, upgrading digital platforms, and piloting new technology. Providers who can demonstrate efficient, innovative practice (exactly what the survey and Better Care Fund are encouraging) will be recognised in clearer, sector-specific ratings. Technology is no longer an optional extra in CQC eyes; it is evidence of outstanding, person-centred leadership.
Real Providers, Real Results – Proof It Works
You don’t have to take our word for it. Across the country, providers who moved early are already seeing the difference:
- In Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, care homes using Digital Social Care Records report medications given on time, instant trend tracking for falls and fluids, and dramatically reduced risk of human error. One manager called it a “game changer” for up-to-date information sharing.
- PrimeCare handles 10,000 records a week with digital systems that allow rapid incident management and photo sharing—delivering safer, more accountable care.
- Home Support providers in the community say digital records have transformed monitoring accuracy, compliance, and family communication.
These are not large corporates with unlimited budgets. They are providers like yours who decided the time to act was now—and they are reaping the rewards in staff time, resident outcomes, and inspection readiness.
Your Practical Roadmap: Six Steps to Turn Barriers into Breakthroughs
Here’s a straightforward, no-nonsense plan you can start implementing this quarter:
- Map your BCF opportunities – Speak to your local Integrated Care Board or Health and Wellbeing Board about how the 4.4% uplift can support technology procurement or training. Pooled budgets often stretch further when used for shared neighbourhood solutions.
- Tackle costs strategically – Choose modular, scalable systems with predictable licensing and explore grant or framework procurement routes. Many suppliers now offer phased implementation that spreads set-up costs.
- Invest in your people – Use the 52% training/turnover barrier as your cue. Short, role-specific digital skills sessions (often free or low-cost via Skills for Care or supplier partners) combined with change-management support dramatically improve adoption and retention.
- Secure connectivity and cyber confidence – The survey flags internet and security as key issues. Work with local digital leads on broadband upgrades and choose CQC-aligned, cyber-essentials-certified platforms that handle data protection for you.
- Pilot, measure, scale – Start with one high-impact tool (e.g., digital care planning or sensor monitoring) in a single unit. Track admin hours saved, medication accuracy, and staff feedback—data that becomes powerful evidence for CQC and future funding bids.
- Join the community – You are not alone. Share learning with peers through networks like ours, attend free DHSC/DiSC webinars, and use the survey’s own recommendations (workforce upskilling, infrastructure support, and clear information on benefits) as your checklist.
The Care Circle Network Commitment
At Care Circle Network our promise remains unchanged: we cut through the noise and give you clear, actionable guidance. Over the coming weeks we will publish a full implementation series on:
- Navigating BCF funding for technology
- Choosing and integrating the right digital tools
- Training roadmaps that actually stick
- Preparing for the new CQC framework with tech evidence
We will also host a free webinar later this month where providers who have already succeeded will share their exact procurement checklists and ROI calculations.
The DHSC survey, the refreshed Better Care Fund, and CQC’s 2026 direction are not challenges—they are an invitation. An invitation for forward-thinking providers to lead the next chapter of adult social care: more efficient, more joined-up, and fundamentally more human.
You already deliver remarkable care every single day. Now you have fresh resources, fresh evidence, and fresh policy alignment to make that care even safer, more personalised, and more sustainable.
The future of technology in care is not coming—it is here, and it is yours to shape.
