Where technology solutions can help address challenges in CQC State of the Sector report

The Care Quality Commission’s State of Health Care and Adult Social Care in England 2024/25 report paints a familiar but urgent picture of a sector under immense strain. Rising demand, financial pressures, and workforce shortages continue to define the adult social care landscape, but this year’s report also highlights growing optimism about the role of technology in transforming the system.

From predictive analytics to digital care planning, technology is no longer a peripheral consideration: it is central to how adult social care can meet the challenges ahead. The question is no longer if digital solutions can help, but how quickly they can be scaled, integrated, and made accessible across a fragmented system.

A workforce on the edge

The CQC reports that workforce shortages remain one of the sector’s greatest vulnerabilities. Vacancy rates in adult social care stand at around 7%, rising to 10% in homecare, far above the wider UK labour market. High turnover, administrative burdens, and limited career progression continue to drive staff away.

Digital solutions can play a vital role in changing this. Workforce management platforms can streamline scheduling, reduce paperwork, and distribute caseloads more evenly. E-learning and simulation-based training tools, particularly those focused on dementia and complex care, can help staff build skills flexibly and confidently. Predictive workforce modelling can also support local authorities in anticipating staffing needs, improving planning and retention.

Technology alone cannot solve low pay or poor working conditions, but it can reduce burnout, improve morale, and help staff focus on what matters most, delivering care.

Tackling homecare delays and capacity gaps

The report warns that too many people are waiting too long for homecare and reablement support. This not only undermines independence but also contributes to hospital discharge delays.

Technology offers scalable solutions here too. Route optimisation software can cut down travel time between visits, while digital coordination platforms can link neighbourhood-based care teams, voluntary services, and community health providers. Assistive technologies, from telecare and wearables to ambient home monitoring, can support independence and reduce demand for in-person visits.

Used intelligently, these tools could significantly expand homecare capacity and create the integrated ‘neighbourhood care’ models that the Government and CQC envisions.

Integration and data

One of the CQC’s clearest messages is that the system remains too fragmented. Health, social care, and community services often operate in silos, which limits continuity and slows response times.

The answer lies in interoperability and data integration. Shared care records can ensure professionals across sectors see the same, up-to-date information. AI-driven analytics can predict risk, identifying individuals at a higher likelihood of falls, hospital admission, or isolation before a crisis occurs. Population health dashboards can map community-level data to support preventative planning.

However, this requires sustained investment in high-quality, standardised data and a cultural shift towards open collaboration and digital confidence across the sector.

Supporting unpaid carers and families

Unpaid carers remain the backbone of adult social care, yet many experience digital exclusion and limited communication with care providers. Digital tools can empower them through carer-facing apps that provide real-time updates, care plan access, and direct messaging with professionals.

Virtual assistants and AI chatbots can help manage medication schedules and appointments, while tailored training programmes can increase carers’ digital literacy. This kind of inclusion is essential if technology is to improve care for everyone, not just those in formal settings.

Ensuring quality, safety, and accountability

As the CQC notes, quality assurance must evolve in tandem with digital transformation. AI-enabled dashboards can flag early warning signs such as missed visits or infection clusters, while electronic records ensure accuracy and traceability. Predictive risk software can help local authorities and providers act before small issues escalate.

Combined with leadership that values transparency, these technologies can create a safer, more responsive care system.

The CQC’s latest report is clear: adult social care cannot continue to operate as it has. But amid the challenges, there is also opportunity. With the right investment, regulation, and training, technology can help unlock a future where care is not just reactive but preventative, not just recorded but understood.

Digital innovation will not replace human compassion; it will enable it. By giving time back to carers, connecting services, and predicting needs before crisis, technology can help rebuild a system that works for everyone.

Lewis Stewart

Programme Manager ‑ Health and Social Care, techUK

Lewis brings a multidisciplinary background spanning health policy, stakeholder engagement, digital innovation, and elite sport. A former Commonwealth Games champion, he draws on the resilience, adaptability, and team-driven mindset gained through years of high-performance competition.

Before joining techUK, Lewis supported a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons, where he led on constituency engagement and produced evidence-based research to inform debates, committee work, and policy advocacy. He has also helped shape youth wellbeing policy through the Youth Sport Trust, collaborating with government, education, and grassroots networks to drive impact.

Lewis has played key roles in health tech and mobility startups, helping to bring innovative solutions to market and improve user experience in complex systems. With a degree in Biochemistry and Pharmacology, he combines analytical thinking with a passion for evidence-led, people-centred change.

Email:: [email protected]

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