January 21st 2026
Digital innovation in adult social care is no longer about isolated pilots or optional “digital transformation” projects. A growing set of national policies — across adult social care, the NHS and wider government — is now shaping expectations about how data, technology and artificial intelligence (AI) should support care.
This shift reflects a wider government ambition. The government’s digital roadmap, Our roadmap for modern digital government, positions digital innovation as central to modern public services — not as a specialist function, but as core infrastructure for safety, quality, productivity and trust. Adult social care is increasingly part of that picture.
As part of our Digital Care in Focus series, we explore how current policy developments are influencing the conditions for digital and data innovation in adult social care.
Information and tech standards: the conditions for innovation
Data is not simply information to be collected, but an enabler of innovation — from better decision-making to new digital tools.
The government’s ambition is for every adult social care provider to be fully digitised — using an assured digital social care record solution and meeting required data security standards — by the end of this Parliament. This goes beyond replacing paper. It lays the foundations for information sharing, analytics and innovation across health and care.
One of the most significant shifts is the move from voluntary guidance to clearer national expectations. The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced powers to mandate information standards across health and adult social care. Consistent data is now seen as essential not only for integration and safety, but for scalable digital innovation.
The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 further reshapes the legal framework for how data can be accessed, shared and reused across public services, including adult social care. By clarifying when and how data can be reused to support care, safety and planning, the Act creates more certainty for innovation — particularly where data is used to improve services or support new digital approaches.
Through the Digitising Social Care programme, work is under way to develop consistent definitions and data standards. These standards will help systems “speak the same language”, which is a precondition for innovation that relies on interoperable data rather than bespoke workarounds.
The programme is also developing minimum standards for care technologies. This matters for innovation. Clear expectations about safety, interoperability and usability help providers adopt new technologies with confidence — and signal to suppliers what “good” looks like in adult social care.
For providers, this is not just about compliance. Information standards underpin innovation by strengthening the case for interoperable systems, data portability and clearer expectations of technology suppliers. They support the principle that information should move with people — rather than being repeatedly re-entered or reinterpreted as they move through services.
Digital social care records: foundations for innovation
Digital social care records are increasingly recognised as core infrastructure for innovation, not just record-keeping tools. They provide the structured, consistent data needed for information sharing, analytics and AI-enabled tools.
Interoperability remains one of the biggest barriers to innovation. The Digitising Social Care programme is now turning to this challenge more directly. Building on work such as GP Connect and national data standards, there are plans to develop a national interoperability infrastructure that connects digital care records with NHS systems.
This future infrastructure — often referred to as the Social Care Interoperability Platform — is intended to reduce the need for hundreds of individual system-to-system connections. Instead, it aims to support innovation by allowing information to be shared once, securely and consistently, using agreed standards.
For frontline staff and managers, this means access to more complete and up-to-date information. For the system, it creates the foundations for data-enabled innovation, from improved care coordination to more sophisticated use of analytics across health and care.
AI, analytics and transparency
Policy on artificial intelligence is moving quickly, with a clear emphasis on supporting innovation while maintaining public trust. This aligns with the government’s wider approach to AI in public services and business.
The Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS) reflects this direction of travel. While it is not mandatory for most adult social care providers, it signals an expectation that AI-enabled tools should not be invisible or unchallengeable, especially where they affect people’s lives.
AI tools are already being used in adult social care in practical ways — for example, summarising records, identifying patterns or flagging potential risks. When implemented well, these tools can reduce administrative burden and support earlier intervention. Policy signals suggest that this kind of responsible, transparent innovation will increasingly be encouraged, provided professional judgement and relationships remain central.
Cyber security as a foundation for innovation and trust
All digital innovation depends on trust. Cyber resilience is now firmly positioned as a foundation for safe, connected public services, explicitly including adult social care and the wider supply chain.
The government’s Cyber Action Plan signals a step change in how cyber security is treated across public services. For adult social care, this creates both opportunities and pressures. More consistent cyber standards across health, care and local government should make data sharing safer and more resilient — supporting innovation that depends on shared digital infrastructure.
At the same time, providers are likely to face rising expectations to manage cyber risk, even where digital capacity and resources are limited. From our own work, we know that care providers are increasingly aware of cyber risks. The challenge is how to remain vigilant as attacks become more sophisticated — without cyber security becoming a barrier to innovation.
Connecting the dots
Taken together, these policies point to a more connected, data-enabled care system in which digital innovation is no longer peripheral to adult social care, but central to how it is expected to operate.
The challenge now is ensuring that innovation is shaped around care, not just technology. The opportunity is that adult social care has a stronger policy foothold than ever before to influence how digital and data innovation supports people, the workforce and communities.
Find out more about our Digital Care in Focus series
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Photo by Thomas Kelley on Unsplash
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