The social care sector is facing one of its biggest challenges yet: a workforce stretched to the limit. Demand is rising, staff numbers are falling, and the pressure is mounting on an already overburdened system. But amid the uncertainty, something powerful is emerging: technology.

Care Tech isn’t a silver bullet, but it is proving to be a serious ally in helping providers recruit, retain and support staff more effectively and, crucially, to build a more resilient and sustainable future for care.

Understanding the Workforce Challenge

The April 2025 Adult Social Care Workforce Survey paints a stark picture:

• 71% of providers say recruitment is “challenging”

• 58.5% of home care and 53.9% of residential settings are battling staff retention

• 46.1% cite low staff morale as a growing concern

At the root of this are long-standing challenges such as pay disparities and limited career progression, with 35.2% of providers reporting that staff are leaving for better-paid roles outside the sector. To make matters worse, international care worker visa grants have fallen by 84% in early 2024 with a ban on recruiting new overseas applicants coming into force this month, putting even more pressure on recruitment pipelines.

This isn’t just a staffing problem, it’s a sustainability crisis. Over a third of providers say they’re unsure they can maintain current service levels over the next six months.

The Digital Turn: Smarter Recruitment

One clear shift is the move toward digital recruitment, and it’s paying off. Care providers are finding that tech-powered tools allow them to reach the right candidates more efficiently and streamline the process from application to onboarding.

Some standout innovations include:
• Care Friends: A staff referral app that rewards employees for recommending candidates, tapping into trusted networks
• Care Character: A values-based tool that identifies people with the right mindset and attitudes for care work
• Jobtrain: A recruitment platform that automates listings, shortlisting, and onboarding with inbuilt GDPR and DBS compliance — giving providers peace of mind, greater visibility over outcomes, and return on investment
• Lily AI Recruitment: An AI-powered tool that screens applications for values alignment and suitability, helping reduce bias and increase hiring accuracy across diverse candidate pools

These platforms don’t just save time — they help providers make more informed hiring decisions, improve candidate quality, and fill vacancies faster.

Tech that Eases Pressure and Boosts Capacity

Technology isn’t just transforming how we recruit it’s making life easier for staff on the ground too. With rising demand and limited hands on deck, tools that help care teams do more with less are becoming essential.

Key innovations include:
• Digital Social Care Records (DSCRs): Now used by 75% of CQC-registered providers, these reduce paperwork and improve access to real-time information — giving staff more time to focus on care.
• Workforce management platforms: From digital rota systems to shift-matching tools, these platforms simplify scheduling, improve visibility, and reduce admin headaches for managers and frontline teams alike.
• Communication and handover tools: Secure messaging and digital logs are improving continuity of care, reducing duplication, and making sure the right information reaches the right person at the right time.

By streamlining daily tasks and improving efficiency, these solutions help reduce burnout and give care workers the breathing space they need to provide quality, person-centred care.

Supporting Retention Through Tech

Retention is just as critical as recruitment, and wellbeing plays a huge role. The 2025 Care Worker Wellbeing Survey found:

• 62% of care workers report high stress levels

• 48% face financial insecurity

• 1 in 3 have considered leaving the sector in the past year

To respond, many providers are turning to wellbeing-focused technologies that support their teams in more personalised, flexible ways:

• Wagestream: Provides staff with flexible access to earned wages, budgeting tools, and savings features - helping improve financial wellbeing and reduce money-related stress.

• Hapi:  Enables mood tracking, peer support, and access to wellbeing resources

• FlexiShift: Gives staff more control over their schedules, supporting better work-life balance

In parallel, the government’s £12 million investment in training and qualifications is helping care professionals develop new skills, especially in digital, and access clearer career pathways.

Looking Ahead: The Next Chapter of Care Tech

Care Tech is evolving fast, with promising developments on the horizon. Here’s what we can expect in the short, mid and long term:

In the near term:

• Predictive analytics to anticipate care needs and enable early intervention

• Wearable health devices to support remote monitoring and independent living

• Cultural and translation AI tools to help international recruits integrate more effectively

In the medium term:

• Virtual consultations to enable more frequent, flexible check-ins, especially in rural areas

• Integrated care platforms that connect health and social care records for improved outcomes

In the longer term:

• Driverless cars, which could revolutionise domiciliary care by removing one of its biggest barriers: the need to drive

• Robotics to assist with practical, non-human tasks like lifting, delivering medication or monitoring vitals, allowing care teams to focus on person-centred work

• Drone delivery of medication or equipment

• Smart home integration to enable remote wellbeing checks

• AI-powered scheduling to create rotas based on staff preferences, skills and client needs

Final Thoughts

Anoushka says:

“The government’s 10-Year Health Plan (Fit for the Future) aims to fully digitise adult social care, with significant investment in infrastructure, training and innovation, but success will depend on sustained funding, cross-sector collaboration and a commitment to putting people, not just processes, at the heart of care.”

Mark adds:

“The workforce crisis is real, but not insurmountable. Technology won’t solve everything, but it can empower the people who will.”

Key Takeaways

• The workforce crisis in social care is deepening, driven by recruitment, retention, and wellbeing challenges

• Care Tech is enabling faster, smarter recruitment and easing the pressure on existing staff

• Wellbeing and scheduling platforms are helping retain talent in the sector

• The future of care will blend people and tech, putting humans at the heart of innovation