Digitisation
Future-proofing social care: navigating digital transformation
Fran Kirke, VP of social care at OneAdvanced, outlines why positioning the social care sector for a sustainable future will be impossible without the use of digital transformation as a critical tool
The social care sector stands at a critical crossroads. Our growing ageing population is putting unprecedented pressure on a sector that has also suffered longstanding underfunding and changes in government policy. While the NHS is often at the front of the queue for funding, as an equally fundamental element in the national infrastructure, social care has struggled to achieve parity. Having a mutually functional relationship between the two is crucial. Social care can relieve pressure on the NHS, but the lack of capacity in the care sector also frequently leads to hospital bed blocking, overloading NHS services. The implementation of more consistent, strategic, and increased funding for the social care sector will benefit both sectors – expanding tight margins for social care while easing the demand within the NHS. One of the most pressing challenges
is the sector’s reliance on public sector contracts, which leaves providers vulnerable to changes in political direction and funding cuts. The abolition of workforce development funds and the exclusion of social care from National Insurance exemptions both highlight the need for transformed focus that ensures a social care system that is fit for purpose – and fit for the future. Meanwhile, disparate policy decisions such as restricting overseas visas for social care workers – while granting the NHS more flexible terms, have exacerbated workforce shortages in care. If social care is to survive and thrive, it should chart its own path, reducing
July 2025
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dependence on government funding, and reimagining how services are delivered. This means prioritising efficiencies to achieve greater cost effectiveness that also have the potential to support and enhance high quality service provision. A crucial part of this transformation lies in embracing innovation. Digital tools can enhance efficiency, streamline administrative processes, and improve service delivery. More importantly, technology can empower the individuals receiving care by offering greater control over their own support. Expanding the use of direct payments, for example, allows service users to decide how their funding is spent, reducing the influence of local authority commissioners and fostering a more personalised approach to care. There is also an opportunity for providers to engage more directly with communities, offering early intervention services, training for unpaid carers, and better access to information and respite care. In this context, digital transformation
A large proportion of providers still rely on manual processes
emerges as a critical tool to alleviate these challenges and position the sector for a sustainable future.
The burden of administrative tasks Administrative processes in social care are notoriously complex and time- consuming. Tasks such as invoicing, payroll management, compliance reporting, rostering, and safeguarding tracking can overwhelm care providers. A significant proportion of providers report insufficient modern technology to support their organisations, resulting in inefficiencies that strain already limited resources. Invoicing, for example, often
involves multiple payers, including local authorities, the NHS, families, and private contributions. In a single care home with 100 residents, this could mean hundreds of invoicing elements each month. Errors or delays in processing these invoices can lead to cash flow issues and increased administrative overhead, with even minor errors potentially leading to a cascade of reassessments and delayed payments. Therefore, streamlining these processes through automation could save valuable time and reduce stress on administrative teams.
Similarly, payroll management is a 35
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