AI Adoption Gathers Pace Across Social Care But Providers Call For Greater Support
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already being used across social care services, but providers need greater regulatory clarity, training and financial support to ensure the technology is introduced safely and in a way that remains focused on people receiving care, according to new research published by Care England.
The research, AI has arrived in social care services but more needs to be done to support providers with adoption, examined the experiences of care leaders and the barriers they face when introducing AI into their services.
The qualitative study, carried out by Dr Caroline Emmer De Albuquerque Green of the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford, alongside representatives from Serene Care, the Digital Care Hub and Care England, involved a survey of 26 care leaders and interviews with a further 20.
The researchers found that the majority of respondents were already using AI, with applications ranging from care planning and administration to medication management and AI-enabled falls prevention technology. Some providers, however, reported little or no current use of AI.
According to the study, most respondents considered their organisations to be fully digitised, while the majority of those using AI said they were doing so on a daily basis.
Examples of current applications included full-service management and recruitment, drafting care plans, analysing care notes, medication management and the use of AI-enabled sensors to help prevent falls.
However, the research found that adoption is developing faster than the support and governance arrangements surrounding it.
Calls for greater regulatory clarity
The lack of clarity over AI governance was identified by respondents as the biggest challenge to successful adoption.
Although many providers had introduced their own policies and internal governance arrangements, respondents said they did not feel sufficiently supported or empowered by regulators and commissioners.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has recently set out its role in ensuring that AI contributes to safe, person-centred and equitable care. However, the Care England research said providers remain uncertain about how the regulatory approach will operate in practice, including how inspectors will be trained and how decisions relating to AI will be made.
The concerns come as the Government has also published new guidance on the use of AI in adult social care.
The Department of Health and Social Care said AI technologies are already being used in areas including sensor-based monitoring, chatbots, facial recognition, data collection and analytics, care planning and administrative functions.
Its guidance highlights the potential for AI to support both preventative and responsive care, while stressing the importance of safe and responsible implementation.
AI could create additional administrative work
While AI is intended in part to reduce workloads, the Care England research found that its introduction can also create new administrative responsibilities.
Respondents said AI-generated outputs need to be checked for accuracy, bias, discrimination and completeness. Concerns were also raised about data privacy and the possibility of sensitive information being leaked.
Some providers said these concerns had been a significant factor in limiting their adoption of AI.
There were also concerns that excessive reliance on AI could undermine person-centred care, particularly if staff become overly dependent on automatically generated information or standardised digital options.
The study found that some leaders were concerned that important information could be missed and that the “human touch” could be lost.
It also suggested that the introduction of AI could increase the workload of managers, who may need to check staff outputs and provide additional training to ensure that technology is being used appropriately.
Training and cost remain barriers
A further issue identified by the research was the lack of formal training.
Most respondents said they had received no formal training on how to adopt AI and wanted greater access to training, as well as better technical support from technology providers.
Time and cost were also identified as barriers, with providers saying they did not necessarily have the resources to explore, test and evaluate different AI products.
Some respondents expressed concerns about expensive or unreliable products being marketed to care providers, while affordability was also highlighted as a factor influencing adoption.
The research also raised concerns about the potential impact of AI on the care workforce and the commissioning of services.
Some respondents feared that commissioners could seek to reduce costs by replacing elements of human care with technology, rather than using AI to support care professionals.
Concerns were also raised about providers becoming locked into lengthy contracts with technology companies, potentially making it difficult to change suppliers or discontinue products that did not work effectively within a particular service.
Human-centred approach urged
Care England said the future development of AI in social care must remain focused on outcomes for people receiving care and the staff delivering it.
The research calls on the Casey Commission, which is examining the future of adult social care in England, to consider the power relationships between providers, commissioners, regulators and technology companies as AI becomes more widely adopted.
It also calls for a more consistent, transparent and collaborative approach from commissioners and regulators.
The researchers argue that providers need greater support to translate regulatory expectations into day-to-day practice, particularly given the individual needs of people receiving care and the practical pressures facing frontline services.
They are also calling for funding for AI and digital training, alongside clearer guidance about which training meets regulatory expectations.
The report concludes that if providers are expected to introduce AI-enabled technologies, they must be given the resources and support necessary to train their staff appropriately.
The study is intended as an initial assessment of the issue, with Care England stating that a more comprehensive report, incorporating the interviews undertaken with care leaders, is expected later this year.
The findings come as the Government seeks to accelerate digital transformation across adult social care, with its new guidance covering AI alongside digital social care records, digital skills, digital leadership and the selection of technology suppliers.
For care providers, the emerging picture is therefore not simply one of whether AI should be adopted, but how it can be introduced while maintaining professional judgement, safeguarding personal data and ensuring that technology supports rather than replaces the human relationships at the heart of care.
