Local authorities face growing demand and shrinking budgets in adult social care. But by using digital care technology solutions to generate real-time insight, councils can deliver earlier interventions, improve outcomes, and reduce long-term costs, says Robert Turnbull, care technology lead at PA Consulting.
Councils are under pressure to deliver better social care outcomes with fewer resources. Just to meet demand and rising provider costs would need an extra £3.4bn by 2028/29. In June 2025 the Health Foundation found that these pressures are resulting in people going without the care they need and placing added demands on unpaid carers, local authority budgets and the NHS.
One way councils are responding is by turning to a new generation of digital care technology solutions. These offer a compelling promise: rich person-centred insight that drives smarter decisions, enables earlier interventions, and ultimately reduces demand.
In the 2025 annual Senior Leaders in Adult Social Care TEC (Technology Enabled Care) Survey, eight out of 10 councils agreed that using insight from digital care technology solutions represents the long-term future of care and want to focus on supporting and accelerating this development now. Yet despite the growing evidence that it can cut costs and improve services, many councils struggle to realise the benefits. The critical question is: what steps do they need to take to unlock its full potential?
The answer is to lead with purpose, embed insight into practice, and measure what matters.
Lead with Purpose, Not Products
Councils that succeed start with a clear purpose. They define the outcomes they want, such as delaying residential care, improving quality of life, or right-sizing support, and align every decision to that goal. Technology becomes the enabler, not the driver.
Too often, the focus is on the technology, not the outcome. The result? Disconnected pilots, underused platforms, and missed opportunities.
Case Study: Kent County Council
Kent County Council had a clear purpose; they wanted to improve the effectiveness of their reviews process. They wanted to enable practitioners to make faster, smarter decisions about the right level of care. This shaped every decision, from rapid deployment and co-designed service models to tailored reporting and workforce engagement.
As a result, 80% of residents supported through the service maintained their independence while remaining at home. By tailoring support more precisely to individual needs, the council also achieved £443,000 in financial benefit through more appropriate and timely care planning. Access to this data has improved the accuracy of practitioner decisions by 15%, giving greater confidence that care plans reflect what people truly need to stay safe and independent.
Build Habits, Not Dashboards
Insight only matters if it changes behaviour. The real value of care technology lies in enabling practitioners to make smarter, faster decisions, whether assessing long-term needs, right-sizing packages, or identifying early signs of decline.
Take Catherine, who lived with dementia and alcohol dependency. She was often found outside, cold and confused. But when her social worker and psychiatrist accessed insight from her care technology solution, they adjusted her medication. Her condition stabilised, allowing her to remain safely at home, avoiding a £27,000 residential placement.
This wasn’t just about the technology. It worked because the workforce had the confidence and training to interpret and act on the insight. The councils making progress are those that have invested in digital confidence and embedded insight into everyday practice.
Catherine’s story is not a one-off success, it’s a model for how insight, when embedded in practice, can transform lives when purpose led. It shows that changing practitioner behaviour is most effective when there is already a strong understanding of how care technology can support better outcomes for people. In many councils, this awareness is still being developed. In these cases, attempts to change ways of working, based on insights from digital care technology, are far less likely to succeed. These councils should prioritise building awareness first.
Measure What Matters, and Share It
To build belief and secure long-term investment, councils must demonstrate the impact of investing in insight from digital care technology. That means tracking outcomes, not just inputs.
Are we reducing care costs? Delaying residential placements? Improving independence and wellbeing?
The TEC sector has a role to play in sharing evidence but appears reluctant to do so, but councils can’t wait for them. They must develop local data, combine it with real-world stories, and create feedback loops to refine and scale what works, just as councils such as Kent are doing.
Scale What Works, Share What Matters
In a system under pressure, where every decision carries weight and every pound must stretch further, using data and insight from digital care technology solutions can’t be another promise that underdelivers. It must be purposeful, embedded, and trusted. Directors of Adult Social Care have the opportunity, and responsibility, to lead with clarity, invest in culture, and scale what works.
For more case studies and examples of AI-based solutions check out: 10 Ways Councils Are Using AI to Transform Public Services.
