Social Care Reform: Assistive Technology and the Future of Care 

At the Labour Party Conference 2026, Andy Burnham set out his ambition for a National Care Service. Built on the principles of the NHS, the system would be one where care is free at the point of use rather than limited to those who can pay. The Prime Minister also emphasised the need for reform to go beyond the question of funding to ask what the future of care should look like. Part of the answer to that question must be accessible and assistive technology (ATech). 

Designing for independence 

ATech helps people to live independently for longer. When used to preserve autonomy, it can reduce reliance on care staff while enabling people to thrive in their own homes. Technology can support independence in areas such as: 

• Self-Care and Daily Living: automated medication dispensers, orientation clocks to support routines, and adaptive kitchen aids for preparing and eating food. 
• Mobility and Safety: personal alarms, fall detectors, and remote monitoring to preserve independence whilst alerting carers when urgent help is required.  
• Cognitive Function: digital reminders, smart speakers or customised tablet applications to support those with memory loss or learning disabilities to plan and execute everyday tasks. 
• Communication: speech-generation devices, screen readers, and text-to-speech software to enable those with speech or sensory impairments to interact with others and express themselves freely. 

ATech can change the relationship between the cared-for and the carer. Traditional practice often focusses on doing tasks for people. If more people were supported to use ATech, they would be able to do more for themselves. Their care could therefore be better targeted and better delivered. 

Building a care technology workforce 

Technology already plays its part in the care sector. In July 2026 the Government introduced the role of Care Technologist within the Care Workforce Pathway for Adult Social Care. Care Technologist will:  

• Identify and install appropriate technology for a person’s needs. 
• Support people and their families to use technology confidently. 
• Provide follow-ups as needs change and alter technology options. 
• Support care workers to use technology to complement their role. 
• Deliver technology across social care, health and commissioning. 

The emergence of this role is a response to a well-recognised challenge. ATech often fails when purchased for users to figure out on their own. To ensure success, ongoing training, support, and maintenance may be required. The care technologist role does not replace traditional care but complements it. These workers will become the bridge between people who draw on care and those providing it by supporting the implementation of the best ATech for the best outcomes. 

Care Technologists should be treated as a fundamental building block in a new approach to care. The National Care Service proposal provides a huge opportunity to develop technological practices into social care. Not every care worker will need to become a technology specialist, but every care worker should have the confidence to understand where ATech may benefit their client. If technology is to transform care, we need to invest not only in the technology itself, but also in the people, skills and infrastructure needed to make it work. 

Building assistive technology into the care system 

There is a huge range of ATech available to support the delivery of care and the promotion of independent living. The challenge lies in securing the right technology for the right person, and at the right time. This is where change is needed to support successful delivery of ATech in care. To do so properly within social care, we must: 

• Provide information to commissioners to understand what packages can be provided.  
• Create training and skills development opportunities for care workers. 
• Redesign care assessments to include the consideration of ATech. 
• Improve procurement processes to purchase ATech. 
• Provide the public with access to advice when thinking about or using ATech. 

The National Care Service proposal provides the opportunity to bring all these reforms together into one service instead of treating ATech as a specialist intervention.  

Assistive technology does not need to wait 

A National Care Service could become one of the most significant reforms in a generation, but innovating care does not need to wait for its creation. Work has already begun across local government, education, care providers, and the technology sector to embed ATech into practice. The Adult Social Care Digital Framework was created to support this work. The framework is a guide which supports care providers and local authorities to implement digital technology safely into practice to support quality, efficiency, and outcomes of care for adults. The work done today will determine what the future of care looks like. For innovation to be successful, ATech must be treated as foundational and not just an optional add-on.  

Policy Connect’s work has demonstrated the potential of what ATech in practice can achieve. Our commission into Smarter Homes and Independent Living found how smart-home technology can give people greater control over their homes and promote independence. More recently our ATech Skills for Adult Social Care commission demonstrated the importance of embedding technology into care practice. This report recommended: 

• The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) should embed ATech in the adult social care career pathway.  
• The DHSC’s funding for upskilling the social care workforce should include ATech as a priority. 
• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) should reform adult skills funding to remove barriers to the provision of ATech learning opportunities. 
• Combined and Strategic Authorities should develop regional adult social care workforce strategies. 
• In line with the recommendations of the Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care in England, the sector should enhance the Digitising Social Care directory of digital skills training opportunities. 
• ATech skills should be required as part of social care service design to increase incentive for employers and individuals to invest in training. 
• ATech skills development should be included in qualifying training and Certified Professional Development for the adult social care sector. 

Now, we must build on this momentum by expanding opportunities to train as a Care Technologist and equipping all care professionals with the skills and confidence to use ATech and abilities to procure the right technology for the right care. People who provide care and those who receive it must be at the heart of product development, ensuring that technology is accessible, easy to understand, and can be used to its full potential. Care cannot be redesigned successfully just by designing a new system. Instead, care reform must combine human support with technology to promote a person’s autonomy. 

The Government’s Social Care reforms have started the conversation about the future of care, and the sector has already begun to embrace digital practices. However, for reform to be successful, we must demonstrate the importance of ATech within care to promote independent living.