Fiona Hale, managing director of CoolCare, explains the critical importance of making operational decisions based on real-time data
If the last decade in social care was defined by endurance, 2026 is fast becoming the year defined by precision. Faced with rising operational costs, increased National Insurance contributions and the mounting demands of an evolving CQC framework, care providers are operating with far narrower margins for error.
The sector is responding with smarter systems and sharper insight. In 2025, around 80 per cent of CQC-registered adult social care providers in the UK have digitalised their care records, marking a major shift towards real-time, data-led management. But having digital systems is just the beginning. The real progress comes when those systems are used to drive live operational insight — and with it, better outcomes across every corner of the business.
Care homes have moved decisively from static reporting to real-time insight. The focus is no longer just on gathering data, it is on using it in the moment. For staffing, finance, occupancy, and compliance, live data is helping care homes respond faster, perform better, and build greater resilience into their day-to-day operations.
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