Knowledge Articles
Beyond reporting: How care providers can turn data into better decisions
Iain Corrigan, Commercial Director at CoolCare, argues that having more information does not necessarily make it easier to understand how a care home is performing or where improvements need to be made.
The leaders who get AI right are the ones that do the job first
Kehan Zhou, Group Chief Executive Officer at Person Centred Software, believes that getting AI right simply starts with leaders understanding the jobs their technology is designed to support.
The hidden reason why care providers’ marketing underperforms
Kay Mumford, Founder of Splice of Lime, explains why splitting website development, branding and marketing across different suppliers is quietly costing care providers enquiries.
The three metrics that drive care home financial sustainability
Nikki Taggerty, Head of Sales at Syncurio, identifies what is driving care providers’ costs, and the three metrics that measure financial sustainability.
How to Manage Care Home Staff Rotas at Christmas
Fiona Hale, Managing Director at CoolCare, shares practical strategies to manage the festive rota effectively, drawing on proactive planning, transparent communication and using data-led digital tools to support flexibility and resilience.
From enforcement to evolution: Turning regulatory crisis into organisational change
Scott McMurray, Director at Delphi Care Solutions, explains why receiving an enforcement notice does not have to signal a steep decline within a service. On the contrary, it can trigger a positive transformation.
From insight to action: The benefits of real-time decision making for care providers using data
In care home management, how you use your data can be the difference between reacting to a problem and preventing it, as Iain Corrigan, Commercial Director at CoolCare, explains.
Blending heart and technology: Where Scandinavia leads and the UK can follow
Lars M. Saether, Chief Executive Officer at Care Safety Innovations (CSI), explores how the UK homecare sector’s integration of digital tools into care delivery can keep pace with the Scandinavian model.
How care home administrative software can transform holiday scheduling
Balancing staffing needs against holiday requests, seasonal absences and the added demands that come with the festivities can be a challenge. Here, Iain Corrigan, Commercial Director at CoolCare, provides a solution to transform your holiday scheduling.
Combining rostering with care management for operational efficiency
Sam Hussain, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Log my Care, explores how care providers can use connected systems to create better outcomes for people drawing on care and support and those supporting them.
Enhancing hygiene in care settings: Understanding the role of commercial laundry equipment in combating infection
Wolf Laundry delves into key aspects of laundry hygiene, including the adherence to HTM 01-04 guidelines, and the effectiveness of thermal and chemical disinfection methods, including the use of ozone technology.
The data driven approach: Innovating care home management
Although digital transformation is not new to care businesses, many care homes are still on the journey to fully leveraging the benefits of digital systems, explains care home software provider, CoolCare.
Values-based recruitment in social care: Transforming the workforce for better outcomes
Make lasting appointments to your workforce with the help of Social Care People, who stress the importance of incorporating values-based recruitment strategies to address vacancies in your business.
Helping to improve residents’ experiences of social care
Ensuring people are provided with high-quality care that results in positive experiences is essential, says Person Centred Software.
It’s important to understand that people in care have individual needs and preferences.
CMM – The Training Edit
Welcome to CMM: The Training Edit, produced exclusively for the Care Show 2023. In this supplement, we bring you advice, tips and updates from some of the sector’s leaders working in the industry.
Using digital tools to build a stronger business
Fiona Hale, Managing Director at CoolCare, explains how care providers must alter their mindset and use digital tools if they are to build stronger care businesses.
CMM – The Finance Edit
Welcome to CMM: The Finance Edit, produced exclusively for UK Care Week 2023. In this supplement, we bring you advice, tips and updates from some of the sector’s biggest names in business.
How to Choose a Digital System Care Home: Why Now is the Time for Care Providers to Go Digital
As part of a national transformation, the UK Health and Social Care Secretary has set a government target to have 80% of all registered care providers adopt a digital social care records platform by March 2024
How to Make Your Care Home Digital: The Power of Digital Transformation
Last Updated on November 21, 2025 Fiona Hale, Managing Director of CoolCare, outlines the key benefits of using administration software in care settings and shares data highlighting what the impact been for providers in relation to time and cost. As the social care sector collectively braces for the possibility of Read the full article…
The future of social care – Why the sector needs radical change to survive
Last Updated on October 21, 2025 Lindsay Rees, Head of Social Care Content at Quality Compliance Systems (QCS), believes there must be a radical change in adult social care for the sector to survive and thrive. Here, Lindsay outlines three key areas of the sector that must be prioritised as Read the full article…
Which English Test Is Required for UK Skilled Worker and Care Worker Visas?
Last Updated on October 1, 2026 With more providers looking overseas for staff, Skills for English has summed up everything you need to know about how proficient your employees need to be in the English language. If you are wondering which English test is required for UK Skilled Worker visa Read the full article…
CMM – The Recruitment Edit
Last Updated on March 2, 2023 CMM is pleased to bring you The Recruitment Edit. In this supplement, we bring you advice, tips and updates from some of the sector’s biggest names in recruitment and retention. For years, we have faced a constant barrage of news and data that shows Read the full article…
Supporting workforce development
Last Updated on November 21, 2025 The demands on the care workforce have changed in recent years and formal qualifications now play an essential role in supporting workforce development and wider skills development. In this article, Dr Philippa Waterhouse, Senior Lecturer in Health and Social Care at The Open University, Read the full article…
Understanding the link between multi-sensory impairment and dementia
Is there a link between age-related vision and hearing impairment and dementia? Jackie Pool, a Dementia Care Champion of QCS, updates on the SENSE-Cog project led by Professor Iracema Leroi.
Why the PSTN switch-off is a game changer for care homes
The way social care providers will be communicating in the future is changing. Jon Anderton, Managing Director of Cambridge Telecom, an Independent Telecoms consultancy, explains the benefits of digital communications solutions.
NCF: Our five Tests for Creating a Fair Price for Care
Last Updated on March 22, 2022 We welcome the Government’s vision for a fair price for care in the white paper, ‘Putting People at the Heart of Care’, and the further detail in the subsequent ministerial statement, ‘The Fair Cost of Care and Market Sustainability Fund: Purpose and Conditions for Read the full article…
Cyber security: Readying yourself for potential increased threats
There is general heightened awareness of the threat of cyber-attacks in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and care providers are not immune to the potential for disruption. Daniel Casson, Care England’s Digital Transformation Adviser, gives instruction on how providers can protect themselves and their data.
Achieving gender equality in the care sector
Last Updated on October 21, 2025 In recognition of International Women’s Day, Lucy Campbell, CEO at Right at Home UK, shares how the organisation has successfully created opportunities for women to reach senior roles, details the importance of attracting more men to work in care, and explains why men must Read the full article…
What to look out for in 2022
In this article, QCS identifies and previews the issues predicted to have the greatest impact on the adult social care sector in 2022. From updated regulatory requirements to ongoing challenges relating to vaccination and workforce shortages, they share advice and recommendations to enable providers to put their best foot forwards.
Caring for the carers
Last Updated on June 14, 2022 Kate Field of BSI, the British Standards Institution, explains how we can better protect the wellbeing of adult social care workers. The importance of employee wellbeing in the care sector has never been more critical. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, media attention Read the full article…
What changes will Liberty Protection Safeguards bring and how can services best prepare for them?
Winterbourne View, Whorlton Hall and, most recently, Cawston Park Hospital have highlighted failures in England’s social care system. They also expose shortcomings in how deprivation of liberty safeguards, or DoLS as they are known, are applied.
How COVID-19 redefined the relationship between the care sector and its insurers
Specialist care sector insurer Markel UK has published a White Paper examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the care sector, the response from the insurance sector and how it will shape the future. Here, Wendy Cotton, Social Welfare Line Manager at Markel UK, examines the findings.
What social care providers should take away from the new CQC strategy
In the first of two articles, Quality Compliance Systems (QCS), a leading provider of content, guidance and standards for the social care sector, spoke to Ed Watkinson, a former CQC inspector, to explore, examine and demystify the four key themes that make up the new CQC strategy.
What social care providers should take away from the CQC’s new strategy – Part two
In the second of two articles on the CQC’s new strategy, Ed Watkinson reviews ‘Safety through learning’ and ‘Accelerating improvement’.
Hybrid Care – Keeping data secure whilst empowering residents with digital transformation
How can care organisations ensure that their data is secure? Switchshop, tells us more. Over the last year, the pandemic has propelled the care sector into digital transformation in a way that could not have expected.
Ten years on from ‘Winterbourne View’, what has changed?
Nikki Walker and Philippa Shirtcliffe of Quality Compliance Systems (QCS) reflect on the Winterbourne abuse scandal and interview frontline workers, policy makers and charities to determine how much progress has been made to combat failings in the sector.
What a joined-up health and social care system means for the future of care
The more joined up the different elements of care, the more likely everyone is to achieve the best outcomes. Jonathan Papworth, Person Centred Software, reports on plans for more integration
How will the social care sector be funded in the future?
In the first of a series of ‘Knowledge’ pieces, Philippa Shirtcliffe, Head of Care Quality at Quality Compliance Systems (QCS), focuses on the future of funding and asks if the current organisational model works.
Q&A with Christine Asbury. Innovation and technology
If technology and innovation are implemented correctly, they can take person-centred care to new levels. Here, Christine Asbury, talks about the growing role of innovation in the sector, and why instilling a culture of creativity in a service is a crucial first step.
How to reduce staff sickness and increase retention
Jayne Ellis, Chief Executive of EF Training and expert on compassion fatigue explains why proactive, emotional health and safety training is so effective in reducing staff sickness and increasing retention.
How will the coronavirus pandemic change volunteering?
With last month marking Volunteering Week, in this article, QCS, explores the challenges faced by volunteer organisations during the crisis and asks industry thought-leaders to predict the future of volunteering.
Petty cash in care homes: A better way
COVID-19 has made the job of handling care home finances even harder. Soldo have spoken with care homes to find out the challenges and explore spend management solutions.
How to produce advance care plans in a COVID-19 lockdown
With deaths in care homes making headlines, how can providers ensure they are supporting people to make advance care plans? Leah Cooke from QCS explains.
Benefits of a connected social care sector
Under the shroud of COVID-19, the benefits of a connected social care sector are easily seen. Duncan Levey explains why keeping in touch is more important than ever.
How to Achieve Outstanding CQC Rating in the Well-Led Category
QCS focus exclusively on the Well-led question, how to achieve Outstanding in this category and the key lines of enquiry (KLOEs) that underpin it.
This is home: Resident wellbeing in action
Unilever Food Solutions recently held a knowledge-sharing day looking at the impact good planning around meals can have on people’s health and wellbeing.
Launch of Road Worlds for Seniors
Last Updated on October 3, 2019 This week saw the launch of the Road Worlds for Seniors at Cherry Garth care home in Buckinghamshire. Coinciding with the Road World Championships – an annual worldwide championships for bicycle road racing, organised by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) – the Senior Road Read the full article…
Festival of wellbeing of care workers
Let’s celebrate all that is good about people who work in care with the second Professional Care Workers’ Day on 4th September.
Get up to speed on regulations without slowing down
In the care homes sector, it can sometimes feel like not a month goes past without some new piece of legislation being published. But help is at hand.
Social Value in Care: What It Is and How It Can Help Your Business
For any care provider bidding for contracts from local authorities or other public sector organisations, social value is, or at least should be, an important consideration.
How to Complete Audits in a Care Home: The Never-Ending Audit Trail
Compliance in your care home or home care agency is of vital importance. Here Bill Watson from Insequa explores the essentials of audits.
The benefits of genealogical research in the care sector
Here, Fraser and Fraser explore the importance of genealogical research to the care sector and discuss the benefits it can bring.
Tender moments: Social care tender writing hints and tips
If you have the task of writing a bid to win a local authority contract for social care, there are things you should know before you start.
CQC changes beginning to bite
With twelve months now for the changes and additions to the Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs) to be implemented, Insequa Ltd review the patterns emerging and offer suggestions for remediation.
How easy is digitalisation in social care?
With the ageing population, funding crisis and staff shortages, the care sector is desperate for efficiency and quality aids. Digitalisation is an important avenue for social care to explore.
Cats, dogs and CQC registration
Neil Grant and Michael Curtis QC reflect on the Care Quality Commission’s imminent proposal to widen the definition of a registered provider to include parent companies and management companies.
The benefits of carpet in care homes
Carpet may not be suitable for all locations in a care facility, but it can have a key role in creating a therapeutic environment for residents, staff and visitors.
Looking for a new role in social care?
Here are some tips from Lee Biggins, Founder and Managing Director of CV-Library on how to write a good cover letter for your next role in social care.