In this week’s CTRL + Care, Michelle and Katie are back with another round-up of digital and social care news and a few surprises along the way.

Michelle shares jaw-dropping findings from new NHS research on clinical safety standards for health tech, sparking a conversation about what social care can learn as digital systems evolve. The duo also dig into the state of Integrated Care Systems, short-term funding in social care tech, and the risks of “pilotitis.”

But it’s not all serious talk Katie brings a heartwarming story about AI preventing falls, and the pair end on a lighter note with silver influencers, Gamer Granny, and the Collins Dictionary’s Word of the Year: “vibe coding.”

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to CTRL + Care

01:08 Stress Awareness Week

02:37 Digital Health Technologies and NHS Standards

08:41 Integrated Care Systems: Current State and Challenges

12:51 Funding Challenges in Social Care Technology

17:55 Proactive Care: AI in Preventing Falls

19:41 Call to action - tech survey in Bath & Somerset

21:15 Cyber Squirrels: Lighthearted News Stories

Links

• Stress Awareness Week
• Digital Health Technology Compliance With Clinical Safety Standards In the National Health Service in England
• The Integrated Care Systems 24/25
• Half of ICS Leaders Say Lack of Social Care Support is Blocking
• Is It Time to Rethink Funding for Social Care Technology
• Norfolk County Council uses AI to flag people at risk of falling
• Council seeks residents’ views on how technology can improve adult social care services

Cyber Squirrels

• The Silver Influencers Taking TikTok and Instagram by Storm
• Collins’ Word of the Year 2025: AI meets authenticity as society shifts - Collins Dictionary Language Blog