This week on CTRL + Care we’re diving into two of our favourite things: robots and data. We start with a deep dive into the BBC’s recent question, “Would you trust a robot to care for you in old age?” which sends us on a tour of Japanese care robots, cultural barriers, cute designs, and why humanoid robots probably aren’t the future. Expect strong opinions about gendered machines, practical concerns for the care workforce and the eternal hope that one day a robot might finally put away the washing.In the second half of the episode, we’re joined by Kate Gore from Skills for Care to explore the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC WDS). Kate breaks down what the dataset actually is, how it works and why so many providers rely on it to track training, monitor recruitment, benchmark against local services and unlock funding. We unpack the national picture, talk about workforce shortages and highlight how ASC WDS data shapes government policy, sector strategy and day to day decision making in care.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction02:07 Would you let a robot care for you in old age?04:16 Background - Care Robots in Japan14:41 Kate Gore - Skills for Care interview on the ASC-WDS17:10 Funding Opportunities for Care Providers20:08 The Importance of Data in Social Care23:15 Integrating Digital Skills in Social Care24:06 How to Access the Adult Social Care Workforce Dataset25:06 Closing Thoughts and Future of Social CareLinks:Would you really trust a robot to care for you in old age? - BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c...Skills for Care - Adult Workforce Data Sethttps://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Adul...Access funding for training - Such as the Learning & Development Support Scheme. https://www.gov.uk/government/publica...Billboard 100 AI Musichttps://www.billboard.com/lists/ai-ar...