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...

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

This week on CTRL + Care, Michelle and Katie break down the CQC’s latest State of Care report, what it says about AI, the NHS App, and the risk of social care being left behind. They also explore how people are turning to AI chatbots for medical advice, revealing both the promise and pitfalls of digital dependence.

To close Cyber Awareness Month, they’re joined by Kate Doodson from the Brandon Trust, who shares how her team built a culture of cyber resilience and reimagined care in the digital age. Plus, in Cyber Squirrels, it’s solar-powered fishing nets saving turtles and proving that simple tech can have a big impact.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Cyber Awareness Month and Guest Introduction

03:01 Developing a Cyber Resilience Plan

05:36 Shifting Paradigms: From Cybersecurity to Cyber Resilience

08:51 Learning from the Process: Insights and Recommendations

11:49 Practical Steps for Organizations to Enhance Cyber Resilience

14:46 Future Plans: Digital Strategy and Reimagining Care

19:00 The Future of Tech Without Men

19:45 The Dark Side of AI and Relationships

20:43 Cultural Reflections Through Music

22:44 Digital Care Insights and AI in Healthcare

32:07 AI's Role in Healthcare: Promise and Peril

36:52 Innovative Solutions for Environmental Challenges

Links

CQC State of Care Report

• The state of health care and adult social care in England 2024/25 - Care Quality Commission

• https://www.digitalcarehub.co.uk/data-and-digital-integration-still-a-challenge-says-cqc-state-of-care-report/

DeepSeek used for medical advice

• ‘DeepSeek is humane. Doctors are more like machines’: my mother’s worrying reliance on AI for health advice | Health | The Guardian

Cyber Squirrels – Tech Saves Turtles

• Solar fishing nets brighten turtles' futures, cutting entanglement by 63%!

Kate Doodson Resources

• NCSC Early Warning - NCSC.GOV.UK

• Cyber Assessment Framework - NCSC.GOV.UK

• NCSC Annual Review 2025 - NCSC.GOV.UK

This week on CTRL + Care, Michelle and Katie launch a brand-new interactive policy builder for care providers, designed to make creating and managing cyber and data protection policies simpler and more meaningful.They unpack the AWS outage that disrupted major platforms like Amazon, Lloyds and Canva, and explore what it reveals about how fragile digital infrastructure can be. Plus, they dive into the latest Skills for Care workforce data, highlighting the scale, economic impact and evolving landscape of the sector.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction00:19 Exciting Developments in Digital Care02:24 Innovative Policy Builder Tool03:23 The Future of Care Policies06:48 Enhancing Cybersecurity in Care Services07:40 Impact of Internet Outages on Health Services15:43 Skills for Care update Adult Social Care Workforce data21:04 Innovations in Delivery: Drone Delivery Service anyone?Links:Digital Care Hub Data Policy BuilderAWS Power OutageSkills for new data - Not For Data's SakeDrone food delivery

This week on CTRL + Care, Michelle and Katie are deep in conference season, sharing key takeaways from HET and the Care Show from meaningful conversations on cyber security and accessibility, to clever ways organisations are adapting AI in recruitment.

They unpack the Good Things Foundation’s new AI Gateway, fresh insights from the NHS data opt-out engagement, and the government’s latest digital planning fund for local authorities. Plus, a final call to upgrade before Windows 10 support ends.

And for Cyber Squirrels, it’s AI-written dating chats (yes, really) and 4chan’s historic fine under the new Online Safety Act.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Digital Care Updates

01:44 Conference Insights and Cybersecurity Discussions

06:28 Accessibility in Health and Social Care

07:26 AI in Recruitment and CQC Regulations

11:13 Good News: AI Gateway Launch

13:26 NHS Data Consultation Insights

19:11 Digital Planning Improvement Fund

21:31 Windows 10 Support Ending

22:17 Cyber Squirrels: Lighthearted Stories

Links:

• Good Things Foundation launches AI Gateway | UKAuthority

• Transform England - Data Saves Lives
• Digital Planning Improvement Fund
• Windows 10 end of life BBC
• Windows 10 Digital Care Hub guidance
• 4Chan Ofcom fine

• AI Chatfish Dating

This week on CTRL + Care, Michelle and Katie revisit last week’s shocking nursery cyberattack and the surprising twist that public outrage pushed the hackers to delete the stolen children’s data. They discuss the government’s new national commission on AI regulation in healthcare, the growing mental health crisis among cyber security teams, and fresh momentum from Tech UK’s relaunched social care working group. Plus, there’s new funding for digital inclusion in Scotland and an NHS consultation shaping the future of data sharing in care. And for Cyber Squirrels, it’s spreadsheets, e-sports, and 40 years of Microsoft Excel!

Timestamps:

00:00 Digital Care Updates and Events

01:59 A cyber-hack silver lining

05:52 AI Regulation in Healthcare

09:40 Mental Health in Cybersecurity

15:24 Tech UK Health and Care Summit Insights

18:00 Digital Inclusion Fund for Scotland

19:43 NHS England Consultation on Information Governance

21:31 Cyber Squirrels: Excel's 40th Birthday

Links:

• Hackers say they have deleted children's pictures and data after nursery attack backlash - BBC
• National Commission into the regulation of AI in healthcare
• Why burnout is a growing problem in cyber-security
• Tech UK health and care programme
• Connecting Scotland Digital Inclusion Fund - GOV-UK Find a grant

• Questionnaire - Priorities for Information Governance (IG) guidance
• Microsoft Celebrates 40 years of Excel!

This week on CTRL + Care, Michelle and Katie unpack a troubling cyberattack on a UK nursery that saw children’s personal data stolen and parents targeted directly, and what it says about the changing “rules” of cybercrime. They explore the surge in mobile payments and the risks of leaving cash behind, Labour’s ambitious plan for an online NHS hospital by 2027, and the government’s latest move towards a national digital ID. Plus, there’s a vital consultation on the future health and care workforce you won’t want to miss. And for Cyber Squirrels, it’s pigeons, reinforcement learning, and how one bird-brained military project helped shape modern AI.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Control Plus Care

02:07 Children's Data Hack

07:13 The Rise of Mobile Payments

13:24 NHS Online Hospital Services

19:17 Digital ID Scheme and Its Implications

23:39 Consultation on Workforce Planning

24:40 Cyber Squirrel Segment: Pigeons and AI

Links:

• Children's names, pictures and addresses stolen in nursery hack - BBC News
• Half of UK adults now pay on mobile - data shows - BBC News
• New online NHS hospital service by 2027, PM to promise - BBC News
• New Digital ID to be rolled out
• 10 Year Workforce Plan - GOV.UK
• Cyber Squirrels – Pigeon Reinforcement training

This week on CTRL + Care, Michelle & Katie dig into a new report on automation in health and care, from robotic process automation to AI, and what it could really mean for productivity, safety, andstaff buy-in. They explore Camden Council’s bold experiment with AI-enabled participatory democracy, Liverpool City Region’s work on digital inclusion, and Ireland’s long-term data modelling for nursing home capacity. And for Cyber Squirrels, it’s Star Trek made real… live translation sunglasses that sound a lot like the Babel Fish.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Control Plus Care

02:30 The Impact of Automation in Healthcare

11:30 Participatory Democracy in Health and Social Care

16:59 Tackling Digital Poverty in Liverpool

20:41 Insights from Nursing Homes Ireland Conference

26:50 Cyber Squirrels: Innovations in Language Translation Technology

Links from this episode:Operation Automation report (Re:State)http://bit.ly/4mxMcKoCamden Council – Participatory Democracy in Health & Carehttp://bit.ly/46I5EOF and http://bit.ly/46Ey7EW

• What is participatory democracy: http://bit.ly/4nHpDUC

• Nursing Homes Ireland Insight Report: http://bit.ly/42Q2JCi

Liverpool City Region – Digital Inclusionhttp://bit.ly/4nOkie4Ireland – Long-term Care Projectionshttp://bit.ly/4gMLKqACyber Squirrels - Live Translation Glasseshttp://bit.ly/3VCQ9T5