Certa at The Care Show London 2025: Innovation, insight and the future of care

Two weeks ago, CACI’s Certa team attended one of the largest celebrations of the care sector, The Care Show London 2025. The event brought together care providers, tech innovators and policymakers to explore the future of social care. The use of AI, both good and bad, was one of the hot topics of the event, along with a . This blog takes a closer look at the key topics we found most interesting at the Care Show London 2025.

Generative AI in social care: the Oxford initiative of the responsible use of AI in social care and onwards

This thought-provoking session by Daniel Casson (Digital Transformation Advisor at Casson Consulting), Katie Thorn (Project Lead at Digital Care Hub), and Dr. Caroline Green (Early Careers Research Fellow at the Institute for Ethics in AI, University of Oxford), delved into the pros, cons and ethical considerations of introducing AI into social care. Much of their talk centred on the use of large language models (LLMs) and concerns with how their use fits in with the values of person-centred care.

To combat this, the talk covered how The Digital Care Hub will soon release official guidance on the responsible use of AI in care settings. This included examining why technology suppliers need to pledge their commitment to creating ethical, collaborative solutions that genuinely serve the care community.

A point that was stressed at the Care Show London 2025 was the need for close alignment with the CQC and the Department of Health and Social Care, to ensure AI is applied responsibly. Dr. Caroline Green gave a memorable analogy to explain AI’s predictive nature: if someone goes to the pub every Thursday, eventually their phone might suggest a message like, “Going down the pub, will be back late,” highlighting how AI learns through pattern recognition, not understanding.

Daniel Carson rounded off the session by urging AI developers to consider both the care workforce and the care recipient, ensuring AI meets the needs of all stakeholders.

Outstanding at home: transforming quality in domiciliary care

This session at the Care Show London 2025 from Caroline Cosh (Director at The OS & Clifton Home Care), Rob Hargreaves (Information Service Manager at Skills For Care) and Patricia Conteh (Head of Clinical Services at Prestige Nursing & Care), focused on how to raise standards in home-based care. A particular emphasis of the talk was on how businesses can achieve an ‘outstanding’ rating from the CQC.

Key actionable takeaways for home care providers included:

• Maintaining clear evidence logs
• Capturing positive client feedback
• Demonstrating strong safeguarding practices
• Providing robust documentation and audit trails
• Preparing for both service-led and leadership-focused inspections

It was a valuable reminder that proactive, well-documented and values-driven care is essential for both compliance and excellence in a domiciliary setting.

A regulatory lens: CQC’s forward focus unveiled at Care Show London 2025

Another standout moment from the Care Show London 2025 was the keynote from James Bullion CBE (Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integrated Care) at the CQC. His update provided a long-awaited look into the regulatory landscape shaping the future of care.

Bullion acknowledged the backlog of inspections, stressed that the number of inspections is increasing and structural changes are on the horizon. “We’re underway with more inspections, we’re dealing with backlogs and we’re about to make some structural changes in the organisation,” he said, signalling a proactive shift in CQC’s approach, with further announcements expected this summer.

He emphasised the shared responsibility between providers and the regulator, noting: “It is in our joint interest for there to be a strong regulator that works effectively so that we can show the public and the government that care is good.”

A major focus for the CQC going forward includes a reshaped leadership structure to bring back sector-specific expertise. The appointment of Sir Julian Hartley as CEO in December, followed by Dr. Arun Chopra as Chief Inspector of Mental Health, marks the beginning of this leadership refresh. New chief inspectors will be responsible for overseeing inspection programmes, enabling faster, more informed decision making.

This update was particularly relevant given the increasing intersection between regulation, technology and person-centred care. This was a recurring theme throughout the event. For providers, the message was clear: being prepared, transparent and responsive to evolving expectations will be key to delivering quality care and achieving compliance in the years ahead.

Final thoughts on the Care Show London 2025

The Care Show London offered a vital glimpse into where social care is heading, from the use of ethical AI and performance enhancing platforms to best-in-class home care delivery. As a team, CACI left feeling inspired by the people and ideas driving innovation across the sector.

“With Certa, we’re committed to supporting the transformation of home care companies through tools that empower teams, streamline care processes and improve outcomes for everyone involved. Attending The Care Show reinforced just how vital innovation is to the future of care. We’re proud to be part of that journey.” Greg Ayles, Director, Certa