Module 1 of 2 · 45 minutes
What CQC expects when AI is used in care
By the end of this module you will be able to
- Describe the main uses of AI in adult social care
- State that CQC assesses AI through existing regulations
- List what CQC expects of providers using AI
- Check an AI drafted care record
- Explain why unapproved tools must not be used for care information
Work through it
1 interactive for this module, built on the WAJD Teach engine. Nothing moves until you ask it to, and every one has a written version if you would rather read it.
Watch: Emma and George talk it through
3 minutes. Captions are on, and the same conversation is written out in full below. The voices are computer generated.
Emma George, our care home's new records system writes the notes for you. You say a few words and out comes a paragraph. Is that allowed?
George It's allowed. Whether it's safe depends on what you do next. Let me set out where AI turns up in care first. There's guidance for providers from the Digital Care Hub, published in 2025 and commissioned by NHS England's Digitising Social Care programme.
Emma What does it cover?
George Two families. In care delivery, tools that estimate pain from a person's face, and sensors that detect movement, sound or a fall. And in administration, software that drafts notes and plans, writes rotas, summarises documents.
Emma And what does it recommend?
George Good data going in, secure and ethical use, human oversight, and training. It even includes a template AI policy.
Emma What about CQC? Do they have rules on this?
George They published their first statement on 21 May 2026. The central point is that there's no separate AI rulebook. They look at AI through the existing regulations. Safe care and treatment, Regulation 12. And good governance, Regulation 17.
Emma So using AI won't mark us down.
George Not in itself. How it's governed, checked and explained is what counts. A service using a tool nobody understands is worse off than one using no tool.
Emma What do they actually expect?
George Six things, in summary. AI supports human decisions and doesn't replace them. Trained staff check what it produces. People are told and given a choice, with an alternative that doesn't depend on it.
Emma That's three.
George It's safe, reliable and fair for everyone. It's secure and lawful with data. And it's governed. Staff trained, a data protection impact assessment done, and a clear way to report when something goes wrong. Read the statement itself for the exact wording.
Emma Back to my notes. What can go wrong with a drafted one?
George It reads well and it may be wrong. It can add something usual that didn't happen. Ate well, when she left most of it. It can leave out something that did happen. Or change a detail.
Emma So what do I check?
George Four things before you save. Medicines. Falls and injuries. Food and fluids. And what the person said or chose. Then ask what happened that isn't there.
Emma And if I'm on a home visit and use an app on my own phone?
George Don't, unless your employer has approved it. A tool you chose isn't covered by their data protection arrangements, and care information is special category data. The strongest protection in law.
Emma I think some of the team already do.
George Then they should tell the manager straight away, and the manager should make it easy to. A care record is evidence of what happened to a person. If you wouldn't have written that sentence yourself, don't save it.
The written material
Where AI turns up in care
Guidance for care providers published in 2025 by the Digital Care Hub, commissioned by NHS England's Digitising Social Care programme, describes two broad families of use. In care delivery: tools that estimate pain from a person's face, and sensors that detect movement, sound or a fall. In administration: software that drafts care notes and plans, writes rotas, summarises documents and helps with audits.
The guidance recommends good quality data going in, secure and ethical use, human oversight, and training for the workforce. It also includes a template AI policy for providers.
No separate rulebook
On 21 May 2026 the Care Quality Commission published Artificial intelligence in health and social care: CQC's role, expectations and plans. Its central point is that there is no separate AI framework. AI is looked at through the existing regulations and fundamental standards, with safe care and treatment, Regulation 12, and good governance, Regulation 17, the most relevant.
Using AI does not in itself decide what an inspector concludes. How it is governed, checked and explained does. A service using a tool nobody understands is in a worse position than one using no tool at all.
What CQC expects
In summary, the statement expects six things. AI supports human decisions and does not replace them. Trained staff monitor and evaluate what it produces. People are told about the part AI plays in their care and have a choice, with an alternative that does not depend on it. It is safe, reliable and gives fair results for everyone. It is secure and complies with data protection law. And there is governance: staff are trained, a data protection impact assessment has been done, and there is a clear way to report when something goes wrong. Read the statement itself for the full wording.
- Supports human decisions, never replaces them
- Checked by trained staff
- People told, and given a choice
- Safe, reliable and fair
- Secure, and lawful with data
- Governed: training, impact assessment, incident reporting
Checking a drafted record, and unapproved tools
Care planning software can draft a note from a few words or from speech. It reads well and it may be wrong. It can add something usual that did not happen, such as 'ate well', leave out something that did, or change a detail. Before you save, check four things: medicines, falls and injuries, food and fluids, and what the person said or chose. Then ask what happened that is not there.
Do not use an AI app you chose yourself for anything about a person you support. It is not covered by your employer's data protection arrangements, and health and care information is special category data with the strongest protection in law. If you have already done it, tell your manager straight away.
Knowledge check
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