TSA calls for technology enabled care to be built into a future National Care Service - Casey Commission

1​0 November 2026

TSA interim briefing calls for technology enabled care to be built into a future National Care Service

An interim briefing for the Casey Commission recommends fairer access to TEC, stronger care workforce capability and a more consistent approach to commissioning and prevention.

The TEC Services Association (TSA) is calling for technology enabled care (TEC) to become a routine part of adult social care, in a new interim briefing prepared for the Casey Commission.

Published in November 2026, The Role of Technology Enabled Care in a National Care Service sets out proposals to help people remain independent, make earlier support more widely available and improve how technology is used alongside skilled care services.

The briefing highlights how more than two million people across the UK are supported by TEC, enabling better outcomes and more effective use of scarce resources.

While there are many examples of good practice, access and consistency remain a postcode lottery, it says. TSA’s submission calls for TEC to be considered routinely when people are assessed for care, when care plans are developed and when services are reviewed.

The introduction of a National Care Service offers an ideal opportunity for a step change in how TEC is used, it says, ensuring it is an integral part of care models rather than a bolt on.

The briefing was introduced at TSA’s Advancements in Technology event in Bolton on Tuesday 10 November. It draws on an independent evidence review by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), a Theory of Change developed with Colligo Labs and engagement with local authorities, providers and other sector stakeholders.

It urges the Casey Commission to recommend a national expectation of fair access, alongside a commissioning approach based on outcomes for people and the effectiveness of whole services.

The recommendations also cover workforce training, better national information about where TEC is used, and investment to help local authorities and their partners move towards more proactive and preventative support. In the longer term, TSA wants funding arrangements that better recognise how the costs and benefits of prevention are shared across health and social care.

The briefing recognises that the strongest evidence currently relates to outcomes such as independence, safety, reassurance and the conditions needed for effective implementation. It also identifies gaps in the longer-term economic evidence and calls for more consistent evaluation as services develop.

The briefing has been developed as part of TSA’s National Sector Support Group (NSSG), a three-year programme funded by seven leading TEC organisations: Alcove, Access Group, Careium, Chiptech, Legrand Care, Taking Care and Tunstall Healthcare. The partners have come together to support work that benefits the wider sector, including stronger independent evidence, clearer messaging and practical guidance on service design and commissioning. A fuller report, including further economic analysis and sector data, is planned for March 2027.

“Technology enabled care already helps millions of people, but access to good support still depends too much on where someone lives and who they speak to. We want the Casey Commission to make TEC a routine consideration in assessment and care planning, with skilled people and clear arrangements for responding when someone’s needs change. That would help more people get the right support earlier.”
-​ Alyson Scurfield OBE - Chief Executive, TSA

TSA’s key asks...

For the Casey Commission to recommend…

• Fairer access to TEC – Everyone should have the same opportunity to benefit from TEC, regardless of where they live.
• Making TEC a routine consideration – TEC should be considered during care assessments, care planning and decisions about support.
• Measuring what matters – Judge TEC on outcomes for people and care services, not just financial savings.

Action from government to…

• Make TEC a core workforce skill – Ensure care professionals understand when and how TEC can help, while also supporting unpaid carers.
• Make TEC visible in national data – Collect consistent information about who receives TEC, how it is used and what outcomes it delivers.
• Invest in service transformation – Help councils and providers redesign care services around prevention, rather than simply buying more technology.

Longer term changes…

• Share the costs and benefits of prevention – Reform funding so that organisations investing in prevention can share in the benefits, even when savings occur elsewhere in health or social care.

The briefing continues the work of TSA’s National Sector Support Group programme, which is supporting work on sector messaging, independent evidence, an updated Blueprint for proactive and preventative care and a national commissioning guide. A fuller report, including further economic analysis and sector data, is planned for March 2027.

Download the full briefing here