VODG Helps Launch Landmark Digital Excellence Framework For Social Care

08 Oct 2026

New Report Sets Out A Blueprint For Digital Excellence In Working-Age Adult Social Care

VODG is proud to have helped develop a landmark new sector-led report that sets out a vision for what digital excellence should look like in working-age adult social care. Produced through a collaboration between the Digital Excellence in Care (DEC) group, Care England, Digital Care Hub and VODG, the report brings together providers, people drawing on support, families, technology partners and sector leaders to create a shared roadmap for the future.

The report argues that digital transformation in social care must go beyond simply replacing paper records. Instead, technology should help people exercise greater choice and control, support a more empowered workforce, reduce duplication, improve information sharing, and provide stronger evidence of outcomes and impact.

At its heart is a clear message: technology should serve people, not the other way around. The report is built around principles including person-centred design, interoperability, co-production, privacy and a focus on outcomes that improve people's lives.

Developed specifically for working-age adult services, the framework explores how digital technology can support eight key areas of provider activity, including support for people and families, workforce management, commissioning, finance, quality improvement, estates and regulatory assurance. It also introduces a practical Data Maturity Model to help organisations understand where they are now and identify priorities for future development.

A key theme throughout the report is the need for greater interoperability and collaboration across the social care ecosystem. The framework calls for providers, commissioners, suppliers, regulators and national bodies to work together to reduce fragmentation, strengthen data sharing, and create the conditions needed for a more connected and person-led approach to care.