What does it actually take to make AI work in a care setting?

In this episode of AI in Social Care, I sit down with Kevin Humphrys, CEO of Oakland Care Group – a two-home provider that’s quietly doing some of the most thoughtful, practical AI implementation I’ve seen.

No outsourced transformation project. No shiny tools for the sake of it. Just a leadership team willing to start with principles, and adjust the plan as they go.

Here’s what stood out:

– They didn’t wait to have it all figured out. They started with 5 rules.

– Staff now build their own AI agents – including senior care staff. Not because they were “techy”, but because they saw the value.

– Care planning went from 4 hours to 20 minutes – with better oversight, not less.

– They spotted bias the hard way – and built systems to catch it next time.

– Most importantly: they’re not using AI to cut corners. They’re using it to give staff time back.

If you're in a care leadership role and feel like you're already behind on AI, you're not. But the gap will grow quickly in 2026 – and this episode shows what it looks like to start where you are, with what you’ve got.

Resources

Kevin's Gen AI Governance template: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Yx6CSQe5y0bAuNWx9Ong7mOxdeZXm_U6/view?usp=drive_link

📄 Free starter resources at frankcaremarketing.com

#AIinCare #CareSector #SocialCareLeadership #CarePlanning #SocialCareTech

What happens when a care provider builds their own AI – not in a lab, but in the real world of rotas, staff sickness, and visit chaos?

In this episode of AI in Social Care, I speak with Jonathan McFarlane, founder of Oran Care and now the creator of carevisits.AI – a new solution designed to help home care services tackle one of their biggest operational headaches: coordination.

Jonathan shares his journey from music therapy and dementia care to building tech tools. Now, with a sharp focus on visit planning and routing, his team is developing AI to solve the kind of problems that only someone who’s been in the trenches would recognise.

– Why care coordination is more complex than people think

– Why the user decides how to measure success

– How to approach optimising systems (way before getting AI involved)

– Why experience in care matters more than clever code

If you’ve ever felt the pain of last-minute rota changes, weekend on-call stress, or trying to make sense of three systems that don’t talk to each other, this one’s for you.

Check out carevisits.ai

🔗 Find free resources on getting started with AI in care at frankcaremarketing.com

David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mance/

Jonathan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-mcfarlane-a9b0325a/

#SocialCare #AIinCare #HomeCare #CareTech #DigitalCare #CareCoordination #AI #FrankCareMarketing #CareVisitsAI #HealthTech #CareSector

What happens when a care provider builds their own AI – not in a lab, but in the real world of rotas, staff sickness, and visit chaos?

In this episode of AI in Social Care, I speak with Jonathan McFarlane, founder of Oran Care and now the creator of carevisits.AI – a new solution designed to help home care services tackle one of their biggest operational headaches: coordination.

Jonathan shares his journey from music therapy and dementia care to building tech tools. Now, with a sharp focus on visit planning and routing, his team is developing AI to solve the kind of problems that only someone who’s been in the trenches would recognise.

Why care coordination is more complex than people think

Why the user decides how to measure success

How to approach optimising systems (way before getting AI involved)

Why experience in care matters more than clever code

If you’ve ever felt the pain of last-minute rota changes, weekend on-call stress, or trying to make sense of three systems that don’t talk to each other, this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here: link below

🔗 Find free resources on getting started with AI in care at frankcaremarketing.com

#SocialCare #AIinCare #HomeCare #CareTech #DigitalCare #CareCoordination #AI #FrankCareMarketing #CareVisitsAI #HealthTech #CareSector

Everyone’s excited about AI, but few are actually getting it adopted by frontline workers.

In this episode, I’m joined by Rachel Astall, Chief Customer Officer at Beam, creators of Magic Notes — an AI tool now used by half of all social care teams in UK local authorities.

We talk about why social workers are often drowning in admin, how Magic Notes is helping to change that, and what it takes to make a tech rollout actually stick.

We cover:

🔸 How tools like Magic Notes are helping some workers stay in jobs they were about to leave

🔸 What it takes to build trust and tech habits in care teams

🔸 The role of training, templates, and culture in successful adoption

🔸 Why AI in social care is about more than just efficiency – it’s about connection, consent, and quality of care

If you're in adult social care, commissioning, or working with digital adoption in frontline services, this is an episode worth your time.

Where on earth do you start with adopting AI as a care provider? Studies show that if your leadership team isn’t using AI and talking about it knowledgeably, the rest of your organisation is far less likely to adopt it in a meaningful, effective way.

In this episode I’m joined by Eric Bye, an AI consultant who works across sectors to help organisations use AI to not just be more efficient, but to amplify their own unique points of difference.

We talk about the importance of a clear AI policy, privacy concerns, and Eric also shares how he likely saved his partner's life with ChatGPT. We also hear about Eric's experiences from community projects and offers perspectives on the future of AI capabilities.

Eric's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericqbye/

Eric's website: http://www.erictronai.com/

MyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mance/

Download '5 easy ways to get started with AI': https://free.frankcaremarketing.com/5-simple-ways-to-get-started-with-ai-in-social-care

00:00 Introduction to AI Adoption in Care

00:17 Meet Eric: AI Consultant Extraordinaire

00:54 Eric's Journey in AI and Tech

04:15 Leadership Workshops and Training

05:17 AI in Various Sectors

06:16 Leadership Mindsets and AI

09:21 Building a Foundation of AI Knowledge

12:46 Encouraging AI Experimentation

15:45 Effective AI Leadership

19:02 Creating and Implementing AI Policies

21:49 Balancing Quick Wins and Long-Term AI Goals

23:01 Brainstorming AI Integration in Workflows

23:33 Aligning AI with Customer Experience

24:21 Implementing AI Projects Quickly

25:35 Data Privacy and Governance in AI

28:35 AI in Healthcare: Challenges and Opportunities

33:47 AI for Community Support and Education

40:46 Future of AI: Task Automation and Integration

46:44 AI Thought Leaders and Resources

What's the point of AI if it doesn't solve big problems?

Marcus is a mathematician on a mission. He quit investment banking to found Elyndra AI, a platform doing amazing things for children's care.

In this episode of AI in Social Care, we cover:

• The best way to reinvent care isn't through tech – we need a Netflix documentary
• From trading floors to children's homes – turning data analysis on proper problems
• How Shadow AI is already in your care service – and how to fix that before it does harm
• Some fascinating and original work in reimagining recruitment for complex care
• Approaching tech procurement as a great door opener to discussions within a business – and one warning sign to look out for from vendors

Marcus is an original thinker that the sector is lucky to have IMHO.

Do your ears a favour and listen to this one.

🎧 Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, and Amazon Music.

Like, comment, and subscribe for more honest, human-first conversations about the future of care.

#aiinsocialcare #childrenscare #caretech #shadowAI #carecrisis

01:10 Reinventing Care with a Netflix documentary

03:19 Human stories that build empathy

06:07 Marcus’ path: maths, finance, family care homes

09:03 AI and Data in Care Management

14:53 AI is nothing without an expert to make sense of it

16:01 Pitfalls and ‘shadow AI’ in care

18:01 Introducing Elyndra and Its Impact

21:00 Smarter referrals and safer matching

24:01 Challenges in Introducing New Systems

25:04 Building Trust with Providers

28:13 The Importance of Information Sharing

30:16 Personal Motivation and Vision

32:20 Expanding Horizons: Future Plans

34:01 Specialised Recruitment in Complex Care

40:22 Practical Steps for Implementing AI in Care

44:06 Final Thoughts

What if your next brilliant care hire never even makes it past the CV stage?

That’s the question we’re exploring in this episode of AI in Social Care — with guest Elan James Weedon (aka EJ), co-founder of Team Lily.

EJ’s journey takes him from the West End stage to the heart of care sector recruitment. And along the way, he’s developed an AI voice assistant designed to fix one of the oldest problems in hiring: we judge too soon, based on too little information.

We cover:

– The difference between someone who’s clicking to apply and someone who really wants the job

– Why traditional recruitment filters out some of the best people

– How voice AI can help spot soft skills and values you’d never get from a form

– And what happens when a candidate has all the right traits… but still gets overlooked

You’ll also hear a live demo of Lily — the AI assistant that holds short, human-sounding conversations with applicants, helping care providers listen better, earlier.

If we say we hire on values, but filter by forms… what are we really doing?

Download the FREE guide: 5 Ways to Get Started with AI in Care: https://free.frankcaremarketing.com/5-simple-ways-to-get-started-with-ai-in-social-care

Book a FREE AI & Automation Consulting Call: https://book.frankcaremarketing.com/free-consultation

My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mance

Team Lily website: https://www.teamlily.ai/

EJ's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elan-james-weedon/

What if AI sparked deeper human connections rather than replacing them? Join David Mance as he talks with Alyson McKechnie-Vale, Business and Operations Director at Abbotsford Care, about using AI in innovative and practical ways to enhance creativity and make care more human.

Alyson shares practical applications of using ChatGPT (or, rather, 'Gina'), and the impact of creative projects like 'Joy Boards' and 'Share It' on staff and residents.

Learn about the importance of fostering a culture of curiosity, engaging staff in AI literacy, and creating meaningful connections through storytelling and art. Alyson is one of the good 'uns, and listening to her will inspire and encourage you.

00:28 Alyson's Journey at Abbotsford Care

02:39 The Role of AI in Allison's Work

05:06 Creative Projects with AI

10:22 Fostering a Positive Culture

14:07 The Joy Boards Project

19:25 AI Literacy and Ethical Use

22:33 AI as a Learning Equaliser

24:20 Reducing Administrative Burden in the Care Sector

25:24 Collaborating with an AI and Data Visualisation Expert

28:58 The Share It Project

38:54 Hive Mind: Creative Networking in Social Care

42:44 Concluding Thoughts and Fresh Perspectives

Download the FREE guide: 5 Ways to Get Started with AI in Care: https://free.frankcaremarketing.com/5-simple-ways-to-get-started-with-ai-in-social-care

Book a FREE AI & Automation Consulting Call: https://book.frankcaremarketing.com/free-consultation

My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mance

Alyson's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alysonmckechnievale

Carl Roberts, Director of Sales & Marketing at Boutique Care Homes, shares how he introduced AI into a small, busy care team. Carl shares how this has transformed the way they tell stories, engage communities, and stay consistent online.

From crafting heartfelt Facebook posts to building a custom GPT trained in their brand tone, Carl breaks down:

– The “AI Sandwich” model for ethical, efficient content

– Why better prompts mean less server energy (and better ESG)

– How he trained lifestyle leads and CRMs to use AI safely

Whether you're a CEO, home manager or comms lead, this episode gives you a grounded, step-by-step path into AI – without jargon, without hype.

Download the FREE guide: 5 Ways to Get Started with AI in Social Care: https://free.frankcaremarketing.com/5-simple-ways-to-get-started-with-ai-in-social-care

Book a FREE AI & Automation Consulting Call: https://book.frankcaremarketing.com/free-consultation

My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mance

Find Carl at https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlphilliproberts 

What if the most radical AI innovation in care… was coming from your local council?

In this episode of AI in Social Care, David Mance speaks with Dwayne Johnson (no, not that one) — Chief Local Government Director at ICS.AI — about the pivotal role councils are playing in the UK’s AI revolution.

From transcription tools that draft care notes, to multilingual voice agents that detect distress and route support in real time (we even take that one for a test drive) — we explore how ICS.AI is helping councils like Derby City Council to:

– Halve documentation time for social workers

– Use “AI copilots” to support faster, smarter decisions

– Deliver early intervention through proactive systems

– Save millions while improving care quality

Watch or listen now – link in comments.

Are councils ahead of the curve on AI? We’d love to hear what you think!

#aiinsocialcare #socialcareinnovation #localgovai #counciltech #caretransformation