Seven in ten homecare agencies are already using AI

The sector didn't wait

The story everyone tells is that AI is coming to homecare. The data says it already arrived. Seven in ten UK agencies are using AI today, and most adopted it before 2025, without waiting for policy guidance or regulatory clarity.

That changes the question. It's no longer whether the sector will use AI. It's whether the sector knows what it's already doing with it, and whether the rules can catch up.

This report answers the first half. It's the first study to look specifically at AI adoption, outcomes and governance in UK domiciliary care.

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What the research found

Three findings shape the report.

Adoption has already happened. 70% of agencies use AI now, and that figure is heading to 85% within a year. The most common tool is ChatGPT, used by 63% of AI-using agencies.

Agencies adopted it to improve care, not cut costs. When we asked why, 62% said improving care quality, ahead of saving staff time or reducing costs. Among agencies re-inspected by the CQC since adopting AI, 59% saw their rating improve. None saw it decline.

Governance hasn't kept pace. A third of AI users have nothing written down about how they use it. Around half of all agencies are running care planning and risk assessment through consumer tools that were never built for care, with no audit trail for inspection. And the smallest agencies are being left behind: 15% of those with fewer than 20 care recipients use AI, against roughly 80% of the largest providers.

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Why it matters now

The rules are being written as you read this

The CQC published its first general guidance on AI in May 2026. Sector-specific frameworks for social care are in consultation now. 59% of agencies told us clear CQC guidance is the single thing that would give them most confidence to adopt or expand their use of AI.

The providers already using AI well are best placed to shape what those frameworks look like. The ones without governance in place will be the most exposed when they land. This report sets out where the sector stands, what good looks like, and how to build a framework before the rules are final.

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What you'll take away

• A clear picture of how widely AI is being used in UK homecare, and by whom
• The evidence on what AI is doing for care quality and CQC outcomes
• Where the governance gaps are, and what they expose agencies to
• What the coming CQC frameworks could mean for providers of every size
• A practical view of where the sector is heading over the next two years

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Who it's for

Written for the people running care

Whether you own an agency, manage a service, or lead on quality and compliance, this report gives you the data to make decisions about AI with your eyes open: what your peers are doing, what's working, and what to put in place before the regulator catches up.

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Based on a survey of 122 UK homecare providers carried out by Birdie in spring 2026. Figures cited reflect responses from that sample.

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