Imosphere was proud to take the stage at the prestigious Health and Social Data and Policy Workshop, hosted by King's College London on June 9-10 2025. The event brought together leaders and innovators from across the adult social care (ASC) sector – including the Director General for Adult Social Care, Michelle Dyson – to explore the future of care in England and beyond.

Laura McIntyre, Imosphere’s Lead Product Manager, delivered a compelling presentation titled “Smarter data and standardisation: Shaping adult social care for the future.” In this article we will explore details of Laura's session, focused on how a national standardised care needs assessment can act as the foundation for more equitable, efficient, and future-ready care.

Before AI, we need better data

As the sector looks to AI and advanced analytics to drive transformation, one thing is clear: these technologies are only as effective as the data behind them. Without standardised assessments, adult social care will continue to face fragmented data, postcode lotteries, and inefficiencies that undermine both equity and insight.

Standardisation is the foundation for AI readiness – ensuring the data we feed into these tools is consistent, high quality, and truly reflective of people’s needs.

Imosphere’s vision for standardisation

Our presentation outlined how a national, person-centred assessment framework can:

Drive efficiency

• Eliminate duplication and form redesign across 152 local authorities
• Save up to £250k per authority by replacing bespoke builds with standard tools
• Reduce administrative burden on social care professionals

Promote equity

• Ensure people with similar needs receive comparable support, no matter where they live
• Restore public trust through transparent, defensible decision-making
• Enable fairer and faster budget determination aligned with the Care Act

Enable smarter planning

• Support national benchmarking and outcome tracking
• Strengthen predictive analytics and resource planning
• Provide high-quality data that supports AI-readiness and evidence-based policymaking

A human-centred approach

Imosphere’s assessment tools aren’t just about data – they’re about people. Our solutions are built to:

• Facilitate meaningful, trauma-informed conversations
• Adapt dynamically to individual responses
• Empower professionals to focus on care, not paperwork

By embedding lived experience and practitioner insight into our tools, we ensure that every assessment is a catalyst for better care, not just a form to be completed.

A call to action

We believe that standardisation is not the end goal – it’s the beginning of real transformation. Our approach enables the sector to build a sustainable, data-driven foundation for:

• Proactive care
• Collaborative working across health and housing
• Responsive policy development

The future of adult social care starts with a shared language, smarter tools, and a commitment to equity and quality.

Explore the Adult Social Care Connected Toolkit

Our Connected Toolkit is a modular, co-designed suite built with local authorities to deliver real impact – today and into the future.

Our tools work together to support:

• Connected Community: Empower citizens with advice, support, and voice ‍
• Connected Practice: Deliver strengths-based, best practice assessments ‍
• Connected Funding: Ensure fair, data-driven, and defensible personal budgets ‍
• Connected Insights: Plan smarter with real-time, reliable data

Local authorities using our toolkit are seeing noticeable results including:

• Reduced delays in care planning
• Measurable improvements in outcomes
• Millions of pounds saved through smarter, earlier interventions

Let’s enable better outcomes with connected, practical tools.