This is a blog written by National Digital Projects Lead, Heather Taylor

Last month saw the completion of the first Pilot of the Care Technologist Training Programme and what a cohort it was!  

Fifteen participants with a vast array of experience in social care joined us in taking part. We held sessions for four consecutive Tuesdays in November 2025.  

Day 1 – The Person-Centred Technologist  

Day 2 – The Tech Toolkit  

Day 3 – Technology with Integrity 

Day 4 – Leadership and Impact Evaluation 

The modules were carefully curated from our learning over the first year of the project. Participants shared valuable insights from their experiences of supporting people living in a wide range of circumstances, including in their own homes, care homes, reablement facilities and extra care facilities. Expertise within the group varied, from those who were new to supporting people with technology to people who are currently working in roles based on the implementation of technology to support those receiving care.  

The learners committed ahead of joining the cohort to provide us with feedback on how they found the curriculum and provide any room for improvement. This enabled us to take our learning into the next and final pilot of the project. I would like to express my sincere thanks to those who attended the first pilot and shared their valuable insights to help develop this training programme. We will continue to engage with the participants of the first pilot on the Care Technologist Community of Practice.  

Feedback from the first pilot was overwhelmingly positive. Participants described the sessions as “engaging and enjoyable” highlighting the mix of breakout rooms and group discussions. They appreciated practical insights, saying the activities “got me thinking about how best to problem solve in a much more structured way.” Many were inspired by the breadth of technology explored, noting that “simplistic solutions can be just as good as expensive tech” and that the course “opened my mind to the range of technology available to help the people we support.” Others reflected on the bigger picture: “It’s exciting because it feels like we are the start of the next step of care.” 

The Care Technologist curriculum is being revised in line with the findings of the pilot. We will take our learning into the final pilot. We aim to learn and develop the curriculum further following the final pilot.  

We will be holding Expression of Interest Interviews throughout December 2025 for the final pilot. This will be a 30-minute Teams call, covering the following points:  

• Care Technologist Training Programme Project update  

• Progress from the first pilot  

• Learner commitments for pilot 2  

• Q&A about the service you work for, your current role and, the role of the potential participant wishing to attend the pilot. 

The final pilot will take place on:  

Thursday 29th January 2026  

Thursday 5th February 2026  

Thursday 12th February 2026  

Thursday 19th February 2026  

To express your interest, click here.