Guides
Plain-English, evidence-based guides for care professionals, families and researchers. We say clearly what the evidence shows, and what it does not.
These guides are written to be genuinely useful. They do not conflate companion communication devices with ambulatory humanoid robots. They do not overstate what any technology does. Where evidence is limited or contested, we say so.
Guide 1
A clear account of which robot technologies are currently deployed in UK care settings, what they actually do day to day, what they cannot do, and the important distinction between companion communication devices and full humanoid robots. Essential background for anyone making a procurement or evaluation decision.
Read this guideGuide 2
Honest, practical guidance for families whose relative is in a care home that uses companion robots, or who are thinking about a companion device for a relative living at home. Covers what these devices do, how to evaluate whether one might help, and how to raise concerns if you have them.
Read this guideGuide 3
A careful, honest account of what social and companion robots can and cannot do in dementia care, what the peer-reviewed research actually shows, the ethical and safeguarding considerations, and what care homes and families should ask before any deployment.
Read this guideGuide 4
One of the most-searched questions in UK social care. A measured, evidence-based answer covering what robots currently do and cannot do, why the workforce crisis makes the question feel urgent, where companion technology genuinely helps, and what the real risks are to watch for.
Read this guideGuide 5
A practical framework for care home managers, care directors, and commissioners evaluating assistive and companion robots. Covers how to define what you need, questions to put to any supplier, the UK regulatory and data protection context, how to run a responsible pilot, and how to build a business case.
Read this guideGuide 6
An honest, evidence-based look at whether social robots can reduce loneliness in older people. Covers the current research, its limitations, positive findings, practical considerations for care settings, and what families should know when asking about technology as an answer to social isolation.
Read this guideGuide 7
A practical guide to why care robot pricing is opaque, the three main procurement models (outright purchase, lease, and Robotics as a Service), what drives cost, which funding routes exist for UK care organisations, and how to build an honest business case before committing.
Read this guideGuide 8
A practical ethical framework for care home providers considering companion or assistive robot deployment. Covers the core ethical questions around resident interest, consent, dignity, and substitution risk; data protection and surveillance; the deception question; CQC regulation; and a deployment checklist.
Read this guideGuide 9
Honest, practical guidance for families considering companion or assistive technology for an elderly relative living alone. Covers the types of technology genuinely available in the UK, whether a device is right for your relative, what to look for, and how statutory care services can help first.
Read this guideGuide 10
What CQC-registered care homes need to know about regulation, consent, safeguarding, data protection, and documentation when deploying companion or assistive technology. Covers all five CQC quality domains, the Mental Capacity Act consent process, UK GDPR obligations, and a documentation checklist for CQC readiness.
Read this guideGuide 11
There is no single fund to apply to for care robot technology, so this guide sets out the realistic funding routes: self-funding from the operating budget, local authority social-care budgets, NHS and integrated care routes, and charitable or innovation grants. It also explains how providers usually build an honest business case, without promising savings that companion technology does not deliver.
Read this guideGuide 12
Most conversation about care robots focuses on care homes, but much UK care happens in people's own homes. This guide looks honestly at what companion and monitoring technology can and cannot do in a domiciliary setting, how it differs from a care home, and how it fits alongside human home care and statutory support rather than replacing it.
Read this guideGuide 13
A companion or monitoring robot can see, hear and record a great deal about a vulnerable person. This guide explains what these devices tend to collect, how UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 apply, the surveillance and consent questions, and the direct questions to put to any supplier before a device is switched on.
Read this guideGuide 14
If a care home tells you it uses companion or assistive robots, it is reasonable to have questions. This family checklist sets out the practical questions worth asking, covering what the device does, consent and choice, human contact, data and privacy, and who is responsible if something goes wrong.
Read this guideFor care providers
If you are a care home manager, commissioner or NHS technology lead at the research or planning stage, the For Providers page covers the operational and regulatory considerations in more depth, and explains how to send us a tailored enquiry.